Osprey
I was able to take three short hikes here in Old Trail this week, and ended up with 38 avian species.
April 2It was an interesting afternoon hike, and I logged 28 avian species. A migrating Osprey was perched above one of the small ponds.
Osprey
Osprey
Pine Warbler
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
I also saw something I had never seen before. In the small, secluded pond along the gravel path up to the schools, I saw a male and a female Wood Duck. This duck species is very skittish, and when I do see them in Old Trail, they are usually in this pond. Our resident, juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk likes to search for a meal at the edge of this same pond, and usually for frogs, snakes, etc. While some hawk species go after small birds, I have never seen a Red-shouldered Hawk go after a bird, much less one the size of a duck. But I guess that junior didn't know that. The Red-shouldered Hawk went after the male Wood Duck, and both ducks dove under the water. I'm not sure which species was more scared - the ducks by the hawk, or the hawk by the big splash, but the hawk flew off and the ducks surfaced.
Wood Duck
Wood Ducks
Red-shouldered Hawk
Wood Ducks and Red-shouldered Hawk
Wood Ducks and Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Wood Ducks
On a morning hike, I added 7 more avian species to my report list.
Brown Thrasher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swamp Sparrow
I did another morning hike, and quit as it was getting really hot and humid, with an expected high of 87 degrees this afternoon. I added three more avian species to my report list, including my first of year Louisiana Waterthrush (2), and what appears to be an extremely early Gray-cheeked Thrush. The Virginia "Gold Book" shows an expected arrival date of April 30, with an extreme early arrival date of April 8. It might have been a Hermit Thrush, but I don't see any reddish coloring on it.
Gray-cheeked(?) Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Louisiana Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Report list:
Osprey Red-bellied Woodpecker American Crow Carolina Wren European Starling Northern Mockingbird Eastern Bluebird American Robin House Sparrow American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal Red-shouldered Hawk Wood Duck Ruby-crowned Kinglet Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Pine Warbler Downy Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe
Field Sparrow |