Ovenbird
Tink Moyer and I headed up to Reddish Knob in the Allegheny Mountains. Our target birds were 7 warbler species that neither of us had seen (nor I had photographed) yet in 2023. Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, and Canada Warblers should be fairly easy to find there, Northern Parula was likely, and Blue-winged and Mourning Warblers were highly unlikely but infrequently reported there. And of course, Red Crossbills were always possible to find at the four road intersection.
As we drove up Briery Branch Road from the reservoir, we decided to only stop before the four road intersection if we saw/heard a cluster of birds, as all of the target warblers are usually found at higher elevations. We did stop once, saw Ovenbirds, and heard Pine Warblers, Hooded Warblers, and American Redstarts.
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
At that stop, we heard a warbler song that we could not identify. Tink finally spotted the warbler - it was a Cerulean. I've heard hundreds of Cerulean Warblers along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but never that song. I recorded the song, and it's one of the Cerulean songs on the Sibley app that was recorded in Kentucky. I've included a link to a nine second recording, and this Cerulean song can be heard near the beginning and at the end of the recording.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Click here to listen to the Cerulean song
We stopped at the four road intersection, and there were at least 8 Red Crossbills in the trees, including males, females, and at least one recently fledged juvenile.
Red Crossbills
Red Crossbills
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbills
Red Crossbill
We then headed up towards the Reddish Knob summit. There's a small area to pull off soon after the ascent on the one lane road, and it's been a good place to find Black-throated Green and Blackburnian Warblers. We were not disappointed, and also saw Chestnut-sided and Black and White Warblers there.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black and White Warbler
As we continued towards the summit, we heard more Ovenbirds, American Redstarts, and Chestnut-sided Warblers. We stopped at a pull-off area around a large curve overlooking Sugar Grove in West Virginia. This has been a good place to find Canada Warblers. We heard one, and I saw it fly, but never got a photo of it.
About a quarter mile before the road up to the summit, FR 85 continues on, and that location is great for finding Black-throated Blue Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Chestnut-Sided Warblers, Canada Warblers, and Blue-headed Vireos. We saw some of these species, but no Canada Warblers, so I still need to photograph one in 2023 :-(
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Blue-headed Vireo
But another warbler species at that location made up for not photographing a Canada Warbler.
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Mourning Warbler
When we got back to the four road intersection, we made a short drive up the other direction on FR85, and saw one Chestnut-sided Warbler, and our 13th warbler species of the day.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
On the way back down Briery Branch Road, we stopped where we had seen a cluster of warblers on the way up. This time, we heard more Hooded Warblers and Ovenbirds, and got a quick look at a Pine Warbler. At the bridge just before the reservoir, we stopped and looked unsucessfully for Northern Parulas, but our 14th warbler of the trip was crossing the road.
Louisiana Waterthrush
We ended our birding at Reddish Knob with 42 avian species - not bad for a few hours there (10:30 am - 2:30 pm).
Black-Capped Chickadee
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Scarlet Tanager
Reddish Knob trip list:
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Red Crossbill
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Acadian Flycatcher
Dark-eyed Junco
Broad-winged Hawk