Great Blue Heron
With temperatures in the upper 80s and dew points in the mid 70s, it was quite uncomfortable on my short hiike this morning. I saw a Great Blue Heron with its bill open and tongue sticking out, presumably a method of cooling itself. As I was hiking along Slabtown Branch Creek, a tan, warbler-sized bird flew right past me and into the vegetation. I was able to get only one photo of part of the bird, but the striped head and dotted undertail coverts are diagnostic for a Worm-eating Warbler. This is my Old Trail avian species #164, and as far as I know, previously unrecorded in Old Trail, and brings the Old Trail avian species list to 190.
Old Trail; Crozet, VA
Great Blue Heron
Worm-eating Warbler
Juvenile Downy Woodpecker
Juvenile Downy Woodpecker
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Indigo Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
A cool front moved thtough central Virginia last night, dropping both the temperatures and the dew points, and scoured out the air to make a great day for birding. I wondered if the weather change would encourage some birds to migrate, so I went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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I started off on Route 610 between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the parkway. I heard a couple of Cerulean Warblers, two or three Hooded Warblers, and got a quick look at one Black and White Warbler. It was good to hear the Ceruleans. They normally leave the area mid-August, although I saw one in early September a few years ago. By the time I got back onto the parkway, my day list was about a dozen avian species, but it really wasn't that "birdy." Fall warbler migration in this area usually starts the last week of August or first week of September.
As I drove south on the parkway, I heard only a few birds, and stopped at one of my "go-to" warbler sites near mm. 12-1/2. I heard another Hooded and another Cerulean, but was surprised to see a Worm-eating Warbler pop up in front of me. I haven't seen this warbler species at that location.
Worm-eating Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
I continued south and turned around at Three Ridges Overlook. As I was driving north (with my windows down to listen for warblers), as soon as I passed the mm. 12 post, I heard a Black-throated Blue Warbler. They are only up here during spring and fall migration. So I parked my car at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 11.8) and hiked down the parkway to look for the Black-throated Blue Warbler. There was a lot of avian activity at mm. 12. A Cerulean Warbler was singing its head off.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
And then I noticed a lot of small birds in the woods down the hill from the parkway. It was a mixed flock of migrating warblers! And they were foraging their way up to the parkway. This was going to be fun! Moments after the flocked reached the trees right along the parkway, three motorcyclists drove by with their even louder radios blasting over their motorcycle engine noises. The warbler flock didn't not appreciate the noise, and neither did I. The warbler flock disbursed, but I was able to get few photos. I never located the Black-throated Blue.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
I got some partial views of another warbler, that was probably a Cerulean, although it looked a bit dark for a Cerulean.
Cerulean(?) Warbler
Cerulean(?) Warbler
So counting the two warbler species that were heard only (Hooded and Black-throated Blue), I ended up with eight warbler species this morning. I got back onto Route 610 at mm. 4, and the only birds of note were a pair of Acadian Flycatchers calling to each other. One of them appears to be a juvenile.
Acadian Flycatchers
Acadian Flycatcher
I ended up with 28 avian species on the parkway and 610 this morning. MIGRATION!
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue Ridge Parkway/610 avian species list:
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Carolina Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Worm-eating Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Mourning Dove
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Downy Woodpecker
Gray Catbird
Acadian Flycatcher
American Robin
Tufted Titmouse
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Black Vulture
