Great Blue Heron
The temperatures have been very mild here, but it has also been very dry for the past few weeks. Most of the smaller birds I found were in either dense vegetation or wooded areas near small creeks where there was a little bit of water. I birded Monday through Thursday mornings and by Wednesday, I had logged 38 avian species. The only species I added on Thursday was a Black Vulture.
A couple of disturbing comments. The Old Trail golf course crew has mowed down all of the tall grasses along the south, upper side of the golf course pond along hole #1. This was a favorite forging area for sparrows, warblers, and other species, and these birds are now gone.
But even more disturbing is the Albemarle County Western Park that is completely within Old Trail. Someone (county or ??), and I know that it was not the Crozet Trails Crew, has mowed a wide path all the way from the Lodge to the community gardens through the wetlands. All the female and juvenile wintering Red-winged Blackbirds are gone, the Yellow-rumped Warblers are gone, almost all of the wintering sparrows are gone, and I saw only two birds in that entire area. Oh yes, I saw three empty plastic soda bottles thrown along the mowed path. Whoever did this has gone a long way to destroying one of the best, if not the best, wildlife habitat areas in this part of Albemarle County.
Great Blue Heron
Red-shouldered Hawk
Black Vulture
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Female and male Northern Flickers
Eastern Phoebe
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Four day list:
Great Blue Heron
Red-shouldered Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow