Rockfish Valley Trail 9/26/11

All photos are © Marshall Faintich


The mid-Atlantic states are stuck between two stationary fronts. Once again, at 8:30 this morning there was a mostly cloudy sky with patchy fog, high humidity, and on/off light rain sprinkles. By 10:00 the rain sprinkles turned into steady drizzle, and I headed home, but not before logging 24 species on the trail, 18 of which I logged in the first 30 minutes.

Yellow Bird Thicket situated on the Glenthorne Loop trail just north of the bog area lived up to its name. In the thicket there was a Yellow-breasted Chat, a Common Yellowthroat, American Goldfinches, and a White-eyed Vireo, in addition to several Catbirds, Cardinals, Field Sparrows, and a Swainson's Thrush. In the brush along Reids Creek next to the thicket there was a Magnolia Warbler.


Catbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, Swainson's Thrush


Swainson's Thrush


Common Yellowthroat


White-eyed Vireo


Magnolia Warbler


Magnolia Warbler


Magnolia Warbler


Magnolia Warbler

At the southern end on the Glenthorne Loop Trail there were a pair of Red-tailed Hawks. One of them did a U-turn and flew right past me.


Red-tailed Hawks


Red-tailed Hawk

The Rockfish Valley Trail continued to show me some colorful spiders. This Banded Argiope was spinning its web at the edge of the bog area.


Banded Argiope

On the return hike to my car, I saw a Red-winged Blackbird in the brush near the Rockfish River on the downstream trail. A usual place for this species, but I haven't seen one on the trail for more than a month.

This morning's list:

Eastern Bluebird
Indigo Bunting
American Crow
Catbird
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rock Pigeon
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Carolina Wren
Red-tailed Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-winged Blackbird
Swainson's Thrush
Belted Kingfisher
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
American Goldfinch
Blue Jay
Common Yellowthroat
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-brested Chat
White-eyed Vireo


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