Black-throated Green Warbler
WOW, what a day! Temperature in the low 70s, low humidity, bright sunny skies, and a northwest wind that could push migrating birds our way. My plan was to quickly check the Rockfish Valley Trail, and then head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, and the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch. That was my final itinerary, but there was nothing quick about the Rockfish Valley Trail.
I stopped first at the southern end of the Glenthorne Loop trail at 8:30 a.m., parking near the second wooden bridge. This area has been great for warblers in the past few years. As I hiked down the east side of Reids Creek to keep the sun at my back, I saw birds everywhere. There were lots of Red-eyed Vireos - almost everywhere that I looked. I stayed in this area for an hour, logging 28 avian species including 6 warbler species: Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
American Redstart
American Redstart
There were at least two White-eyed Vireos in addition to the many Red-eyed Vireos. One of the Red-eyed Vireos was very strange - it was unusually large - reminded me of a Cuckoo in size, and it had a long gray neck atypical of a Red-eyed Vireo, but I don't know what else it could have been.
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Large Red-eyed Vireo
Large Red-eyed Vireo
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Eastern Wood-Pewee
House Wren
Indigo Bunting
Immature Northern Mockingbird - notice the yellow eye-ring
Immature Northern Mockingbird - notice the yellow eye-ring
I then stopped at the first wooden bridge and added 4 more species, bringing my morning total on the Rockfish Valley Trail to 32 species. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive were a disappointment - perhaps because of the strong winds. I only saw American Goldfinch, Eastern Towhee, Common Raven, Turkey Vulture, and heard a Hooded Warbler. A quick stop at the hawk watch, and then I headed home.
This morning's RV Trail list (32 species):
Carolina Wren House Wren American Goldfinch Indigo Bunting Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Tufted Titmouse Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Eastern Phoebe Eastern Wood-Pewee Ruby-throated Hummingbird Northern Cardinal Carolina Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Catbird Red-eyed Vireo White-eyed Vireo Scarlet Tanager Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Magnolia Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler American Redstart Rose-breasted Grosbeak Northern Mockingbird |