Although it was a little cooler this morning than it was yesterday, it was still hot when I hiked here in Old Trail. As soon as I left my house, I heard a small flock of Killdeers flying by. A short distance into my hike, I stopped when there was a flurry of avian activity high up in the tree canopies. Most of the birds were Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. A Brown Creeper flew to a tree a few feet in front of me. Then I saw a flash of bright yellow in and out of the leaves above me. I kept taking pictures until it came out into a clear area - a male Wilson's Warbler. This species is uncommon to fairly rare here, and is usually out of the area by the end of September, although they have been recorded here in the Piedmont area of Virginia as late as November 21. Still, it was the highlight of my hike. I ended up with 24 avian species, even though I avoided the grassy areas near the soccer fields where I could have picked up at least two more species.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Brown Creeper
Great Blue Heron
Wilson's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler