Red-shouldered Hawk
After the rain stopped, I went for a late morning hike, and saw 23 avian species, and had a very close encounter with two young deer. I was suprised to see my First-of-Season Eastern Kingbird, as the Virginia Goldbook shows April 20 for the first arrival of this species in the Piedmont.
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Goldfinch
Pied-billed Grebe and Tree Swallow
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
After lunch, I explored the first five miles of the parkway, but it is still about two weeks early for the vegetation at these elevations, and I only saw a few species there.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
I headed west to lower elevations and did some hiking in Ridgeview Park. I was amazed to see the lush vegetation close to the ground this early in the spring, and some leaves popping out at the treetops. The Viginia bluebells were in full bloom. I got some close-up photos of an Eastern Towhee, and there were numerous Purple Finches in the treetops.
Viginia bluebells
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Towhee
Purple Finches