Black-throated Blue Warbler
Migrating warblers on and just to the east of the Blue Ridge Mountains here in central Virginia seem to be arriving a bit later than usual, and are harder to find so far this month than farther to the west near the Allegheny Mountains.
I drove up to the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and got on to parrallel Route 610 near mm. 2. I encountered one small flock of birds that included a first year(?) female Black-throated Blue Warbler and an uncooperative Chestnut-sided Warbler.
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
I re-entered the parkway around mm. 4, and stopped at my two favorite warbler sites, the cirque near mm 7.5 and Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12), but didn't see any warblers there - just a few woodland species and one Red-tailed Hawk.
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
I continued down to the 3 Ridges Overlook (mm. 14) and found one Ovenbird and a Worm-eating Warbler.
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Well, I thought that it might be better, but perhaps another day. I reversed direction, and stopped at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch for a while, where I saw a few Broad-winged Hawks, a Bald Eagle, and an Osprey.
Bald Eagle; Osprey; Broad-winged Hawk
I returned home to Old Trail in nearby Crozet, and hiked a bit here. I added another warbler for the day - a Common Yellowthroat, and a few more woodland species.
Common Yellowthroat
Female Blue Grosbeak
Least Flycatcher
Immature Northern Cardinal
Walt Childs and I hiked on the Rockfish Valley Trail where we saw Magnolia, Black and White, and Black-throated Green Warblers, as well as an Olive-sided Flycatcher. I posted this as a separate report. Click here to read the September 11 report and then use your back button to return to this report.
With rain from the remnants of Hurricane Irma forecasted to arrive in the afternoon, I did some more hiking here in Old Trail. Early in my hike I saw a male Wilson's Warbler near the golf course pond. A Great Blue Heron was fishing on the other side of the pond, and a pair of Belted Kingfishers were flying across the pond.
Wilson's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Belted Kingfishers
Northern Mockingbird
As I headed back to the east, I saw another warbler species - Palm, and a Red-shouldered Hawk flew across the large meadow.
Palm Warbler
I crossed Old Trail Drive, and hike along the creek. Near the eastern end of Old Trail, I spotted two more warblers in dense tree cover. One was a Magnolia Warbler. The other was a first year Canada Warbler, my Old Trail species #117. Note the juvenile brown coloring in lieu of the adult gray plumage.
Magnolia Warbler
Canada Warbler
Canada Warbler
A flock of Indigo Buntings has been hanging out in that area, and this is where I saw the female Blue Grosbeak two days earlier. I was able to get a photo of the female Blue Grosbeak next to a female Indigo Bunting. Note the size difference in their bills.
Blue Grosbeak; Indigo Bunting