Warm weather made birding on this winter day quite pleasant. Walt Childs and I drove to Raphine, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley and headed west from I-81. Frozen streams and lakes were starting to melt, and birds were taking advantage of it. We stopped near Wade's Mill where a few hundred American Robins and other avian species were foraging in the fields and bathing in the creek.
Cedar Waxwing and American Robin
Cedar Waxwings and American Robin
Cedar Waxwings
We continued on and near New Providence Road where we saw a few woodland and field birds, some Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrels.
White-crowned Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlarks
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk (northern race?)
Female American Kestrel
Female American Kestrel
Female American Kestrel
Female American Kestrel
One of the Red-tailed Hawks was very interesting. Its tail was very pale with a reddish tip, rather than all red. This feature suggests a Krider's sub-species, but the rest of this hawks features are that of a typical eastern sub-species. Perhaps this hawk was a hybrid with some Krider's in its genetic make-up.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
We then drove to Willow Lake in Raphine where we saw Canada Geese, a Redhead, Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks, and an adult and a first winter Mute Swan.
Mute Swans
Mute Swans
Mute Swans
We then stopped at McCormick's Mill. Very few birds were there, but we did see a few Mallards and Gadwalls. We headed back north, and drove through some areas in Stuart's Draft in Augusta County. Soon after entering the southern part of Guthrie Road from Route 340, we spotted a distant Bald Eagle, and then added a couple more American Kestrels.
Bald Eagle
Female American Kestrel
We ended the trip with 35+ avian species.