White-eyed Vireo
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) usually does a good job of road construction and maintenance, but sometimes, I have a difficult time understanding what they are thinking. I am writing this as I will point out a couple of road projects that may affect local area birding. I wanted to look for warblers this morning, and decided to first go to Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro. From where I live in Crozet, taking I-64 to exit 96 (Delphine Avenue), and coming into the park from the south side makes the most sense to me. Not only is it much shorter than going to the main entrance and parking in the lot there, I can park on one of two side streets that have entrances directly into the wooded areas where I go birding. As soon as I got onto the exit ramp, I saw a VDOT worker with a Stop/Slow sign. VDOT is ripping up Delphine and re-doing the road. The right lane was closed south and north of I-64. I certainly don't understand what they are doing, as Delphine Road is in great condition. Seems like VDOT could be using its budget where road work is really needed. Anyway, it wasn't much of a problem for me this morning, but could be soon when the left and southbound lanes are being done, making it difficult to get to Ridgeview Park from there.
Once I got to the park, I saw 20 avian species, including 3 White-eyed Vireos, but not a single warbler. Purple Martins have arrived at the Purple Martin nesting box cluster on Brookwood Lane. I have been birding in Ridgeview Park three times during the past couple of weeks, and each time I saw a small red fox on the path in the wooded area, but never got a good photo of it as it scampered into the brush.
White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Osprey
Purple Martin
My next stop was the first 12 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I usually stay on the parkway for the first two miles, exit near mm.2 onto Route 610 that parallels the parkway for the first 4 miles before turning west and going down into the Shenandoah Valley. The first 2 miles of Route 610 only have a few short stretches where there is good birding, but at these places there is no road shoulder; therefore, there is no place to park and it is dangerous to walk. However, miles 2 through 4 can be really good for birding. Route 610 is only 50 to 100 feet west of the parkway. It is a lot quieter than the parkway, and there is plenty of road shoulder for parking. Often, the activity on the parking moves birds down along Route 610 where there is much less commotion. Route 610 is frequently in need of repair, especially from mm 4. down to the valley.
So I exited I-64 at exit 99 (Afton Mountain), got onto Route 250 east for a very short distance, and then got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance ramp at the popcorn stand (below the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch site). As soon as I got onto the ramp, I saw more VDOT workers with Stop/Slow signs. The ramp is only about 100 feet long, and 20 feet before you get onto the parkway, Route 610 begins. I could see that VDOT was working on Route 610. But I had to stop at the VDOT worker's Stop sign there. I sat for five minutes, and by now, cars were backing up behind me, but nothing was happening. I unrolled my car window and asked the VDOT worker what was going on. She replied, "You have to wait here for the pilot vehicle as one lane is closed." I then said that I wasn't turning onto Route 610, but going 20 feet farther on getting on the parkway. She then said, "I don't know. They told me everyone has to wait for the pilot vehicle." At that point, I asked her if she had a walkie-talkie so I could talk with her supervisor, and she then let me drive another 20 feet and get onto the parkway. Unbelievable!
Eastern Towhee
Blue-headed Vireo
I was about to give up looking for warblers today when I got to one of my favorite warbler spots, Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12). American Redstarts and Cerulean Warblers nest there every summer. The trees were still bare, but I heard a few birds, so I stayed for a while. Sure enough, both species had arrived.
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
I had added 7 more species to my day's trip list by this time. I decided to try the Rockfish Valley Trail where it should be much greener. I exited the parkway at Reids Gap (mm 14.), and made my way to the RV Trail. In prior years, many species bred there: Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-breasted Chats, Yellow Warblers, White-eyed Vireos, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Orchard Orioles, House and Carolina Wrens, Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and more, but significant habitat changes, especially on private parcels next to the RV Trail, have really diminished the birding there. I heard a White-eyed Vireo singing, but couldn't see it. However, I did find a Common Yellowthroat and added 7 more species to my day list, bringing it to 34 avian species.
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
House Wren
Tree Swallow
I went by the Stoney Creek section of Wintergreen Resort as I drove north on Route 151. Alice and I lived there for 10 years, but I haven't been birding there since we moved almost 2 years ago. I decided to take one of my former birding routes down to the Allen Creek Nature Preserve, and added 6 more avian species, making it 40 for the day at that point.
Swamp Sparrow
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
But the biggest treat for me in Stoney Creek wasn't the birds. As I drove down Sawmill Creek Drive, I stopped one house before the house where I used to live. Two fox kits were in the drainage ditch along side the road. One of them scurried into the drain pipe under a driveway, but the other one was content to let me take all the photos that I wanted.
Fox kits
Fox kit
Fox kit
Fox kit
Fox kit
Fox kit
Fox kit
Fox kit