Blue-headed Vireo
Spring migration is pretty much over, and birds are not easy to locate now. We had a very late spring, and then a huge amount of rain coupled with high temperatures, and the foliage is thick everywhere I go. Some of the regular summer residents and breeders are not to be found, and I wonder if the very late spring caused many of the species to pass through central Virginia and look for better breeding grounds elsewhere?
Walt Childs and I started out along Cowpasture Road in Highland County. Blue-winged, Golden-winged, and hybird Lawrence's Warblers have been there in previous years, along with other warbler species. Walt and I had gone birding there on May 9th, and on that day, the trees were mostly bare and there were very few birds to be seen. Today, the foliage was very dense, but once again, we saw very few birds there. The only cooperative bird was a Blue-headed Vireo.
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Wood Thrush
We then turned around, took Route 614 all the way to the West Virginia side of Reddish Knob, and started our ascent part way to the summit, and then down the Virginia side. Although we heard eight warbler species: American Redstart, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Hooded, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Black and White, and Worm-eating, we only got quick glimpses of three of them, and I wasn't able to get any decent photos.
After the past two days of poor birding, I decided to just do some hiking here in Old Trail (Crozet). All of the new construction has really put a damper on birding here, and the dense foliage made it even more difficult. I did see a few birds, including a female Blue Grosbeak gathering nesting materials.
Male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Female Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Female Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Female Blue Grosbeak
Female Blue Grosbeak
Female Blue Grosbeak
Black Vulture
Red-winged Blackbird
White-tailed deer munching on woodland foliage