Central Virginia, 8/23/18

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

A front moved through yesterday, bringing much drier and cooler air. I also hoped that it would push some migrating birds our way, so I started off on my usual route along the Blue Ridge Parkway/Route 610. My first stop was at the old tower on Route 610. This has been a good spot for warblers for the past month, and I wasn't disappointed this morning. The first warbler species I saw was a Cerulean. The Virginia "Goldbook" states an extreme late summer date of September 14 for this species in the mountains of Virginia, but I think that the one I saw today was the lastest I have seen up on the parkway in any year.

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Cerulean Warbler

At this first stop, I also saw a female American Redstart, and either one or two Blackburnian Warblers. One of the Blackburnians seemed to have a darker back and more pronounced facial features, but it may also have been variations in lighting under the dense tree cover.

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American Redstart

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

At this first stop, I also saw a Yellow-throated Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. I have seen all of these species, except for the Yellow-throated Vireo, at this stop during the past month, so I don't think that the warblers were there as a migratory stopover.

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Yellow-throated Vireo

I continued along Route 610, and re-entered the parkway near mm. 4, and only saw a few birds as I traveled south.

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Common Raven

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Common Raven

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Common Raven

I stopped at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12) where I have been seeing Hooded Warblers all summer. I heard the chink call of two of them at this stop, and got a quick glimpse of one of the Hooded Warblers. A Red-tailed Hawk flew by, bringing my morning total to 23 avian species.

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Red-tailed Hawk

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Eastern Wood-Pewee

I turned my car around, and decided to check out Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro. As I was driving north on the parkway, I was just south of the entrance to the Humpback Rocks picnic area, when I saw a small raptor on the west shoulder of the parkway. As I got closer, it took off, and I only got a quick look at it. The raptor was slightly larger and more slender than a Sharp-shinned Hawk, and had a somewhat long tail. At first I thought it might be a Cooper's Hawk, as its back appeared to be solid gray. However, its breast was unmarked gray and just slightly lighter than its back. It appeared to have a gray head with dark eyes. I thought it strange that its breast was unmarked, so it couldn't have been a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned. At then the light bulb went off. It must have been a Mississippi Kite. One was seen a few days ago at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, only 8 miles to the north. I turned the car around and drove back two miles, but did not re-locate this raptor.

I then continued on tho Ridgeview Park where I didn't see any warblers, but added four more species to my day list, and got a few photos of a male Pileated Woodpecker.

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Pileated Woodpecker

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Pileated Woodpecker


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