Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 9/29/2019

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It was another hot and sticky day, and I headed up to the parkway to beat the heat, not expecting to find many warblers as the weather didn't seem to support strong migration. I arrived around 8:40, 20 to 30 minutes earlier than I usually do, and knew that Route 610 between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the parkway would be mostly in shadow, so I drove along the parkway all the way to mm. 4, hoping to see warblers from there. But most of the parkway was also shaded, so I got onto 610 at mm. 4, and headed north. Near mm. 3.5, I stopped when I met two Charlottesville birders who were looking at a woodpecker. I heard a Pine Warbler singing from the pine trees there, but did not see it. I continued north for another half mile, and turned around. Within a minute I was in sunshine on 610, and there was a lot of avian activity, so I stopped and got out of my car. The first warbler I saw there was Black-throated Green.

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

Then I saw a Blue-headed Vireo and a brown bird with wing bars and white spectacles. This one really stumped me, and at first I thought it might have been a leucistic Blue-headed Vireo. But after processing the photos and seeing its warbler shaped bill, I realized that it was a very pale, first fall, female Pine Warbler. I have seen Pine Warblers that looked like this one in Florida during the winter, but never in Virginia.

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Blue-headed Vireo

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First fall, female Pine Warbler

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First fall, female Pine Warbler

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First fall, female Pine Warbler

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First fall, female Pine Warbler

Well, that was just the start at this stop. There were a few Bay-breasted Warblers, one of which was very pale, as well as a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Parula, and a Blackburnian Warbler.

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Chesnut-sided Warbler

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Northern Parula

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Blackburnian Warbler

There were Black-throated Blue Warblers as well. I got some quick looks but no photos of a male, and photos of two females. One of the females had a golden-yellow underside. First time I have ever seen one with this bold coloring.

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

Still not done at this stop - I saw a distant Philadelphia Vireo. I really want a good photo of this species, and will have to keep trying to get one.

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Philadelphia Vireo

Well, that was a worthwhile stop! At the south end of the cirque (mm. 7.5), I found a pair of Common Yellowthroats foraging in the brush.

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

I stopped at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12), and heard a Hooded Warbler, but could not see it. I turned around and headed north. Near the old tower on 610, I got my 9th warbler species of the morning, a male American Redstart, and saw a pair of American Goldfinches.

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American Redstart

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American Goldfinch

When I arrived at Old Trail in Crozet, I tried to find the Lincoln's Sparrow that I saw yesterday, but was unsuccessful. Two of the Blue Grosbeaks were easy to re-locate.

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Blue Grosbeaks

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Blue Grosbeaks


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