Crozet, VA 4/3/2020

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

I debated whether or not to go birding at nearby Lickinghole Creek and Reservoir. Social media reported lots of people there two days ago, and I am trying hard to maintain "social distancing." It was chilly and breezy, and I hoped that would lessen the number of people there. When I arrived and hiked past the dam, I didn't see a single person, but did encounter a dog on the trail that seemed to know where it was going on its own. On the return hike, I did see quite a few people there, and was careful to move off the trail and wait for them to pass. Interestingly, I was the only one to do that - none of the people I saw moved off the trail for me to pass. I ended up with 27 avian species there and on the adjacent Crozet Connector Trail. It was neat to see birds on the water and mud flats - Canada Geese, three Mallards, one Blue-winged Teal, one Killdeer, two Lesser Yellowlegs, and three Wilson's Snipes.

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Blue-winged Teal and Mallard

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Lesser Yellowlegs

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Lesser Yellowlegs

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Killdeer

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Wilson's Snipes

From the west side of the reservoir (near the blind), the Bald Eagle nest appeared to be unoccupied, just as it seemed the last time I was there. I thought that perhaps the Bald Eagles were gone. But from the side near the dam, when the wind would blow the branches near the nest, I could see a Bald Eagle on the nest!

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Bald Eagle

I encountered three warbler species on the hike. I saw Yellow-rumped Warblers at several locations. One of them appeared to have a yellow eye-ring? Just past the dam, I heard the normal and extended songs of my First of Year Louisiana Waterthrush, but could not see it. And on the Connector Trail, I heard a couple of Pine Warblers.

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Field Sparrow

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Eastern Phoebe

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Downy Woodpecker

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I saw two Red-shouldered Hawks over the field at the start of the Conector Trail, and saw my First of Year Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

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Red-shouldered Hawk

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Tiger Swallowtail

Today's list:

Canada Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Wilson's Snipe
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Louisiana Waterthrush
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee


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