Crozet, VA 2/9/2021

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Old Trail

I had a good outing yesterday here in Old Trail with 34 avian species. It was a bit warmer this morning, and there was almost no wind. I started out once again at the golf course pond, but didn't see any of the ducks that were there yesterday, no Canada Geese, and I didn't even see the Pied-billed Grebe that has been here for a couple of months. I wondered what kind of birding day it would be. I headed over to Western Park, and there were some birds there, and after 1-1/2 hours I was up to 27 avian species.

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Carolina Wren

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Song Sparrow

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Red-shouldered Hawk

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Red-shouldered Hawk

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Northern Flicker

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Immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

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Eastern Towhee

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White-crowned Sparrow

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American Crow - I wondered what was so special about this stick?

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Northern Cardinal admiring its reflection

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Dark-eyed Junco

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Male House Finch eyeing a female House Finch

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Female House Finch wanting nothing to do with the male

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Pine Siskins and American Goldfinch

I was really tired, and was about to end my hike, but decided to hike a bit more along Slabtown Branch Creek to see if I could get 30 avian species for this morning. That turned out to be a very good decision. Not only did I end up with 32 avian species, including 7 avian species I had not seen yesterday, I got really lucky.

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Golden-crowned Kinglet

While I was photographing a few Golden-crowned Kinglets, I heard a flutter near the ground, and my eye caught sight of a medium sized bird. On previous days at this spot, I had seen a Winter Wren and a Hermit Thrush. The bird was too large for the Winter Wren, so my first thought was Hermit Thrush. But it was tough to spot on the ground mixed in with the leaves.

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What was it?

And then I saw the American Woodcock. This species is usually active only at very early dawn and very late dusk, and is rarely seen in good daylight. I've only seen this species four times, including this morning, and only got a poor photo one time before. This is my Old Trail species #149.

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American Woodcock

This morning's list:

Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Killdeer
American Woodcock
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


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