Central Virginia 4/27/2022

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Strong storms moved through the area yesterday afternoon. It was bad here in Crozet, and even worse west of the Blue Ridge. Waynesboro had rain, strong winds, hail, and a tornado. It was sunny, cooler, and breezy this morning, and I headed over to Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro. The wooded area of the park can be a good location for warblers, and I wanted to see if there might have been a "fall out" of migrating warblers that sought shelter in the park. The streets near the park were littered with small bits of tree debris, and when I got to the park, some of the wooded trails where I bird were completely blocked by downed trees. I did manage to log 25 avian species in the park, but only three warbler species.

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Common Yellowthroat

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Common Yellowthroat

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American Redstart

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

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Carolina Wren

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Carolina Wren

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Downy Woodpecker

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Red-bellied Woodpecker

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet

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Swamp Sparrow

After leaving the park, I decided to look for warblers up on Route 610 between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had 7 warbler species along that stretch only 3 days ago. It was really quiet there this morning. I only saw/heard three or four birds all along those two miles. On my return, I did see a single Hooded Warbler and a male and a female American Redstart. I wonder if the storm drove the birds away to look for safer places to hunker down?

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Hooded Warbler

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Hooded Warbler

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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American Redstart


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