Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 5/19/2022

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

The Blue Ridge Parkway between Rockfish Gap (mm. 0) and Reids Gap (mm. 14), as well as Route 610 that runs parallel to and is located 50 to 100 feet from the parkway between mm. 2 and mm. 4, has consistently been a great place for warblers. As many as 8 or 9 warbler species have bred along there, and at least 28 warbler species have been seen there. When I started birding in early 2007, I lived only 14 miles from Rockfish Gap, and since 2016 live only 9 miles away. So I am looking for warblers every year from late April through early November along this stretch, and have a fairly good idea where to see them.

Migrating warblers can be found anywhere along there, but breeding warblers tend to locate where there is a spring or water drainage, and where there are broadleaf trees and other vegetation, such a grape vines, where insects are easily found. The warblers tend to forage in areas where there is good sunlight. I'm not sure if the insects prefer sunlight or the warblers can see the insects more easily, but that's what I have observed. The best times to see the warblers are between the time sunlight hits the trees and around 11:00 a.m., between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. (bird lunch time?), and late afternoon. Birding the parkway on the weekends and holidays is problemmatic because of all the traffic on the parkway.

We had strong thunderstorms last night. I checked the Birdcast web site and it showed fairly good migration through the Virginia mountains and valleys until midnight, and then no migration, and migration resumed around 3:50 a.m., so I assumed that period was when we had the storms. I wondered if any of the late warbler migrants had stopped to wait out the storm, and if some of them might still be there.

I started birding at the south (upper) end of the large cirque near mm. 7-1/2. Along the way there on the parkway, I heard Cerulean Warblers, Hooded Warblers, American Redstarts, and Ovenbirds. I didn't stop along the way as I wanted time to look for warblers at my favorite warbler stops before parkway traffic got heavier, usually after 10:00 or 10:30, but not too bad on most weekdays. The lower, north end of the cirque is also a good warbler site, but trees there are mostly in shade until later in the morning.

At this stop I saw Cerulean and Black&White Warblers, American Redstarts, heard Ovenbirds, and photographed a very cooperative Worm-eating Warbler.

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American Redstart

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Black&White Warbler

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Red-eyed Vireo

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Eastern Wood-Pewee

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White-breasted Nuthatch

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

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Worm-eating Warbler

My next stop was at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 11.8). This used to be my "go-to" site for breeding Cerulean Warblers, as well as for breeding Hooded Warblers, American Redstarts, and Chestnut-sided Warblers (until 2011). However, over the past 7 ot 8 years, the Park Service that maintains the parkway even thought it is "owned" by the Forest Service, has been taking down large trees there, presumably to open up the view for tourists, and now all three of the best "warbler" trees are gone. I didn't find any Cerulean or Hooded Warblers there this morning, and only heard an American Redstart. However, for the past couple of weeks, there have been a pair of Chestnut-sided Warblers at this overlook, so perhaps this species will again breed there with less competition from the other warbler species.

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

I then headed south toward Three Ridges Overlook near Reids Gap, but stopped near mm. 12-1/2 when I heard warblers. I normally do not stop at this location, but it was really "birdy," and I wonder if the warblers that used to breed at Hickory Springs have moved to a more woody location now that the large trees have been removed.

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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Cerulean Warbler

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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Ovenbird

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Red-eyed Vireo

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Red-eyed Vireo

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Scarlet Tanager

My last stop on the parkway was at Three Ridges Overlook. I heard a Cerulean Warbler and saw an Ovenbird, but it was fairly quiet there.

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American Goldfinch

So I turned around and drove to mm. 4 where I got onto Route 610 and headed north. I heard a Pine Warbler singing from one of the pine trees, but didn't stop as work crews were making a lot of noise on the parkway just a hundred feet away. Farther north on Route 610, I heard/saw several Cerulean Warblers, American Redstarts, Hooded Warblers (including a quick look at a female making a chink call), and Ovenbirds.

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Ovenbird

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Ovenbird

I looked for the Kentucky Warbler that I found singing four days ago near Old Elk Mountain Road, but didn't see or hear it. I assume that it did not find a mate and moved on. It's a shame that Kentucky Warblers no longer breed between Rockfish and Reids Gaps. They used to breed along the dense brushy hill side across from the Rockfish Gap Overlook (mm. 2) until 2016 when a six pereson work crew was cutting down vegetation there with chainsaws just when the Kenticky Warblers were arriving. I'm hoping that the Chestnut-sided Warblers will stay, and that would bring us back to 8 warbler species breeding in this 14 mile stretch of the parkway.


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