Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 7/11/2022

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It was a beautiful morning to be out birding - sunny, cool, and not muggy. However, there weren't a lot of birds to see. I started out at the cirque on the parkway a little before 10:00 a.m. near mm. 7-1/2, but soon moved on. Earlier this year, I found a new warbler spot near mm. 12-1/2, and I think that some of the warblers that used to nest at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 11.8) have moved to this location after all the tree cutting at that overlook. I spent 1/2 hour at this new site, and saw a couple of American Redstarts, one or two Cerulean Warblers, heard an Ovenbird and a Scarlet Tanager, saw a Hairy Woodpecker, a few Indigo Buntings, and an Eastern Wood-Pewee.

Photo Unavailable
American Redstart

Photo Unavailable
Cerulean Warbler

Photo Unavailable
Hairy Woodpecker

Photo Unavailable
Eastern Wood-Pewee

Three times while I was at the site, a Barred Owl flew in perched at eye level near the parkway. It must be a good hunting site for this owl, or perhaps it has a nest nearby.

Photo Unavailable
Barred Owl

Photo Unavailable
Barred Owl

Photo Unavailable
Barred Owl

Photo Unavailable
Barred Owl

Photo Unavailable
Chipmunk (a.k.a. rat with a good PR agent)

I heard a Hooded Warbler at Three Ridges overlook, and then turned around and headed back tothe north. I logged 17 avian species on this stretch of the parkway, before birding on Route 610 between mm. 4 and mm. 2 of the parkway. I added 6 more avian species on Route 610 to my morning list. There were a few more American Redstarts and Cerulean Warblers. I heard another Ovenbird and another Hooded Warbler, and added my 5th warbler species of the morning - a Worm-eating Warbler.

Photo Unavailable
American Redstart

Photo Unavailable
Cerulean Warbler

Photo Unavailable
Worm-eating Warbler

This morning's list:

Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Common Raven
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Ovenbird
Eastern Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Indigo Bunting
Scarlet Tanager
Barred Owl
American Goldfinch
White-breasted Nuthatch

Chipping Sparrow
Wood Thrush
Mourning Dove
Worm-eating Warbler
Turkey Vulture
Downy Woodpecker


E-mail comments on this report

Return to blog page home