Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 5/28/2023
All photos are © Marshall Faintich
A weather front is moving into the area, and the forecast is for off and on rain for the next few days, so I wanted to get some birding in this morning before the precipitation started. I arrived at the parkway around 10:00 a.m. and went directly to the cirque (mm. 7-1/2) as I thought the late morning and afternoon holiday traffic might get heavy. It was really windy up there. I heard a Cerulean Warbler and saw an American Redstart, but it was too windy for birding. In fact, what appeared to be a warbler nest had been blown from the trees and was lying in the grass next to the parkway. It was about 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Nest
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I thought that the Humpback Rocks picnic area might be better with some of the trees sheltered from the wind, and that turned out to be a good decision. I heard Cerulean Warblers and American Redstarts, and saw a Hooded Warbler, a Black and White Warbler, and an Ovenbird, as well as a Red-eyed Vireo and a Blue-headed Vireo, along with a few other avian species.
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
And a cooperative Barred Owl was nearby.
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
I left the picnic area and got onto Route 610 near mm. 4 of the parkway. There were several Ovenbirds, American Redstarts, and Cerulean Warblers, and lots of Hooded Warblers between there and mm. 2 of the parkway.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
American Redstart
American Redstart
American Redstart
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Not bad for a windy morning.