May 23, 2005 [LINK]

Cerulean warblers, etc.

Jacqueline and I went for a short hike around the Humpback Rocks area of the Blue Ridge yesterday, and were rewarded with lots of good sightings. I don't think I've ever seen so many Cerulean warblers on a single day; their populations have been declining in recent decades, but they seem to be thriving around here. On the way we stopped at the telephone microwave tower and a few other spots on Rt. 610, but most of what we saw were found on the trail east of the parkway. Here are the highlights:

• Bald eagle -- Rt. 610, soaring toward the west
• Raven -- Rt. 610
• Cedar waxwings -- 25+, at visitors' center
• Redstarts -- 2 M, 2 F at visitors' center
• Indigo buntings -- M, F at visitors' center
• Black and white warblers -- 2 M
• Cerulean warblers -- 4 males seen singing, others heard (FOS)
• Scarlet tanagers (M)
• Ovenbirds (FOS)
• Wood thrush -- female in nest! (FOS)
• Red-eyed vireo
• E. wood pewees -- courting pair
• Hairy woodpecker

On the way home we stopped at the entrance to Lake Sherando, and sure enough the female Blue-gray gnatcatcher was brooding in the nest which we saw her building two weeks ago. I expect the eggs to hatch any day.

While heading to the landfill / recycling center on Rt. 648 this morning, I saw a Willow flycatcher and an Eatern kingbird, both firsts of the season for me. At the bridge over Mills Creek I saw a Pewee, Hairy woodpecker, and a Blue-gray gnatcatcher, and heard a White-eyd vireo.