March 27, 2006 [LINK]
While walking behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad this morning, I heard some very odd bird calls in the bushes. After several minutes I caught a glimpse of a Brown thrasher, the first time I had ever seen one before April. (Global warming? Not here.) I also spotted quite a few Purple finches (all female), Goldfinches, and a Golden-crowned kinglet (female).
This Mockingbird (which is a relative of the Brown thrasher) posed for me on this Forsythia bush. Roll the mouse over this image to see the [Hyacinth] in full bloom, at the bottom of that same bush.
The Wild birds introductory page, which shows the first sighting date each season/year for migratory bird species since 1997, has been reorganized. There is a new, separate table for migratory birds that spend the winter in Virginia, as opposed to those that spend the summer in this region or further north.