June 13, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Birding in Virginia, January 2024
NOTE: This is yet another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from [January 2024]. (The last such post was October 31, 2024, covering the month of January 2024.) Note that I resumed teaching during the second week of the Spring 2024 semester, and with an extra course load, I really didn't have much time for birding until early May.
January 2: We had a Red-shouldered Hawk lurking in the tree tops out back for several hours last Friday, and it was remarkably indifferent to Jacqueline's attempts to shoo it away. Eventually it came down to a relatively low level suitable for a photograph, and I took full advantage of the opportunity!
January 4: I paid a brief visit to Montgomery Hall Park this afternoon, and was soon rewarded with very nice views of a Pileated Woodpecker and a Hermit Thrush. Later while walking along Bell's Lane, I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Northern Cardinal, a White-crowned Sparrow, and a Red-shouldered Hawk in the middle of a field, presumably eating. Given the location, my first impression was that it was a Northern Harrier.
(Montgomery Hall Park & Bell's Lane, January 4)
January 8: I had a few good views of raptors this afternoon. Decent weather for a change! The Red-shouldered Hawk was perched along the Rt. 262 bypass north of Staunton, the Great Blue Heron was at the pond behind Hardee's in Verona, the American Kestrel was above an open field nearby, the Song Sparrow was at the Mill Place trail, while the Red-tailed Hawk and Northern Harrier were both in the Bell's Lane area.
January 11: The weather has been awful for the past couple days, but I managed to get out on Thursday, and had a nice view of a Northern Harrier along Bell's Lane. It's probably the same one I have seen before, but this time it was patrolling a field along the southern portion, rather than the usual upland area farther north. The background scenery of a house is certainly unusual. I also had a nice closeup view of an American Kestrel on the way home, as well as a Red-bellied Woodpecker.
(Bell's Lane, January 11)
January 26: The much-improved weather coincided perfectly with my precious free time this afternoon, so I got caught up on my exercise by walking along Bell's Lane. Plenty of good birds, including a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and some Cedar Waxwings, plus LOTS of American Robins every which way.
Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, will soon become available on the Wild Birds chronological (2024) page. (I am in the midst of a major reorganization of my bird photos, so that they will be sorted year by year.)
June 14, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Birding in Virginia, February 2024
NOTE: This is another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from [February 2024].
February 3: I got some much-needed exercise at Augusta Springs during the very pleasant afternoon, but there weren't as many birds as I had hoped. (I'm overdue for a big winter day.) Highlights included Hooded Mergansers (one adult male plus 3-4 others), some Swamp Sparrows, a Red-tailed Hawk, some White-breasted Nuthatches, a Downy Woodpecker, and a possible American Black Duck. (If not, then a Mallard.)
(Augusta Springs, February 3)
February 9: I was looking forward to enjoying the beautiful weather today, but a lengthy Zoom meeting kept me inside until 2:00, by which time the skies had turned overcast. At least I got some good exercise hiking to the top of Betsy Bell Hill, where I saw lots of Eastern Bluebirds and a White-breasted Nuthatch or two.
February 16: Allen Larner and I went down to Mount Pleasant, about 12 miles east of Buena Vista, in search of the Gray-crowned Rosy Finch that has been seen there recently. It was unfamiliar territory, and we hiked up the wrong trail, reaching the top of Cole Mountain, about two miles from where we should have been. A friendly hiker crossed paths with us up there, informing us of our mistake. Three wasted miles! So we retraced our steps, found the proper trail head, and started over on a hike of nearly six miles (round trip) to where the bird actually was, or had been. Along the way we met a birder from Honduras named Roger Medina, and later on, some other folks descending from the summit. They told us the target bird was not present, and we likewise had no luck after we finally made it to the top. We saw a few birds along the way, and heard a Barred Owl as we approached the trail head on the way back, but otherwise zilch. At least it was vigorous exercise in very scenic territory. A few days later the bird was sighted in that same area once again, so we were just unlucky that day. Darn it! I have never had a definite sighting of any of the Rosy Finches.
February 18: Nothing out of the ordinary for this year's Great Backyard Bird Count here at the Clem residence, but at least the sunlight made for some good photographs. I certainly saw a lot more birds from the comfort of my sofa today than I did while hiking to the top of "Mount Unpleasant" on Friday!
February 23: I squeezed in some time for a walk in Montgomery Hall Park this afternoon, and saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Pileated Woodpecker, some Eastern Towhees, a few Tufted Titmice, and just as I was leaving a Hermit Thrush!
(Montgomery Hall Park, February 23)
February 25: I spent a bit of time on Bell's Lane for the first time in over a month late this afternoon. Highlights included a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-tailed Hawk, an American Kestrel, many American Robins in the pastures, a distant Northern Harrier, and a few White-crowned Sparrows.
(Bell's Lane, February 25)
Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, will soon become available on the Wild Birds chronological (2024) page.
June 15, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Birding in Virginia, March 2024
NOTE: This is another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from March 2024. I aim to post one such monthly review blog post per day until I get caught up by the end of this month.
March 2: There were hundreds of robins around Bell's Lane, but what grabbed my attention were the Red-winged Blackbirds (FOY for me!) and Cedar Waxwings. Also appearing: Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Kestrel, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. White-throated Sparrows were out back, as usual.
(Bell's Lane & north Staunton, March 2)
March 3: Another late-afternoon excursion to Bell's Lane yielded a (mostly) different cast of characters compared to yesterday. Robins abounded once again, of course. Other highlights included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Downy Woodpecker, some White-crowned Sparrows, several Eastern Bluebirds, and most striking of all, an Eastern Meadowlark warily perched only a few feet away from an American Kestrel that was having dinner! I also spotted a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, but no Harriers or Short-eared Owls at dusk.
March 9: I saw my first Grackles of the season a couple weeks ago near Grottoes, and yesterday morning one showed up on our back porch. Their iridescent plumage is nice to behold. Blue Jays and a Red-bellied Woodpecker also showed up. As I was leaving my office in the afternoon, I heard and then saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler up in the trees, as well as a Cooper's Hawk overhead.
March 10: Back to Bell's Lane this afternoon, and I was happy to see two different Yellow-bellied-Sapsuckers: M & F! Also the usual American Robins by the dozen, Carolina Chickadees, Blue Jays, White-throated & White-crowned Sparrows, and a lone American Kestrel hovering over the fields.
(Bell's Lane, March 10)
March 12: I never saw my main target bird at Piney Grove nature preserve today, but I think I heard it, at least. "It" would be the famed (and elusive) Red-cockaded Woodpecker, of course. There were dozens of Pine Warblers singing up a storm all over the place, my first ones of the year. Also present were some Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Northern Flickers. But the big highlight of the day was seeing a group of Fox Sparrows at fairly close range, and I even managed to get a decent shot of one. (Some digital editing was required.) It has been well over a year since the last time I saw one of those. On the way back to Richmond in the afternoon I stopped at Dutch Gap natural area, where I saw some Yellow-rumped Warblers, an Osprey (FOY), large numbers of Black Vultures, and an Eastern Phoebe (FOY). Not a bad day at all!
(Piney Grove nature preserve, near Wakefield, VA, March 12)
March 13: Yesterday morning, Jacqueline called my attention to an unusual bird out back, and I was dumbfounded to realize that it was a Fox Sparrow -- the very same species I had seen the day before in the Piney Grove area of southeastern Virginia! Go figure.
March 15: Once again I was startled by an unusual bird in the back yard this morning: in this case a Pileated Woodpecker! In the afternoon along Bells Lane I spotted THREE Eastern Phoebes (recently-arrived, no doubt), some Tree Swallows up high (the first of the year for me), as well as some Yellow-rumped Warblers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, etc.
March 22: This afternoon I finally made it up to the JMU Arboretum in Harrisonburg, along with Jacqueline, to see the Great Horned Owl nest. It's fairly easy to find, in a sycamore tree near the center of the Arboretum. Amazingly enough, I had not seen this species (in the wild) in at least 15 years! I waited about a half hour for the mother to return and feed the babies, to no avail. Maybe next time. Also present were some Red-bellied Woodpeckers and American Robins. Back in Staunton, we stopped at a few places along Bell's Lane in hopes of seeing Tree Swallows, but had to settle for a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a few Eastern Bluebirds.
(JMU Arboretum in Harrisonburg, March 22)
March 29: While strolling along the big pond at Dulles Airport early this afternoon I saw my first Chipping Sparrow of the season, and my second Field Sparrow. I saw at least 5 or 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting around the bushes, while in the distance were three Double-crested Cormorants. On the way home I stopped at the JMU Arboretum to see the Great Horned Owl nest, and had nice views of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a White-breasted Nuthatch.
Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, will soon become available on the Wild Birds chronological (2024) page.
June 19, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Nationals' miserable slump ends, thanks to James Wood
The long Nationals nightmare (i.e., an 11-game losing streak dating back to June 7) came to a merciful end in Washington this afternoon. In the bottom of the 11th inning, with two outs and the Nats trailing the Colorado Rockies 3-2, budding superstar James Wood hit a 2-run walk-off home run. It was the first such feat of his career, and the first by any Nationals player in almost two years! (The last time was on August 12, 2023, when Keibert Ruiz propelled the Nats to a 3-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics. That's from the soon-to-be-updated Washington Nationals BIG moments page.) It was actually Wood's second two-run homer of the game. And that's how the Nats' awful 11-game losing streak came to an end, as the Nats prevailed, 4-3.
James Wood, standing at second base after hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning in the game against the San Francisco Giants on May 25. He would have been the game-tying run, but the game ended two outs later.
With those two home runs today, Wood now has 20 home runs for the season, threatening to break all sorts of team records for a rookie's first full season. (He was called up to the majors on July 1 last year.) He is a shoo-in to become an All-Star this year, and his pitching team mate Mackenzie Gore likewise is expected to receive the honor. The Mariners' young slugging phenom Cal Raleigh current leads the majors in home runs with 27, just ahead of Aaron Judge (26) and Shohei Ohtani (25).
The Nats had a very encouraging 15-12 win-loss record in the month of May. On the final day of the month (in Phoenix) they set a team record (and tying NL record) by scoring 9 runs before the first out was made in the 1st inning, and then one more before the D-Backs came to bat. The last such feat in the National League was on August 13, 1948, by the Phillies. In the AL, the Red Sox scored 10 runs before the first out on June 27, 2003. The D-backs' starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt was replaced after the seventh run scored, and the reliever Scott McGough didn't do much better. The D-Backs gradually narrowed the gap, but the Nats held on to win, 11-7.
After that mini-triumph, the Nats expected to continue surging toward the .500 mark as June began, but instead they suddenly fell into the proverbial abyss of doom. The Nats lost their final game in Phoenix, as the D-Backs averted being swept, and then back in Washington the Nats lost series to both the first-place Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers, in both cases 2 games to 1. Disappointing, but no big deal.
Then followed an unusual three-game road trip (June 10 - 12) against the Mets at Citi Field in New York. If there was a "defining moment" during this slump, it would have to be the first game of that series. Mackenzie Gore had yet another fine outing, going six innings, and this time he had some run support: Nathaniel Lowe and C.J. Abrams both hit home runs. Hopes were high for an upset win against the first-place Mets. But with a score of 4-2 and two outs with a runner on first in the in 8th inning, Kyle Finnegan took the mound, and things fell apart. Juan Soto (a former National!) hit an RBI double and then scored on a single by Pete Alonso, thus tying the game, which went into extra innings. The first batter in the bottom of the 11th, Jeff McNeil, drove in the winning run from second base, and that was that. The Nationals had been SO close to an upset win over the daunting division-leaders, but instead lost, 5-4. The Nats were shut out 5-0 in the second game and failed to score until the ninth inning of the third game. That's when the Nats staged a big rally, scoring 3 runs, only one behind the Mets, and had runners on 2nd and 3rd with only one out. It was another golden opportunity to defeat their first-place rivals, but Jose Tena and Keibert Ruiz both grounded out to end the game.
Next came a home stand against two last-place teams: the Miami Marlins and the Colorado Rockies, who did not win their 10th game of the year until June. No problem, right? WRONG! After a two-hour rain delay on Friday the 13th Mitchell Parker was terribly ineffective and got replaced in the 4th inning, his shortest outing of the year. James Wood, who had been slumping in early June, homered and helped the Nats narrow the gap, but they still lost to the Marlins, 11-9. On Saturday the Nats' bats were mostly quiet, and their 2-run rally in the 9th inning fell just short. Final score: 4-3. On Sunday, it was another lackluster batting performance, and the home team lost again, 3-1. Another series sweep, and eight losses in a row, surpassing their seven-game losing streak in early May.
On Monday the woebegone Colorado Rockies came to town, and the Nationals had a 4-3 lead going into the 9th inning. But once again, closing pitcher Kyle Finnegan flinched when the going got tough: two Rockies batters homered to give their team a 6-4 lead, and the Nats failed to respond in the bottom of the 9th. That was just awful. On Tuesday the Rockies had a 3-1 lead going into the 7th inning, when they exploded with 6 runs, charged to relievers Cole Henry and Jackson Rutledge. That pretty much put the game out of reach, but the Nats staged a 4-run rally in the bottom of the 9th to narrow the gap a bit. Final score: 10-6. Wednesday's game was quite a pitchers' duel, as neither team scored until the 6th inning, but the Nats ended up losing again, 3-1. That bleak sequence of events set the stage for today's heroics, described in the first paragraph above.
Will Davey Martinez get fired?
After the game against Miami last Saturday, Manager Davey Martinez denied that the team's coaches were responsible for the Nationals' continual failure to perform. "It's never on coaching," he declared. This created a bit of a scandal, as described in the Washington Post. Under normal circumstances, the combination of repeated losses and seeming to blame the players might get a manager fired. Is Davey's job at risk? Probably not. Unfortunately, the Nats' owners do not seem particularly concerned about the team's losing record. They are content with mediocre attendance figures, while charging the highest prices for beer in the major leagues. (I paid $16.99 for a jumbo-sized Stella Artois when I was there on May 25.) In short, the "rebuilding" effort seems to be half-hearted at best, and there's not much chance of getting a new manager (or better players) any time soon.
Tomorrow the Nationals take a cross-country flight out to Los Angeles to begin a ten-day road trip that includes one off day. The Nats' ace pitcher Mackenzie Gore (who leads the National League in strikeouts, with 119) will go up against aging future Hall-of-Famer Clayton Kershaw.
ICE blocked at Dodger Stadium (?)
The Nationals will arrive in an atmosphere of distrust and turmoil, as the streets of Los Angeles are still being patrolled by National Guard troops and U.S. Marines, following confrontations with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents earlier this month. Today the Dodgers front office announced that ICE agents would not be allowed into Dodger Stadium, or the surrounding parking areas. There were reports that ICE would seek to detain illegal immigrants working at the stadium, but details of what actually happened today are still sketchy. See NBCNews.com.
New name: "Daikin Park"
Last November the Houston Astros' owner Jim Crane announced that Minute Maid Park would be renamed "Daikin Park" for the 2025 season, as reported by KHOU.com and other media outlets. (A video of the announcement is at MLB.com.) The naming-rights contract has a 15-year term, and Minute Maid will continue sponsoring activity at the ballpark, but on a lower scale. Somehow I missed this news until the beginning of this season, but I did at least update the Minute Maid Park page with the new name.
Unlike some other recent name changes, this one seems to be quite legitimate, as the Daikin Comfort Technologies Corporation (based in Japan but with North American headquarters in Houston) has a long, stable history. Given the enormous air conditioning system in the Astros' stadium (which I vividly recall from two years ago when I saw a game there on a 100-degree day), the partnership certainly makes sense. (NOTE: "Daikin" rhymes with "liken.")
The water tower at the Daikin plant in Verona, Virginia.
Baseball, NASCAR style?
Somebody in the MLB offices thought it would be fun to play a baseball game in a NASCAR stadium. And so, this August 2, the Atlanta Braves will "host" the Cincinnati Reds in a spectacle that will surely make a big splash in the Appalachian region. With some of the NASCAR and Indy racetracks having seating capacities well above 100,000, that idea strikes me as a bit absurd, but the Bristol Raceway in northeastern Tennessee is smaller than most. [CORRECTION: It is small in terms of track length, but actually one of the largest in terms of seating capacity: 146,000. See NBCSports.com. That article omits Indianpolis Motor Speedway because it is privately owned and therefore not obliged to report its capacity, but the unofficial capacity there is over a quarter million.] Virginia Tech and Tennessee played a football game there a [few years ago, in September 2016]. If the Dodgers could use the absurdly-big L.A. Memorial Coliseum as a home for four years, why not? Read all about it at bristolmotorspeedway.com. I suppose this means that I'll have to do a diagram, but the scale will have to be drastically reduced in order to fit on a normal size web page.
But wait, they used to play baseball at what used to be a race car track in Mexico! At Foro Sol, now known as Estadio GNP Seguros. Apparently it is used exclusively for musical events nowadays.
June 20, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Birding in Virginia, April 2024
NOTE: This is another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from April of last year.
April 7: I was quite surprised to see a Hermit Thrush in the bushes out back in the morning, a sign that migration is definitely under way. In the afternoon along Bell's Lane I saw some Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Phoebes, American Goldfinches (turning yellow!), Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Tree Swallows, and at least two Brown Thrashers! (I saw one of the latter at Montgomery Hall Park yesterday, my first one of the year!)
(Bell's Lane & north Staunton, April 4)
April 13: I really wanted to go on Allen Larner's field trip to Piney Grove, but I just had too many other things to do. Instead, I squeezed in about 45 minutes along Bell's Lane late this afternoon, and was rewarded with a nice view of my first Blue-gray Gnatcatcher of the year! Plus some American Goldfinches, Eastern Towhees, and Red-winged Blackbirds, all of which have been singing loudly and proudly as breeding season gets underway.
(Bell's Lane, April 13)
April 19: I saw my first Gray Catbird of the year out back this morning, and as expected, there were more of them along Bell's Lane! I also spotted my first Chimney Swift of the year up above. Other highlights included Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhees, American Goldfinches, Tufted Titmice (in frantic courtship mode), various sparrows, some Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped warblers, and a distant Eastern Phoebe.
(north Staunton & Bell's Lane, April 19)
April 20: I went on a serious nature hike for the first time in several weeks, walking around the Augusta Springs wetlands. Right away I had a nice view of a Palm Warbler, my first one of the year. After that, however, it slowed down for quite a while. After crossing the long boardwalk I heard and then saw a Pine Warbler. At that point, however, I was stalked by an unfriendly stray dog, and had to wait for about 20 minutes before it backed off. Then I headed up the upland trail, but didn't see much other than woodpeckers (including a Hairy!) and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher or two. On the return leg I came across Louisiana Waterthrushes at two different places, and then an Ovenbird, both likewise FOY for me. As I approached the trail crossing near the restroom I was surprised to hear a Yellow-throated Vireo, and eventually managed to get some nice photos of it. My fourth first-of-year bird of the day! There were also a few Yellow-rumped Warblers and Eastern Phoebes. Overall, it was a very rewarding day!
(Augusta Springs, April 20)
April 26: We had quite a variety of woodpeckers out back this morning, including Pileated, Red-bellied, Downy, and even a pair of Northern Flickers! Late in the afternoon I strolled along Bell's Lane and spotted several Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers, as well as an American Goldfinch.
April 27: After doing the recycling, I headed over to the Cheese Shop in Stuarts Draft, and sure enough, the Purple Martins were there! Later I spent a couple hours at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, where I saw my first Blue-headed Vireo of the year (probably a record late FOY date for me), as well as FOY Great Crested Flycatchers and to top it off, a Chestnut-sided Warbler (also FOY)! Other highlights included Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Louisiana Waterthrush, a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, American Goldfinches, and a surprise Swamp Sparrow! Then I went to Riverfest and said hello to Rich Wood, Bonnie Hughes, and Antonio Martinez, who were manning their respective displays for the Augusta Bird Club.
(near Stuarts Draft & Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, April 27)
April 28: In Staunton, the most reliable place to see Scarlet Tanagers during breeding season is Betsy Bell Hill. So, that's where I went this afternoon, and eventually my quest paid off. My first one of the year! Along the road to the top I also saw a Great Crested Flycatcher and quite a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, as well as an Eastern Towhee. On the way down I heard a Red-eyed Vireo and after a few minutes got a look at him. FOY bird #2! Back near the parking area I was startled to see an Ovenbird only about 15 feet away, and managed to get a photo of it just in time.
(Betsy Bell Hill, April 28)
Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, will soon become available on the Wild Birds chronological (2024) page.
June 29, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Nationals tumble into the cellar
After a brief respite from a horrible slump provided by James Wood's walk-off home run on Thursday, June 19th (a.k.a. "Juneteenth"), the Washington Nationals resumed their downward trajectory. Since then they have fallen behind the Miami Marlins, thus becoming the last-place team in the NL East Division.
The Nats opened their series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on June 20 with their ace pitcher Mackenzie Gore going against Clayton Kershaw. The visiting team took an early lead thanks to a first-inning by Amed Rosario, but fell behind in the third inning. A 2-run homer by Miguel Rojas in the sixth inning knocked Gore out of the game. The Nats closed the gap with 3 runs in the latter innings, but still lost, 6-5. In the Saturday game, James Wood and Luis Garcia hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning, and Nathaniel Lowe hit two home runs later on, as the Nats went on to win, 7-3. On Sunday, Nathaniel Lowe hit a 3-run homer in the the third inning, but as soon as starting pitcher Michael Soroka was replaced by Jose Ferrer in the sixth inning, Max Muncy hit a grand slam to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. It got ugly after that, with 9 more runs by the home team in the next two innings. To give their bullpen a rest, the Dodgers had first baseman Kike Hernandez pitch in the ninth inning, and the Nationals soon narrowed the gap with 4 runs, but they still lost the game (and the series) to the defending world champions, 13-7.
The next day (Monday, June 23) the Nationals took a bus down to San Diego to face the Padres. They won the first game of the series 10-6, thanks to home runs by James Wood and Josh Bell. But on Tuesday they squandered a 3-0 fourth-inning lead as starting pitcher Trevor Williams just could not contain the home team, who won it, 4-3. The Nats were glaringly listless in the Wednesday game, only getting 3 hits, and Mackenzie Gore was charged with another loss in spite of only giving up one run, which was all the Padres would need. So, it was another 2 games to 1 series loss. That marked the Nats' 81st game of the season, exactly the mid-point in terms of number of games, and [their 33-48 record was five games below their corresponding record last year (38-43), while exactly matching that of the first half of 2023.]
The Nats had a day off on Thursday, and hopefully enjoyed some nice California sun shine, trying not to think about the Marlins having overtaken them in the National League East. On Friday the Nats had an amazing offensive outburst, but the outcome of the game was in doubt until the latter innings. Josh Bell hit a 2-run homer in the second inning, and all the team's batters [reached base on hits]. To erase any doubt, the Nats tacked on 4 more runs in the ninth inning to make the final score 15-9. That was the team's most number of runs in a game (15) since July 19, 2021, when the Nats beat Miami 18-1. On Saturday the Nats had a 2-1 lead when Michael Soroka was replaced by Zack Brzykcy in the sixth inning. He and Eduardo Salazar gave up a combined 6 runs, and the Angels went on to win, 8-2. Today's rubber match game was another tense, back-and-forth affair, which went into extra innings thanks to a clutch RBI single to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Kyle Finnegan pitched the ninth, tenth, AND eleventh innings -- the first time in his career the Nats' closer has pitched three full innings. In the top of the eleventh inning, Drew Millas hit an RBI double to take the lead. (He was called up from the minors after the Nats' first-string catcher Keibert Ruiz was struck in the head by a ball.) C.J. Abrams then batted in two more runs with a triple to the right field corner, and that's how the Nats won it, 7-4. It was their first series win since May 30 - June 1 against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
The Nationals' 7-19 record for June was their worst monthly percentage (.269) since August 2022 (.240). You can find all those factoids, as well as others, on the Washington Nationals page.
On a more positive note, with 22 home runs this year, James Wood is currently tied with the Cubs Seiya Suzuki for #6 ranking in the majors. That should qualify him for this year's Home Run Derby. Having racked up his 31st career home run, Wood has tied both Bryce Harper and Juan Soto for having homered 31 times during the first 162 games of their career. Hopefully, the Nationals front office will make a determined effort to keep Wood for the long term.
[FUN FACT: In today's game in Anaheim, James Wood was intentionally walked FOUR times! (In his first at bat in the first inning, he singled.) The last player to be intentionally walked four times in one game was Barry Bonds, on September 22, 2004.]
FUN FACT: There is a 70-something movie actor names James Woods (plural), whereas James Wood the baseball player has a "singular" last name.
Other accomplishments of note
The suddenly red-hot Miami Marlins have replaced the Nationals in fourth place, having won seven games in a row. In fact, they are only a half game behind the Atlanta Braves, who are now 38-45. At the top of the division, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have been switching first- and second-place positions for the past couple weeks.
Another surprise is that the other Florida team -- the Tampa Bay Rays -- came to within a half game of the Yankees in the AL East race on Saturday, but fell back after losing today. The possibility that MLB postseason games might be played in a minor league ballpark with only about 11,000 seats has led to discussions among MLB officials about how that awkward situation should be handled. I don't understand why they can't hurry up and finish rebuilding the roof at Tropicana Field by September.
And in other ballpark news, there was a "groundbreaking" ceremony in Las Vegas that supposedly proves that they really are going to build a stadium there for the Athletics. Franchise owner John Fisher, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, and others were all there to validate this risky not-quite-finalized venture. I'll believe it when I see it. (MLB.com)
June 30, 2025 [LINK / comment]
Birding in Virginia, May 2024
NOTE: This is yet another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from May of last year. The previous one, covering April 2024, was posted on June 20.
May 3: I got some much-needed exercise along Bell's Lane in the morning, and although I could hear a great many birds singing, it was harder to see them -- in part due to the cloudy/hazy skies, but mostly due to the grass cutting that was being done. At least I saw my first Orchard Orioles (M & F, plus 1st-year male) and Yellow Warblers (M) of the year! I could also hear Indigo Buntings and White-eyed Vireos, likewise FOY. The other highlights were a Scarlet Tanager and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Gray Catbirds were everywhere!
May 5: I saw my first Common Yellowthroat of the year and heard my first Rose-breasted Grosbeak along Bell's Lane in the afternoon, but the photos I got were mostly the usual suspects. I did get first-year male Orchard Orioles in two different locations, as well as an Eastern Phoebe, Brown Thrasher (noisy!), Red-bellied Woodpecker at her nest hole, an Eastern Meadowlark, and perhaps most significantly, a late-lingering White-crowned Sparrow very close by. Finally, I glimpsed an Osprey flying overhead, and heard some Indigo Buntings and a White-eyed Vireo once again. Elusive!
(Bell's Lane, May 5)
May 7: I squeezed in a bit of birding time along Bell's Lane on the way home from work at BRCC this afternoon, and was promptly rewarded with my first views this year of both an Indigo Bunting and a White-eyed Vireo! (I had heard both species four days earlier.) I also heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (FOY), but it remained out of view. Other highlights included lots of Gray Catbirds, as well as some Blue Jays and Carolina Wrens.
May 9: It was a good day for flycatchers along Bell's Lane this afternoon, including an Eastern Phoebe, a Great Crested Flycatcher or two, and my first Eastern Kingbird of the year! Also some hyperactive American Goldfinches and a Field Sparrow with a big fat worm for dinner!
May 10: We had a slow start at the east-side overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway during our Augusta Bird Club field trip this morning, with the usual Indigo Buntings and a nice White-eyed Vireo. We had better luck at the telephone tower, however, where multiple American Redstarts, Cerulean Warblers, Hooded Warblers, and Red-eyed Vireos all made appearances. We also heard a couple Ovenbirds there, but for some reason we didn't actually SEE an Ovenbird all day! We really hit pay dirt at the Pioneer Village adjacent to the Humpback Rocks visitor center: An Eastern Wood Pewee, more Redstarts and Ceruleans, a Scarlet Tanager, and the twin highlights of the day: a Least Flycatcher only about 15 feet away, and a Kentucky Warbler! The latter was identified by Scott Priebe, who just moved to this area. Jo King tallied 42 species overall.
(Blue Ridge Parkway & Rt. 610, May 10)
May 11: Here are the highlights of what my group saw at McCormick's Farm this morning: two kinds of vireos (Warbling and Red-eyed), two kinds of orioles (Baltimore and Orchard), two kinds of warblers (Yellow and Blackpoll), as well as Eastern Kingbird, Solitary Sandpiper, Gadwall (evidently injured, as it should have migrated north by now), and an Eastern Meadowlark. It was a beautiful (if rather brisk) day!
(McCormick's Farm, May 11)
May 13: My first real wilderness adventure of the season took place along the Dowells Draft fire road (near Braley Pond in western Augusta County), where I hiked about 3 miles round trip today. On the way back home I spent about 20 minutes checking out the Chimney Hollow trail. The composite image below shows the five migratory birds I saw for the first time this year (clockwise from top left): Worm-eating Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, and Black-and-white Warbler. In the center is a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and on the left of course is a Scarlet Tanager. Other notable sightings of the day (photographed) included a Red-eyed Vireo, a Blue-headed Vireo, an Ovenbird, a Louisiana Waterthrush, a N. Flicker, an E. Towhee (F), and an Eastern Phoebe. Other notable sightings (not photographed) included a Red-tailed Hawk, and I also heard some loud squawking, probably a female Ruffed Grouse.
(Dowells Draft, May 13)
May 16: I went for a nice walk along YuLee's Trail at Montgomery Hall Park this afternoon, and had very good views of a White-eyed Vireo and Red-eyed Vireo (in close proximity to each other), as well as a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Indigo Bunting. Near the top of the hill I eventually saw an Eastern Wood Pewee and a Great Crested Flycatcher. I also heard a Broad-winged Hawk nearby, but didn't see it. No warblers at all, however!
(Montgomery Hall Park, May 16)
May 18: A quick visit to Leonard's Pond this afternoon yielded a Spotted Sandpiper, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, a couple Killdeer, a family of Mallards, some Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows, and a Red-tailed Hawk flying overhead.
May 19: Jacqueline and I went hiking in the area around Jarman Gap in the Shenandoah National Park today, but the very soggy ground prevented us from getting as far as we wanted. It was very foggy along Skyline Drive and generally gloomy until the early afternoon. I managed to photograph a Red-eyed Vireo, a Hooded Warbler, and an American Redstart or two, but not the Ovenbirds, Black-and-white Warblers, and Wood Thrushes that we also glimpsed along the way. By 3:00 the sun was shining and I had some nice photo ops of Indigo Buntings and an Eastern Towhee at one of the overlooks, as well as a Common Raven and some kind of hawk in the distance.
(Jarman Gap, Shenandoah National Park, May 19)
May 20: Late this afternoon along Bell's Lane I saw a Cedar Waxwing for the first time in months; three of them, in fact! A Northern Flicker briefly flashed his dazzling yellow under-wing feathers, but I had to content myself with a profile pose. Otherwise, the usual cast of characters, including a daddy Red-bellied Woodpecker cautiously peering out of the family nest hole.
May 21: I went hiking on one of my favorite trails today, going from the Confederate Breastworks south along the crest of the Shenandoah Mountain for a little over two miles, and then back. I got most of my target birds, including three for the first time this year, or two if you count ones that I *heard* previously. Clockwise from top left: Black-throated Blue Warbler (FOY), Black-and-White Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Canada Warbler (FOY), Scarlet Tanager, Black-throated Green Warbler, and in right-center, an Ovenbird. Other sightings included Indigo Bunting, Worm-eating Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Towhee, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak* (FSOY). Others identified by sound included Hooded Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, American Redstart, and Eastern Wood Pewee. Also a probable Broad-winged Hawk. It was a great day to be outside!
* I was about to take a nice photo of a singing male just as my camera battery died. Curses! Foiled again!
(Shenandoah Mountain trail, May 21)
May 22: There were plenty of highlights from the bird club's morning bird walk led by Penny Warren along Bell's Lane, such as Brown Thrashers and Eastern Phoebes. Later on toward the northeast end of Bell's Lane, after everybody else went home, I saw an Eastern Meadowlark, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole (1st year male), fledgeling Brown Thrasher, and a Yellow Warbler -- one of two males that I saw fighting! I also spotted a Willow Flycatcher but could not confirm it with a photo or by playing its "fitzbew" song on my iPhone in hopes of inducing a response. That was the only audio playback I used today.
(Bell's Lane, May 22)
May 25: Today I went to the location where two birds that I had not yet seen this year are most likely to be found: Ramsey's Draft, on the west edge of Augusta County. HUGE success!!! Clockwise from top left: Northern Parula (FSOY)*, American Redstart, Blackburnian Warbler (FOY), Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler (eating a worm), and Worm-eating Warbler (not). I also heard but did not see two other warblers: Ovenbird and Louisiana Waterthrush. It was all just wonderful. I'll post non-warbler photos below later on today.
* I had heard one of these at Dowell's Draft a couple weeks ago.
(Ramsey's Draft, May 25)
May 28: Jacqueline and I went for a nice walk along the Mill Place trail in Verona on this nice day, and saw several nice birds. Most notable were an Eastern Kingbird, an American Goldfinch, and a first-year male Orchard Oriole. On the way home we made a couple stops along Bell's Lane and saw a Yellow Warbler, several Brown Thrashers, a Cedar Waxwing, and a Red-tailed Hawk that was being harassed by a Crow (presumably American).
Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, will soon become available on the Wild Birds chronological (2024) page.
