September 22, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Brisk morn on Bell's Lane

The outside air on Sunday morning was unusually brisk, as autumn seems to have arrived in very abrupt fashion, and Jacqueline and I took a correspondingly "brisk" stroll along Bell's Lane. She saw some warblers with yellow under-tail coverts, which are probably Palm warblers. Here is my list of notable birds:

• Brown Thrashers -- 4+
• Tennessee Warbler (prob.)
• Phoebes -- 3
• Hairy Woodpeckers --2 (M)
• Goldfinches -- 6+
• Great Blue Heron (high in a tree)
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Magnolia Warblers -- 2

The hawk was flying in broad cirles around the heron, which seemed relatively unperturbed. I got a video of that (possible YouTube?) and managed to get close enough to a Brown Thrasher for a decent still photo. They'll be mostly gone in another month...

Brown Thrasher, on Bell's Lane, Sept. 21.

September 20, 2008 [LINK / comment]

A few more fall migrants

I managed to get outdoors for a nice walk on Wednesday morning, and came across a fair number of interesting migratory birds. The following summary is extracted from my report to the eBird system (ebird.org).

Location: Montgomery Hall Park
Observation date: 9/17/08
Number of species: 21

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Red-bellied Woodpecker (J)
• Downy Woodpecker
• Pileated Woodpeckers -- 2 (M)
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• Eastern Phoebe
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Swainson's Thrush (FOY)
• Magnolia Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warblers -- 2 (M, F/J)
• American Redstart (M)
• Worm-eating Warbler
• Scarlet Tanager (F/J)

That was my first Swainson's Thrush of the year. This evening I took a quick walk just before dusk, which is getting earlier and earlier every day.

Location: Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad trail
Observation date: 9/20/08
Number of species: 9

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Swainson's Thrush
• Eastern Towhees -- 2 (J)
• Rose-breasted Grosbeaks -- 3 (F/J)

September 13, 2008 [LINK / comment]

More fall migrants arrive

September is well underway, and right on schedule, many of the birds that spent the summer in Canada and the northern U.S.A. are passing through Virginia. I haven't spent as much time outside as usual for this time of year, but I did put in several bird-watching hours during the latter part of last week. What follows are brief summaries (highlights only) from recent reports I have submitted to the eBird system (http://ebird.org/VA).

Bell's Lane, Sept. 1

• Osprey -- 1
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- 5
• Empid (Acadian ?) Flycatcher -- 1
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- 1
• Cedar Waxwing -- 2
• Common Yellowthroat -- 1
• Indigo Bunting -- 1
• Baltimore Oriole -- 1

In addition, good numbers of Catbirds, Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Bluebirds, and Goldfinches are regularly seen around Bell's Lane. There are no Red-wing blackbirds left, however, and any remaining Meadowlarks have gone silent.

Barren Ridge, Sept. 1

• Common Nighthawk -- 4
• Eastern Wood-Pewee -- 1

Bell's Lane, Sept. 2

• Double-crested Cormorant -- 1
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- 4
• American Kestrel -- 1
• Empid (Acadian ?) Flycatcher -- 1
• Magnolia Warbler -- 1
• Wilson's Warbler -- 1
• Indigo Bunting -- 2
• House Finch -- 2

Bell's Lane, Sept. 3

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- 4
• Belted Kingfisher -- 1
• Empid (Acadian ?) Flycatcher -- 1

Bell's Lane, Sept. 5

• Great Blue Heron -- 1
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- 3
• Empid (Acadian ?) Flycatcher -- 1
• Eastern Phoebe -- 2
• Baltimore Oriole -- 1

Sherando Lake, Sept. 5

• Red-bellied Woodpecker -- 1
• Red-eyed Vireo -- 1
• White-breasted Nuthatch -- 2
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- 1
• Magnolia Warbler -- 1
• Black-throated Green Warbler -- 1
• Pine Warbler -- 2
• Black-and-white Warbler -- 2

Coyner Springs Park, Sept. 5

• Great Blue Heron -- 2
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- 3
• Downy Woodpecker -- 1
• White-breasted Nuthatch -- 1
• Orange-crowned (or Tennessee?) Warbler -- 1
• Magnolia Warbler -- 1
• American Goldfinch -- 4

If the weather cooperates, I may get a chance to find another significant cluster of warblers and other neotropical migrants in coming days. Only two or three more weeks before they're gone for the year...