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August 9, 2024 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, November 2023

NOTE: This is another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from last November; the last such blog post was August 4.

November 3: I saw White-crowned Sparrows on Bell's Lane for the first time this season, after having seeing one in the Swoope area the week before. Both they and their White-throated relatives are remarkably consistent in sticking to their respective customary habitats: open vs. bushy landscapes, respectively. There were also a dozen or more Yellow-rumped Warblers in the afternoon, along with American Robins, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, etc. NO Northern Harriers, however!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow (J), Downy Woodpecker, White-crowned Sparrow (A), Blue Jay, and in center, White-throated Sparrow. (Bell's Lane, November 4)

November 5 (Sunday): In hopes of seeing a very rare Limpkin that had been reported there as recently as a few days ago (probably a lost stray from Florida), Jacqueline and I paid a visit to the Totier Creek Reservoir Park near Scottsville for the first time. Despite much effort hiking and scanning the lakeside, we just couldn't find the our target bird, however. As a consolation prize, we got to see both kinds of kinglets at close range, as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Great Blue Heron, and a Double-crested Cormorant. There were also dozens of Tufted Titmice every which way! The hawks (Red-tailed and Cooper's, perhaps?) were flying over the picnic area where Route 29 crosses the Rockfish River.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Cooper's (or Sharp-shinned?) Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (M), Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, and in center, Ruby-crowned Kinglet. (Totier Creek Reservoir Park, near Scottsville, November 5)

November 10: I saw my first Northern Harrier of the season in the usual area along Bell's Lane late in the afternoon. Carolyn Ford told me that she saw two Short-eared Owls on her property, but I didn't have any luck in that regard. Allen Larner arrived just before sunset and stayed later than me, so maybe he saw one. We saw two Savannah Sparrows along Carolyn's driveway, and I had seen a Hairy Woodpecker earlier, along with a bunch of American Robins, etc.

November 15: It was a pretty gloomy day, especially with all the smoke from the wildfires, but I managed a couple very interesting bird sightings. On the pond at the Mill Place trail in Verona was a Pied-billed Grebe, while a Great Blue Heron was stalking prey on the bigger pond behind Hardee's. But the biggest surprise of the day was a Great Egret on the distant farm pond east of Bell's Lane, along with an assortment of ducks and Canada Geese.

November 18 (Saturday): I led an Augusta Bird Club field trip to Chimney Hollow trail, and three other members joined me for a pleasant, invigorating walk. The previous night's rain had washed the skies of all that nasty smoke, but our hopes for a good day of birding did not pan out. We did see Winter Wrens in two separate locations (different individuals are shown below), along with Carolina Wrens and a probable Brown Creeper. Otherwise, just some White-breasted Nuthatches, and fleeting glimpses of a Pileated Woodpecker, and a Downy Woodpecker. We heard Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice (the one shown here was by our back porch, actually), as well as a few American Goldfinches. Things were no better at nearby Braley Pond, so we called it a day.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Downy Woodpeker, and Winter Wren. (Chimney Hollow, November 18)

November 23 (Thanksgiving Day!): Among the highlights on Bell's Lane in the afternoon were a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, some White-crowned Sparrows, an Eastern Meadowlark, a Tufted Titmouse, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

November 25: In Montgomery Hall Park I saw all three winter residents of the thrush family: American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, and Hermit Thrushes. Not much else, however. Along Bell's Lane I spotted three Golden-crowned Kinglets, several White-crowned Sparrows, and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, but no Northern Harriers or Short-eared Owls. So, I drove to the end of the extended portion past the golf course, and came upon dozens of American Robins, several Cedar Waxwings, a Pileated Woodpecker, and a Red-tailed Hawk that briefly perched nearby.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Red-tailed Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Downy Woodpecker, and in center, Eastern Bluebird. (Montgomery Hall Park & Bell's Lane, November 25)

November 28: I was delighted to see a few Yellow-rumped Warblers and American Robins flitting about in the frigid air as I was leaving work today. Just as I got home I saw a huge flock of Turkey Vultures overhead, so I snapped a couple photos of them.

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 (2023) page.

August 4, 2024 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, October 2023

NOTE: This is another "catch-up" blog post based on Facebook posts from last October; the last such blog post was July 25. I plan to get up to date by the end of this month.

October 2 (Saturday): A visit to Bell's Lane late in the morning yielded a variety of warblers, an E. Phoebe, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Late in the afternoon I visited Montgomery Hall Park and spotted an E. Wood Pewee, a Cape May Warbler (behaving oddly like a flycatcher), a Red-tailed Hawk, and my very first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the season!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Cape May Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, E. Wood Pewee, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Bay-breasted Warbler, American Redstart, and center, Magnolia Warbler. (Bell's Lane and Montgomery Hall Park, October 2)

October 6: I went to "scout out" the Boy Scout camp area, in preparation for the field trip I will lead there on October 28. En route I spotted a Kestrel east of the Swoope post office. There were a couple dozen Wood Ducks (I think) on the pond, and they really "flew the coop" when a young Bald Eagle and then an adult Cooper's Hawk arrived. Also present were some Killdeers on the dock. Along the hunter access road, I saw young Red-headed Woodpeckers, some Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and all the other woodpecker species except for Pileated. Along Livick Road on the way home I saw several E. Phoebes, Palm Warblers (bright yellow!), and E. Bluebirds.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bald Eagle (imm.), Cooper's Hawk, Red-headed Woodpeckers (imm.), E. Phoebe, Palm Warbler, American Kestrel (M), Downy Woodpecker (F), and E. Bluebird. (Boy Scout camp and Swoope area, October 6)

October 9: For a while I didn't see much along Bell's Lane other than robins, chickadees, and even woodpeckers munching on smashed walnuts on the road this morning, but eventually it got interesting. I saw my first Golden-crowned Kinglet of the season, as well as a Ruby-crowned one (blurry photo), and I'm pretty a Yellow-rumped Warbler. (If so, another FOS bird for me.) Bad lighting conditions made it hard to tell for sure. Black-throated Green and Cape May Warblers were also present, if not exactly cooperative with my photographic efforts. Eastern Phoebes, a friendly Song Sparrow, a menacing Red-tailed Hawk, and a Northern Flicker rounded out the day.

October 13: I hurried to Bell's Lane late this afternoon and spotted two recently-arrived migrant species: a Palm Warbler and a Yellow-rumped Warbler! Also an Eastern Phoebe, House Wren, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and a stray Red-winged Blackbird in a tree top.

October 16: I had a glimpse of my first White-throated Sparrow along Bell's Lane late this afternoon, but couldn't get a photo. I did, however, manage to capture a Black-throated Green Warbler (with a green caterpillar!) and one of many Yellow-rumped Warblers that were zipping around up in the trees. There were two E. Phoebes along that long wooden fence, as well as some House Finches, Carolina Chickadees, woodpeckers, and the other usual suspects.

October 21: We had our first Dark-eyed Junco and White-throated Sparrow of the season out back yesterday, and I saw several of the latter while strolling along Bell's Lane late this afternoon. Also a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a young hawk of some sort, etc.

October 25: While getting exercise at the Mill Place trail in Verona I had some nice avian photo-op appearances! The Blue-headed Vireo was a particularly nice surprise. It was feeding on the fruits in a persimmon tree. Yum! Also visible were a dozen or so Cedar Waxwings, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and a few Yellow-rumped Warblers. The Great Blue Heron was at the pond behind Hardee's, and the Pileated Woodpecker was out back, here in Staunton.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Great Blue Heron, and in center, Song Sparrow and Cedar Waxwing. (Mill Place trail & Staunton, Oct. 25)

October 27: After recycling this afternoon I headed over to Montgomery Hall Park and spent way too much time getting a photo of one of the many newly-arrived White-throated Sparrows. Not much else in the lower area other than an E. Towhee, so I went to the summit and came upon a real bonanza: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, other woodpeckers, Field Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, E. Phoebes, and great closeup views of a Blue-headed Vireo and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- a male in full display mode!

October 28 (Saturday): Thanks to ideal, unusually warm weather, we had a good turnout for the field trip at the Boy Scout camp: nine people altogether. It was very birdy at the end of the road where we parked, and we came upon a few hot spots while hiking up the Trimble Mill hunter access road. (Full disclosure: I mistakenly identified some goldfinches as Pine Warblers at the beginning of our field trip!) Highlights included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, two Blue-headed Vireos, a few Palm Warblers, and a pair of elusive Hermit Thrushes. An immature White-crowned Sparrow made a brief appearance, along with a few other sparrow species. There were a dozen or more Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but they mostly stayed high up in the trees, hard to see. We finally saw some of the expected Eastern Phoebes on our way out, but rather surprisingly, no nuthatches at all. As we were about to leave, Deb Kirtland spotted two Gray Catbirds and some Cedar Waxwings, and Antonio Martinez spotted some Red-tailed Hawks, bringing our total species count up to 33. On the way back to Staunton some of us drove along Livick Road in Swoope, where we saw some Savannah Sparrows, with House Finches, more Palm Warblers, and a few others.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, Palm Warbler, and Savannah Sparrow, and in center, American Goldfinch. (Boy Scout camp & Swoope area, October 28)

October 29: Jacqueline and I went hiking in the Shenandoah National Park, from the Blackrock trail head north to the Dundo group campground and back, mostly along the Appalachian Trail. With the unseasonably warm temperatures, there were lots of insects (including noisy katydids), which the birds seemed to like. I saw a nice mixture of recent winter arrivals and late lingerers, with the highlights being Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets* (the latter being my first one of the season, probably), and my first Brown Creeper of the season!

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 (2023) page. (I am in the midst of a major reorganization of my bird photos, so that they will be sorted year by year.)

July 25, 2024 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, September 2023

September 9 (Saturday): I led an Augusta Bird Club field trip along the Shenandoah Mountain Trail, south of Confederate Breastworks, along the Highland County line. The weather was just perfect, a delightful contrast to the last few days! It didn't take long before we came upon our first cluster of migrating birds, but we could only identify one species for sure: a Black-throated Green Warbler. After a while we heard and then saw a group of Scarlet Tanagers, all of them being either female or juveniles. Then we heard and saw a Pine Warbler in the tree tops. As we approached the steep mountain slope we heard and saw both kinds of Nuthatches, and had good looks at a Red-breasted one. At the trail crossing where we turned back was an American Redstart, and on the way back we finally managed to see one of the Blue-headed Vireos that had been singing and chatting. But the biggest highlight of the day was seeing a Ruffed Grouse as it flushed only about 20 feet away. Wow! We probably saw a total of three in two different locations.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Scarlet Tanager (F), Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Blue-headed Vireo. (Shenandoah Mountain Trail, September 9)

September 11: The morning after a nice rain, after 45 minutes or so of slow going I eventually hit pay dirt along Bell's Lane. Jim and Wendy Hill were there when I saw a Magnolia Warbler, White-eyed Vireo (3 or more total), and an American Redstart. (Hard to get good photos!) Otherwise, just the usual Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Phoebes, and a possible House Wren. As I was leaving I heard and then saw a Broad-winged Hawk way up high.

September 13: Along Bell's Lane in the morning, I had very good views of a a Red-eyed Vireo and a White-eyed Vireo, but no warblers. I returned in the afternoon, and this time I saw two Eastern Wood Pewees and a Red-tailed Hawk, as well as a Brown Thrasher or two -- but no warblers again!

September 16: Lynne Parks led an ABC field trip to Augusta Springs Wetlands, and we were very fortunate to come upon a huge cluster of various warblers. Other highlights included four species of vireos, Wood Ducks, Cedar Waxwings, a Wood Thrush, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. (I didn't see the latter species.)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Magnolia Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Black-and-white Warbler. (Augusta Springs, Sept. 16)

September 20: I went birding along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the parallel Route 610, and finally got my wish to see my first Nashville Warbler of the year, by the signal tower. Otherwise, it was slow going for most of the mid-day until I hit the jackpot about a half mile north of the Humpback Rocks picnic area, on my way back. Warblers everywhere!!! I later paid a visit to the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch for the first time this fall, and had a nice view of a diving Merlin, and a couple kettles of (presumable) Broad-winged Hawks.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Northern Parula, Nashville Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Ovenbird, and in the center, American Redstart and another Bay-breasted Warbler. (Blue Ridge, Sept. 20)

September 27: In spite of the continued gloomy skies, I paid a visit to the Mill Place trail on my way back from getting my oil changed this morning, and boy am I glad I did! I got my best-ever photo of a Tennessee Warbler in the woods along the far corner of the trail, along with a Cape May Warbler, an American Redstart, and over a dozen Cedar Waxwings. Elsewhere along the trail I saw some Eastern Phoebes, Northern Flickers, and Field Sparrows. Later I saw Mark Kosiewski on Bell's Lane, and while looking for a Rose-breasted Grosbeak that he had spotted, I came across a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and possibly two of them. Not bad at all!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Field Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Phoebe, and (in the center) Yellow-billed Cuckoo. (Mill Place trail & Bell's Lane, Sept. 27)

September 30: I joined a field trip to Bells Lane led by Lynne Parks and Allen Larner, seven days after the original trip had to be postponed due to adverse weather. We came across several warbler species, including Cape May, Magnolia, Pine, Bay-breasted, and Northern Parula. The other highlight was when an immature Bald Eagle also flew overhead.

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 (2023) page. (I am in the midst of a major reorganization of my bird photos, so that they will be sorted year by year.)

July 12, 2024 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia [& North Carolina], August 2023

August 5: After a visit to Staunton's new recycling center in the morning, I headed over to the hilltop at Montgomery Hall Park, where I immediately heard the persistent songs of an Eastern Wood Pewee and an Indigo Bunting. I walked along the trail into the woods, and was delighted to see a Worm-eating Warbler, as well as a couple Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Along "Yulee's Trail" down the hill, I saw several Brown Thrashers, presumably a family, and heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Perhaps of more significance, we finally have hummingbirds at our back porch feeder! They usually arrive right around August 1, and last year it was at the end of July.

August 10: I stopped at Leonard's Pond on the way back from Harrisonburg today, and saw a few Solitary Sandpipers, Killdeers, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper or two. At the Hardee's pond in Verona a Great Blue Heron was perched on the "islet." Finally, along the Mill Place trail I saw a family of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and an Indigo Bunting.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Indigo Bunting, Solitary Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Great Blue Heron, and Killdeer. (August 10, Leonard's Pond & Mill Place trail)

August 14: Jacqueline and I went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for the first time. On our first full day there (Monday) we spotted an Osprey on a nest on a platform in an ocean inlet near the Sugar Creek restaurant in Nags Head, and soon three others showed up. Perhaps a recently-fledged family? Then we drove south and explored the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, where we bought souvenirs and a T-shirt. There we immediately saw a Greater Yellowlegs, and then some Little Blue Herons -- both young (top right) and adult (top center). Other notable birds included Laughing Gulls, Semipalmated Plovers, Double-crested Cormorants, and various terns. (Identifying seabirds and shorebirds is not my specialty.)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Semipalmated Sandpiper, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, Osprey, Greater Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plover, and in center, Forster's Tern (prob.). (August 14, Pea Island NWR & Nags Head, NC)

August 15: On Tuesday morning we saw several Killdeers and an Eastern Kingbird or two at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk (technically, Kill Devil Hills), NC. Later we returned to the Pea Island National Wildlife Reserve, and I had excellent closeup views of a Willet and a Sanderling along the beach, as well as a couple Brown Pelicans. On the trail that borders the north end of the main pond I encountered (at a distance) a veritable cornucopia of birds, including White Ibises, Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, and a wide variety of sandpipers and terns.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Sanderling, White Ibises, Tern, Killdeer, Brown Pelican, Willet, and Tern. (August 15, Pea Island NWR & Kitty Hawk, NC)

August 16: The final stop during our visit to the Outer Banks was at the Fort Raleigh National Historical Site, where the first (and ultimately doomed) English colony in North America was located, two decades before Jamestown. The first colonial baby: Virginia Dare! I happened to hear the squeaky call of a Brown-headed Nuthatch up in the pine trees, and managed to get some photos of it.

Brown-headed Nuthatch. (August 16, Fort Raleigh National Historical Site, NC)

August 27: Jacqueline alerted me to a Brown Thrasher out back, a clear sign that fall migration for passerines is underway! (For most of the summer they never come here.) So, I headed out to Braley Pond for a vigorous hike and was greeted by -- almost complete silence! VERY un-birdy. For over an hour, virtually all that I saw along the trail were some Red-breasted Nuthatches. As I reached the most distant point of the loop trail I saw a Barred Owl about 50 yards away, but it eluded my camera. As I neared the camping area toward the end of my hike, things started to pick up: I saw an Ovenbird, an American Redstart, some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and a White-breasted Nuthatch. Before leaving, I checked out the pond one last time and noticed a white object far away. It was an Osprey! One of two Ospreys, in fact. In the pasture by the corner of Braley Pond Rd. and Rt. 250 was a flock of 8-10 American Goldfinches.

August 30: Bell's Lane was fairly quiet in the morning, and a distant Eastern Phoebe was all I saw for the first half hour or so. As I was leaving, however, a Brown Thrasher started causing commotion in the bushes, while a Least Flycatcher was zipping all around, taunting me until I finally got a decent photo. Back home, the young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has established his feeding territory, while Blue Jays make frequent loud visits.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Least Flycatcher, Brown Thrasher, Blue Jay, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and Eastern Phoebe. (August 30, Bell's Lane & north Staunton)

NOTE: The text in these "catch-up" birding blog posts is mostly taken from Facebook posts I made at the time last year. 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 (2023) page.

July 11, 2024 [LINK / comment]

Birding back in Virginia, July 2023

(NOTE: This is my first blog post on birding since January 3, when I finished a series of such pieces on my birding activities out west a year ago in June.)

July 11: Jacqueline and I drove up to Harrisonburg, mostly for shopping, but also spent some time at the JMU Arboretum. There we saw Wood Thrushes, Northern Flickers, etc.

July 12: Jacqueline and I drove up to Reddish Knob and later hiked for about a mile along the road toward Bother Knob, to the north. We saw several Red Crossbills at close range, as well as Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-throated Green Warblers, Cedar Waxwings, and best of all, a Merlin perched at the top of a spruce tree!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Merlin, Red Crossbills (M & F), Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, and Cedar Waxwing. (July 12, Reddish Knob & vicinity)

July 15: Jacqueline and I hiked for about a mile up the hunter access road that begins at the Boy Scout camp in Swoope, ignoring the high heat and humidity. There were several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and quite a few Eastern Wood Pewees and various woodpeckers, but the latter sort proved too elusive to photograph. LIkewise for the singing Wood Thrush. I got birds of all three primary colors (red, yellow, blue), but the Scarlet Tanager's head was obscured by a leaf. The big highlight was toward the end of our hike, when I saw my very first Yellow-billed Cuckoo of the year -- two of them, in fact! (I had seen a Black-billed one a month or so ago.) At the lake itself we saw a Great Egret, and later on north of Buffalo Gap I had a glimpse of a gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker flying over a field; that was one of the "target birds" for our hike, since I have seen them around there before.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood Pewee, Indigo Bunting, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch, Scarlet Tanager. (July 15, Boy Scout camp & vicinity, Swoope)