July 13, 2004 [LINK / comment]

[ Hiking up to Elliott Knob ] *

Today I hiked to the top of Elliott Knob, the third (I think) tallest mountain in Virginia, located about 14 miles west of Staunton. The 2,350-foot climb was exhausting, but the effort definitely paid off. (Starting elevation was 2,100 feet.) I only got rained on briefly a couple times, and I actually came to prefer the rain to the blistering sun. The following list of birds that I SAW is in rough chronological order, starting from the bottom and ending at the top.

30 Towhees, including many juveniles and females
3 Red-eyed vireos
1 Yellow-throated vireo
5 Indigo buntings (M, F, J)
15 Carolina chickadees (a few possible black-capped)
2 Ovenbirds
40 Dark-eyed juncos (M, F, J)
2 Black-throated blue warblers (M, F) *FOS*
2 Worm-eating warblers
1 Black & white warbler
1 Black-throated green warbler
5 Chestnut-sided warblers (M, F, J) *FOS*
6 Canada warblers (F, J) *FOS*
6 Cedar waxwings
4 Redstarts (M, F)
2 Yellow-rumped warblers (M) -- heard at least 5 singing
2 Phoebes
4 Turkey vultures
2 Black vultures

1 BALD EAGLE! (A) -- seen from the summit, to the west

There was also a probable blue-gray gnatcatcher on the way back down. I heard several scarlet tanagers and titmice in the lower elevations but didn't see any. I didn't see any of the expected rose-breasted grosbeaks, either. NO woodpeckers or nuthatches! Nine warbler species in one day may be my record, so I'll have to check. Three of them were the first ones I've seen this season.