May 3, 2009 [LINK / comment]
Yesterday was the official "Big Spring Day," when birders across the country tabulate birds at the peak of migration season. For me, it was an "enormous" Spring Day. I covered two locations: the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad and Betsy Bell Hill. The weather was ominous, but the rain lasted only for a short while. What follows are the highlights of the two separate outings, taken from the reports I filed with eBird:
During my morning excursion, along the trail behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad, I saw a total of SIX species for the first time this season, and 43 species altogether over the course of an hour and a half. It was the same place where I had done the Big Spring Day last year, when I counted only 29 species. The biggest surprise was getting a great view of a Black-billed Cuckoo, only the second one I have ever seen!
** - Species for which I was the only person in the Augusta County area to spot.
I was a bit surprised there were no Bluebirds or Brown thrashers to be seen, and one very common bird was absent until the very end of my walk: the humble Song Sparrow.
In the late afternoon, I went to Betsy Bell Hill on the south side of Staunton, and did a loop hike counter-clockwise, covering the entire hill. I saw a Yellow-billed Cuckoo almost as soon as I stepped out of my car, so that was a good sign of things to come. On my way to the top of the hill, I saw three of the Scarlet tanagers in a "soap opera" -- two males chasing one female. At the top I saw two first -of-the-season birds: a male Black-throated Blue Warbler and a Wood thrush, as well as an Ovenbird and a few others. Not much on the western side of the hill, but on the southern side about half-way down, I came across one of best warbler "fallouts" I've ever seen, with NINE warbler species total including a probable Golden-winged warbler, plus a couple I couldn't identify for sure. Blackburnian Warblers were all around, it seemed, and five is a conservative estimate. The males looked spectacular with their orange heads and throats, even without much sunlight. The Nashville Warbler was the first one I have seen since 2007. I was also totally dumbfounded to see a Red-breasted nuthatch on the side of a tree, and got a good look at it to be sure. The total species was 34, observed during a single hour. All in all, it was a truly splendid day of bird watching.
** - Species for which I was the only person in the Augusta County area to spot.
On Thursday afternoon I stopped at the Piney River trailhead once again, and spotted at least two Prairie Warblers, which I had seen there a weeks earlier. I also heard, and perhaps glimpsed, a White-eyed vireo, and I'm pretty sure I heard a Yellow-breasted chat. Here's a quick summary of other recent first-of-season sightings: