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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.