May 15, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Migration season: past the peak

I've finally had enough time in the past few days to catch up on birding before spring "prime time" comes to an end, but not quite enough time to report on it. On Monday I took some back roads that I had not driven on for some time, and eventually hit "pay dirt." I drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway in hopes of seeing some of the warblers, etc. that others have seen, but it was too cold, overcast, and windy. In short, miserable. I did catch a glimpse of my first Cerulean Warbler of the season near Humpback Rocks, however. As I continued southeast, descending into the Piedmont hill country, the weather improved, and my first visit to the Blue Ridge Railway Trail at the town of Piney River proved to be especially worth while, as I saw two (2) Yellow-breasted chats for the first time in six (6) years! And that wasn't all!!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I saw several warblers, etc. on the trail behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad, including a Wilson's Warbler, which I had not seen at all last year. I saw another first-of-season bird out back -- a female Blackpoll Warbler, which is typically the last species is to migrate northward. That means that in another week or two, this year's "show" will be pretty much over.

Here are the highlights of what I saw (not the complete list), in those three places:

Location: Humpback Rocks
Observation date: 5/12/08
Number of species: 8

• Red-eyed Vireo 1
• Cerulean Warbler 1 (FOS)
• Black-and-white Warbler 2
• American Redstart 1
• Scarlet Tanager 1
• Chipping Sparrow 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA)

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Location: Piney River, VA
Observation date: 5/12/08
Number of species: 14

• Pileated Woodpecker 1
• Eastern Phoebe 1
• Cedar Waxwing 2
• Prairie Warbler 1 (FOS)
• Yellow-breasted Chat 2 (FOS)
• Indigo Bunting 1
• White-eyed Vireo 1 (FOS)
• Chipping Sparrow 3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA)

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Location: Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad trail
Observation date: 5/14/08
Number of species: 21

• Red-eyed Vireo 2
• Northern Parula 1
• Black-throated Green Warbler 1
• Blackpoll Warbler 1 (FOS)
• American Redstart 3
• Wilson's Warbler 1 (FOS)
• Eastern Towhee 2
• Indigo Bunting 1
• Brown-headed Cowbird 2
• American Goldfinch 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA)

I also heard a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the distance, and possibly a Great Crested Flycatcher. This morning when I returned to the SARS trail, I saw at least three (male) Common Yellowthroats, but not much else. (NOTE: The "FOS" (first-of-season) labels were inserted manually in the above summary lists.)

I heard a Yellow Warbler singing in our back yard a couple days ago, and managed to get close enough for a photograph.

Saving Scarlet macaws

In Costa Rica, an organization called the ZooAve Center for the Rescue of Endangered Species has successfully reintroduced captive Scarlet macaws into the wild, and they have begun to reproduce. See CNN.com. That is wonderful news for this precious symbol of tropical biodiversity. Jacqueline and I were very fortunate to see a flock of a dozen or so Scarlet macaws in Costa Rica in 2005.

May 10, 2008 [LINK / comment]

"Rainbow in the morning...

... Sailors take warning. Rainbow at night, sailors' delight."

Because of the rain showers we had over night, only two people showed up for my Augusta Bird Club field trip this morning. On our way to the destination at Chimney Hollow, we could see a big rainbow hanging over Great North Mountain, in western Augusta County. It was beautiful, but I remembered that rhyme, and sure enough, we soon saw a thick veil of dark gray low clouds in precisely the direction we were headed. We decided there was no point to going birdwatching in the middle of a heavy downpour, so I did a U-turn on the Rt. 262 bypass and returned to our meeting place. Better luck next year?

Actually, I did see a group of ten or so Cedar Waxwings in the treetops as I was leaving, the first I had seen in many weeks, so the day wasn't a total loss. And besides, the cancellation of the field trip made it possible for me to attend a very important breakfast meeting!

Bell's Lane evening

The skies cleared during the afternoon, though the temperatures remained chilly. So, I spent a half hour snooping around on on Bell's Lane. For once, I got lucky with my camera, as you can see below. Also, by some serendipity, I met a birding couple who are new to this area, and they told me about a weird bird they saw a bit further along the road. It was shaped like a Mockingbird, but with a white head and back -- a possible "albino." I will upload the photo submitted by Darrell Schwalm to the Augusta Bird Club Web site shortly. This evening's highlights, as reported* to eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA):

Location: Bell's Lane, Staunton, VA
Observation date: 5/10/08
Number of species: 18

• Green Heron
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• Catbird
• Brown Thrasher
• Cedar Waxwing
• Yellow Warbler (M)
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Baltimore Oriole (M)
• American Goldfinch
• Eastern Kingbird* (FOS)
• Eastern Bluebirds*

* I forgot to report two species, including my first Kingbird of the year -- D'oh! Also, I heard a Willow Flycatcher for the first time this spring, but didn't see it.

ABOVE: Baltimore oriole, on Bell's Lane, May 10, 2008

ABOVE: Green Heron, on Bell's Lane, May 10, 2008

May 3, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Augusta Bird Club picnic

The Augusta Bird Club held its annual spring brunch picnic at Montgomery Hall Park this morning, one last chance for camaraderie with fellow bird "nuts" before the summer doldrums set in. (I will update the club Web site with a group photo, etc. in the next day or two.) In the morning it was mild and fairly sunny, but later on it became a little too breezy for good birding. I saw a total of five (5) first-of-season birds, which was pretty good, but only one such warbler species, the Redstart. I took photos of it and one of the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (from a distance), shown below. Other birders saw a Peregrine Falcon and a Chestnut-sided warbler. Here are the highlights of what I saw:

• Eastern Kingbird (FOS)
• Scarlet Tanager (M, FOS)
• Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (2 M, FOS)
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-eyed Vireos
• American Redstart (M, FOS)
• Indigo Bunting (M, FOS)
• Cowbird (M)
• Goldfinch
• Red-tailed hawk
• Great Crested Flycatcher

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male), May 3, 2008

American Redstart (male), May 3, 2008

UPDATE: The Annual arrival dates page has been updated.

May 2, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Bobolinks at Sweet Briar!

Every once in a while, you come across a bird or birds that are totally unexpected, and that was the case at Sweet Briar College early on Wednesday afternoon. I was walking to the other side of the campus, where the sloping meadows are, and spotted a large number of blackish birds chattering oddly, about 100 yards away. At frist I thought they were Red-winged Blackbirds, but as I got closer, I could see with my binoculars that many of them had yellow heads and large white marks on their wings and tails. Bobolinks! I also saw a couple more warblers.

Location: Sweet Briar College boat pond
Observation date: 4/30/08
Number of species: 6

• Eastern Bluebird (1)
• Yellow Warbler (1)
• Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
• Bobolink (15)
• Red-winged Blackbird (5)
• Eastern Meadowlark (1)

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA)

Bobolinks are more common out on the Great Plains, where I grew up, but are not seen very often in the East. In fact, the last time I saw that species was in May 2006. I had also seen a Bobolink in the middle of the outfield at RFK Stadium a year before that, at the very first Washington Nationals game I saw there. Weird!

April 28, 2008 [LINK / comment]

April showers bring (Cape) May warblers

The heavy rainfall this morning made for hazardous driving conditions, but after it cleared up I got to enjoy a small-scale warbler "fallout" at Sweet Briar College in the afternoon, with two first-of-season sightings. I heard several Yellow warblers singing in the trees right outside my office building, but only saw one, a female. There were also some Yellow-rumped warblers and Chipping sparrows, but the biggest delight was seeing two (male) Cape May warblers at very close range, within 20 feet. The last time I had seen one of that species was in October 2006.

Ramseys Draft, Braley Pond

On Sunday, Jacqueline and I did our first serious nature hike of the season, about half way up the Road Hollow trail at Ramseys Draft. We saw two first-of-season warbler species, plus a few others, but no Scarlet tanagers to be seen or heard, surprisingly. Highlights:

Location: George Washington National Forest - Ramseys Draft
Observation date: 4/27/08
Number of species: 18

• Downy Woodpecker
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
• Northern Parula (FOS)
• Red-eyed Vireos
• Black-throated Green Warblers (6+, FOS)
• Black-and-white Warblers (12+)
• Worm-eating Warblers
• American Goldfinches

We also heard an Ovenbird. Prior to that, we did a quick walk around Braley Pond:

Location: Braley Pond
Observation date: 4/27/08
Number of species: 16

• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
• Eastern Bluebird
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Blue Jay (20+ flying high overhead)

We also heard a Louisiana Waterthrush and a few Pine Warblers.

April 26, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Big Spring Day, 2008

Just in time for this year's Big Spring Day, I finally signed up for the eBird system yesterday. It is a joint project of the Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, enabling birders all across the country to submit their sightings so that experts can compile a much broader range of data on avian distribution. Today's report includes two first-of-season sightings, a Red-eyed Vireo and a Common Yellowthroat (M):

Location: Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad trail
Observation date: 4/26/08
Notes: Very warm, sunny, and humid.
Number of species: 29

• Mallard (2)
• Turkey Vulture (2)
• Mourning Dove (2)
• Chimney Swift (2)
• Red-bellied Woodpecker (1)
• Downy Woodpecker (1)
• Pileated Woodpecker (1)
• Red-eyed Vireo (1, FOS)
• Blue Jay (2)
• American Crow (1)
• Carolina Chickadee (2)
• Tufted Titmouse (1)
• Carolina Wren (10)
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1)
• Eastern Bluebird (1)
• American Robin (3)
• Northern Mockingbird (1)
• European Starling (5)
• Common Yellowthroat (1, FOS)
• Eastern Towhee (4)
• Chipping Sparrow (1)
• Field Sparrow (1)
• White-throated Sparrow (6)
• Northern Cardinal (12)
• Purple Finch (1)
• House Finch (2)
• American Goldfinch (6)
• House Sparrow (3)

I missed out on the Big Spring Day last year, but participated in 2006.

Sweet Briar afternoon

My first eBird report was based on a brief walk to the pond after I left the office late on Friday afternoon:

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Location: Sweet Briar College boat pond
Observation date: 4/25/08
Number of species: 16

• Green Heron (1 (First of year)
• Turkey Vulture (3)
• Virginia Rail (1 (Heard, not seen. *)
• Red-bellied Woodpecker (1)
• Pileated Woodpecker (1)
• American Crow (3)
• Barn Swallow (6)
• Tufted Titmouse (2)
• House Wren (1 (First of year)
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2)
• American Robin (4)
• European Starling (5)
• Eastern Towhee (1)
• Song Sparrow (1)
• White-throated Sparrow (2)
• Northern Cardinal (5)

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

* The Virginia Rail call from from a bunch of thick, tall clumps of grass next to the pond. It sounded just like a can of spray paint being shaken, and it took a minute for me to figure out what it probably was. It would have been my first-ever sighting of that species, but the bird became silent as I approached. Maybe I'll get another chance. Not included in the eBird report: a few very loud Carolina Wrens. In future tabulations using eBird, I will probably list only non-abundant birds, as has been my standard practice.

Here's a thought: When you put "Virginia" and "rail" together, most people would think of the Virginia Railway Express, the commuter train system in Northern Virginia.

Owl Web cam

For a peek at a Great Horned Owl nest with two hatchlings, see ucar.edu; hat tip to Connie.

April 24, 2008 [LINK / comment]

A few more spring arrivals

The temperatures climbed into the upper seventies today, and I took advantage of the improved weather conditions by taking a stroll behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad this morning. There were a few first-of-season sightings, not as many as I had hoped, but at least I got some video shots. Purple finches are still abundant almost everywhere you go. Today's highlights:

• Purple finches (F, M)
• Goldfinches (M, F)
• Cowbirds (F, M)
• Towhees (M)
• Yellow-rumped warblers (M, F)
• Blue-gray gnatcatchers
• Black vultures
• Blue-headed Vireo (FOS)
• Black & white warbler (FOS)
• Broad-winged hawk (FOS)

ABOVE: Blue-headed vireo, formerly known as a "Solitary vireo." I am dubious of the new name. (video freeze frame)

Upon entering the campus of Sweet Briar College yesterday morning, I took a few minutes to check out the nature sanctuary, and got lucky almost immediately:

• Louisiana waterthrush (FOS)
• Pileated woodpecker
• Wood thrush (FOS)

I also heard but did not see a Scarlet tanager in the tree tops. On Sunday morning, I saw my first Worm-eating warbler of the season, in the same location. Chimney swifts are now seen fairly regularly up in the skies. Based on all the recent "first-of" sightings, I have updated the Annual arrival page.

April 19, 2008 [LINK / comment]

More spring arrivals

As it has been getting warmer and warmer over the past few days, I've seen a few birds for the first time this season, but still no vireos and no warblers other than the Yellow-rumped ones. On Thursday morning and late this afternoon I walked along the trail behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad:

• Purple finches (M, F)
• Goldfinches (M, F)
• Catbirds (FOS)
• Towhees (M)
• Ruby-crowned kinglet
• Blue-gray gnatcatchers (FOS)
• Swamp sparrow
• Yellow-rumped warblers (M)
• Killdeer (high)

Friday evening I saw the first Chimney swifts of spring, and early this afternoon I went to Montgomery Hall Park:

• White-breasted nuthatches
• Hairy woodpeckers (M, F)
• Downy woodpeckers (M, F)
• Towhees (M)
• Red-bellied woodpeckers (M, F)
• Brown thrasher (FOS)
• Flicker

The Purple finches seem to be almost everywhere, including right outside our window (see below):

April 12, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Swallows arrive en masse

It seemed to me that swallows were slow to return north this spring, but they are here at last. On the drive leading to the Frontier Culture Museum this morning, I saw dozens of Tree swallows fighting to claim nest boxes intended for Blue birds. I saw my first Northern rough-winged swallow of the season at Gypsy Hill park on Thursday afternoon, along with a Flicker and a pair of Pileated woodpeckers at nest holes. On Friday afternoon I saw my my first Barn swallow at Bell's Lane, where large numbers of Red-winged blackbirds and Meadowlarks were singing in fields and meadows.

Tree swallow, near the Frontier Culture Museum.

Near the top of Betsy Bell Hill this morning, I saw a Hermit thrush for the first time in several weeks. They'll be heading north pretty soon. I also saw two male Yellow-rumped warblers, now in their bright breeding plumage.

April 8, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Chipping sparrows arrive

I heard some Chipping sparrows for the first time this spring a few days ago, and after the sun finally came out this afternoon, one appeared at our feeder, the first I have seen. Fortunately, it stayed put while a took a picture:

Not much else to report. Where are the swallows??? The recent gloomy weather has made it hard to do any serious birding walks. I did see a Kingfisher perched on a wire along Route 29 on Monday, a rather odd location, I thought.

April 1, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Balmy spring day

March may have gone out like a lion, on the frigid side, at least, but April came in like a lamb, with warm summer breezes. Actually, it was pretty windy for a while. I went for a walk behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad late this afternoon, and heard many Cardinals singing, along with other birds. I saw my first Phoebe of the season, as well as a Golden-crowned kinglet (F), and a Brown creeper. I also heard a Towhee.

Out back this evening I saw the first bat of the season, swooping just a little too close for comfort, so I went back inside.