Blog post

September 13, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Fall migrants are arriving

For bird watchers, this is the second-biggest peak of the season, as the neotropical migrants that passed through in May on their way to the north make their return trip toward warmer climes. On Sunday morning, I managed to spend an hour on the trail behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad, which I discovered has become heavily overgrown with tall grass and poison ivy. It was slow going for a while, bird-wise, but I finally came across a busy "hot spot" toward the end. Highlights:

• Common Yellowthroat (prob.)
• Redstart (prob.)
• Magnolia Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler (prob.)
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Least Flycatcher
• Brown Thrasher
• Bluebirds
• Swainson's Thrush
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Catbirds

On Saturday, I joined the Augusta Bird Club field trip to the Rockfish Valley Trail, in Nellysford. Here are the birds I saw; some members saw additional species.

• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Kestrel
• Kingfisher
• Black (& Turkey) Vultures
• Red-eyed Vireo
• White-eyed Vireo
• Connecticut Warbler? *
• Goldfinches
• Bluebirds
• Phoebes
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• Indigo Bunting
• Song Sparrow
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Red-Bellied Woodpecker
• Cedar Waxwing
• Catbirds, etc. etc.

* Some people think it was a Nashville Warbler or a Yellow Warbler, but I got a good close look at the under side of the tail and am pretty sure about the ID. Further discussion pending. I also managed to get some closeup photos of butterflies:

Monarch butterfly, on the Rockfish Valley Trail. Roll mouse over the image to see a Buckeye butterfly.

A week ago, on Labor Day, I went for a solo three-mile loop hike on the Appalachian Trail just north of Humpback Rocks. Highlights:

• Red-Bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Scarlet Tanager (F)
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Yellow-throated Vireo
• Red-eyed Vireos
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warblers
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Black and White Warbler (F)
• Redstarts (F)
• Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (F)