July 25, 2024 [LINK / comment]
Birding in Virginia, September 2023
September 9 (Saturday): I led an Augusta Bird Club field trip along the Shenandoah Mountain Trail, south of Confederate Breastworks, along the Highland County line. The weather was just perfect, a delightful contrast to the last few days! It didn't take long before we came upon our first cluster of migrating birds, but we could only identify one species for sure: a Black-throated Green Warbler. After a while we heard and then saw a group of Scarlet Tanagers, all of them being either female or juveniles. Then we heard and saw a Pine Warbler in the tree tops. As we approached the steep mountain slope we heard and saw both kinds of Nuthatches, and had good looks at a Red-breasted one. At the trail crossing where we turned back was an American Redstart, and on the way back we finally managed to see one of the Blue-headed Vireos that had been singing and chatting. But the biggest highlight of the day was seeing a Ruffed Grouse as it flushed only about 20 feet away. Wow! We probably saw a total of three in two different locations.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Scarlet Tanager (F), Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Blue-headed Vireo. (Shenandoah Mountain Trail, September 9)
September 11: The morning after a nice rain, after 45 minutes or so of slow going I eventually hit pay dirt along Bell's Lane. Jim and Wendy Hill were there when I saw a Magnolia Warbler, White-eyed Vireo (3 or more total), and an American Redstart. (Hard to get good photos!) Otherwise, just the usual Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Phoebes, and a possible House Wren. As I was leaving I heard and then saw a Broad-winged Hawk way up high.
September 13: Along Bell's Lane in the morning, I had very good views of a a Red-eyed Vireo and a White-eyed Vireo, but no warblers. I returned in the afternoon, and this time I saw two Eastern Wood Pewees and a Red-tailed Hawk, as well as a Brown Thrasher or two -- but no warblers again!
September 16: Lynne Parks led an ABC field trip to Augusta Springs Wetlands, and we were very fortunate to come upon a huge cluster of various warblers. Other highlights included four species of vireos, Wood Ducks, Cedar Waxwings, a Wood Thrush, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. (I didn't see the latter species.)
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Magnolia Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Black-and-white Warbler. (Augusta Springs, Sept. 16)
September 20: I went birding along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the parallel Route 610, and finally got my wish to see my first Nashville Warbler of the year, by the signal tower. Otherwise, it was slow going for most of the mid-day until I hit the jackpot about a half mile north of the Humpback Rocks picnic area, on my way back. Warblers everywhere!!! I later paid a visit to the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch for the first time this fall, and had a nice view of a diving Merlin, and a couple kettles of (presumable) Broad-winged Hawks.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Northern Parula, Nashville Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Ovenbird, and in the center, American Redstart and another Bay-breasted Warbler. (Blue Ridge, Sept. 20)
September 27: In spite of the continued gloomy skies, I paid a visit to the Mill Place trail on my way back from getting my oil changed this morning, and boy am I glad I did! I got my best-ever photo of a Tennessee Warbler in the woods along the far corner of the trail, along with a Cape May Warbler, an American Redstart, and over a dozen Cedar Waxwings. Elsewhere along the trail I saw some Eastern Phoebes, Northern Flickers, and Field Sparrows. Later I saw Mark Kosiewski on Bell's Lane, and while looking for a Rose-breasted Grosbeak that he had spotted, I came across a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and possibly two of them. Not bad at all!
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Field Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Phoebe, and (in the center) Yellow-billed Cuckoo. (Mill Place trail & Bell's Lane, Sept. 27)
September 30: I joined a field trip to Bells Lane led by Lynne Parks and Allen Larner, seven days after the original trip had to be postponed due to adverse weather. We came across several warbler species, including Cape May, Magnolia, Pine, Bay-breasted, and Northern Parula. The other highlight was when an immature Bald Eagle also flew overhead.
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 (2023) page. (I am in the midst of a major reorganization of my bird photos, so that they will be sorted year by year.)