After getting a taste for Blue Ridge birding this morning I went back up
this afternoon and added a few more birds. I drove the BRP from Afton to
Wintergreen and then descended into the valley to Sherando Lake. A very
cursory survey of these mostly forested habitats included some of the
following (year birds in caps):
Redstarts (10, BRP)
Black & White Warblers (4, BRP)
Pine Warbler (2, BRP)
CERULEAN WARBLER (1, exactly at milepost 8 on BRP)
Louisiana Waterthrush (1, Sherando)
Worm-eating Warbler (1, Sherando)
Combining the above with the ones this morning (Pine, B&W, Yellow Warblers,
OVENBIRD, N. PARULA) that totals 9 species of warbler today. Surprisingly
no Hooded, Chestnut-sided, Kentucky, Blackburnian or Black-throated Green
warblers. Also no Great-crested Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireos
were heard. By this weekend these should all be up there and by next week's
VSO fieldtrip the place should be alive with song and flight.
Also a summer plumage Common Loon was on Sherando lake, no doubt competed
for the stocked trout with the dozens of fishermen that dotted the
shoreline.
I was surprised to encounter a total of 17 Common Ravens, 13 of which were
at the "dump" by Lake Sherando. In my little book entitled "A Dissimulation
of Birds," which lists collective nouns for birds (like a "raft" of ducks, a
"bevy" of quail, etc), the collective noun for this species is listed as an
"Unkindness" of Ravens. This allegedly originates from age old thought that
ravens gave no parental care to their young, displacing them from their
nests to fend for themselves, until the chicks had acquired a glossy black
plumage. A useless but interesting bit of avian trivia! I also saw a small
"charm" of goldfinches in the treetops.
Two more Broad-winged Hawks and several more singing Blue-headed Vireos were
noted. Quite a few tiger swallowtails and an occassional spicebush
swallowtail were winging about. Some lovely stands of bloodroot were
blooming on the roadside.
John Spahr
----Original Message-----
From: Spahr MD, John
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 8:43 AM
To: ShenValBirds (E-mail)
Subject: VA 613 & BRP
After dropping off an overnight guest and Appalachian Trail hiker at Afton
Mountain early this morning, I proceeded on a quick drive through a few
miles of 610 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Things are starting to happen up
there. Of course lots of calling towhees and squeaking gnatcatchers. Also
a scattering of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chipping Sparrows, juncos, cardinals,
titmice, chickadees and phoebes. I flushed a Broad-winged Hawk off its
perch. Four American Redstarts were seen and/or heard, as well as 2 Pine
Warblers, 2 Yellow Warblers, 1 Ovenbird, 1 N. Parula and 2 Blue-headed
Vireos. Woodpeckers include Downy, flickers, Red-bellied and 1 Red-headed.
Each day now should bring a few more arriving species. Hope you can get out
there and greet them. /John
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