14 or so VSO members joined me each day on Saturday/Sunday morning for field
trips on the Blue Ridge, starting at Afton and heading south on the Blue
Ridge Parkway and rt 610. Sunday's group was joined by a special guest,
renown wildlife photographer and professional birding guide Kevin Karlson.
I thank Kevin and all the participants who helped locate, identify and share
the birds with the groups. We covered forest that ranged from just under 2K
to just over 3K feet in elevation. Due to dense fog on the mountain on
Sunday morning, we dropped down the east slope of the BR into Nelson County
for a few hours until the mountain top cleared. A total of 86 species were
seen/heard. A few memorable moments/sightings:
Broad-winged Hawk - chasing a Red-tailed Hawk off its roost at Pioneer
Village (Sat).
Ruffed Grouse - drumming.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - calling, 1st rest stop on BRP (Sat).
Barred Owl hooting - ~ milepost 10 on BRP (Sat).
Wood Peewees - a few calls (Sat & Sun)
Acadian Flycatcher - first of the year for many of us (Sun, in Nelson Co).
White-eyed, Blue-headed, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos both days.
Saturday's group saw a Yellow-throated Vireo carrying a fecal sac, which is
very early for this stage of breeding activity. Sunday's group discovered a
pair of Yellow-throated Vireos building a nest and spent 15 minutes watching
this fascinating activity.
Wood-thrush calling both days; fewer on Saturday. No spring Catharus
thrushes yet.
Warblers -- a decent list over the two days.
Nashville - several were heard and seen on Sunday thanks to Kevin Karlson.
N. Parula - one or two heard each day.
Chestnut-sided - predominantly above 2800 feet.
Black-throated Blue - 1 early Saturday before the group joined me.
Yellow-rumped - usually in small groups.
Black-throated Green - seen and heard both days.
Blackburnian - great looks for a few on Saturday.
Pine - heard Sat., good looks on Sun.
Prairie - off the mountain in Nelson Co on Sun.
Blackpoll - two seen, not heard. Sat.
Cerulean - many heard both days; both groups got killer looks at least 1
bird.
Black and White - both day.
Redstart - ubiquitous.
Worm-eating - heard both days (barely on Sunday).
Ovenbird - both days; Sat. group saw one.
Kentucky - 1 heard on Sunday.
Hooded - many, including one at 1st BRP overlook with a very aberrant song
that fooled everyone in both groups including our distinguished guest.
Yellow-breasted Chat - both days.
Scarlet Tanagers - heard both days, seen on Sat.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks - only 1 male, seen very well and by all on Sat.
Baltimore Oriole - 1 female on Sat.
Orchard Oriole - 1 singing in the fog in village of Afton on Sun.
A good weekend of birding. Brenda Tekin deserves special credit for
orchestrating this and all the other field trips for the annual VSO meeting.
I assume she will post a summary or highlight of the other trips. Some good
birds were reported in the greater Charlottesville area.
John Spahr
p.s.
I also had Yellow Warbler, N. Parula, Blackpolls and Baltimore Oriole at my
home in Waynesboro over the weekend. Sunday evening I went into the
southern part of Shenandoah NP and hiked part of rip-rap trail to Calvary
rocks, searching for Peregrines to no avail. Discovered a raven on a nest.
Heard and saw Whip-poor-wills while driving out at early nightfall.
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