VA Birders,
Yesterday was a slow day here on the mountain with only 32 species logged
around the yard. The highlights were, 1 Am. male Redstart, 1
Black-and-white, 3 Cape Mays, 2 Magnolias, 18 Tennessees, 1 Yellow-throated
Warbler, 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 2 Red-eyed Vireos, 2 White-eyed Vireos,
7 Scarlet Tanagers and 3 Swainson's Thrushes.
This morning made up for it with 45 species, only 2 away from my record 47.
Without a doubt the highlight of the morning was when a Mourning Warbler
landed in a shrub about 4 feet from me at eye level. It was so close I
couldn't raise my binos for fear of scaring it, but hey, who needed them. I
had no trouble seeing the dark, brownish green back, the gray hooded head
with no eye ring and the yellow underbody. Since this was a lifebird for me
I was all eyes. The bird hopped around for a bit while I stood transfixed,
then flew on across the yard still on its southern heading. You can't get
much luckier than that. After checking with Sibley's I decided it was an
adult female.
The second most unusual bird of the morning was a Belted Kingfisher. I heard
its machine gun like call before I saw it. It flew to an electrical wire
over the neighbor's pasture and perched. I was surprised since water is
rather scarce here on the mountain. This is only the second time I have ever
seen one up here. The other notable birds of the morning were 3 American
Redstarts ( 2 handsome adult males), 2 Blackburnian Warblers (sorry Glen
Eller that they didn't show up for you at the Warbler Watch on Saturday), 1
adult female Black-throated Green, 3 Cape Mays, 1 Common Yellowthroat, 3
Magnolias, 8 Tennessees, 2 Yellow-throated Warblers, 3 Red-eyed Vireos, 2
White-eyed Vireos, 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, 3 Wood Thrushes, 4
Swainson's Thrushes, 10 Scarlet Tanagers,10 Cedar Waxwings, 3 Eastern
Bluebirds, 2 Eastern Wood Pewees, 2 Eastern Phoebes, 5 Gray Catbirds, 1
Great Crested Flycatcher, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Northern Flickers, 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and 1 Red-shouldered Hawk.
To top off the bright autumn morning I had 1 Eastern Gray Squirrel, 2
Chipmunks, 1 Eastern Box Turtle, 2 Monarch Butterflies, and 2 Red-spotted
Purple Butterflies.
Following is the complete list.
May all your mornings be a good as mine,
Roger Mayhorn
Grundy VA
American Crow 2
American Goldfinch 10
American Redstart 3 (2 adult males, 1 female)
American Robin 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 1 ( adult female)
Blue Jay 1
Cape May Warbler 3
Carolina Chickadee 1
Carolina Wren 4
Cedar Waxwing 10
Chimney Swift 2
Chipping Sparrow 3
Common Yellowthroat 1 (first year male)
Downy Woodpecker 1 (male)
Eastern Bluebird 3 (2 males, 1 female)
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Towhee 4(1 juvenile)
Eastern Wood Pewee 2
Empidonax 1 sp
European Starling 5
Gray Catbird 5
Great-crested Flycatcher 1
House Finch 2
House Sparrow 1 (immature male)
Magnolia Warbler 3
Mourning Dove 8
Mourning Warbler 1 (life bird)
Northern Cardinal 4 (1 female)
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4 (2 adult males, 1 immature male)
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Scarlet Tanager 10 (one singing faintly) ( 3 females)
Song Sparrow 2
Swainsons Thrush 4
Tennessee Warbler 8
Tufted Titmouse 3
Yellow-throated Warbler 2
White-eyed Vireo 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Wood Thrush 3
Eastern Gray Squirrel 1
Monarch Butterfly 2
Red-spotted Purple Butterfly 1
Eastern Box Turtle 1
Eastern Chipmunk 2
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