It was overcast and raining here most of the day, but when it finally looked
like it would clear off about 5 pm I stepped outside to see what could be seen.
Just behind the abbey there was an Olive-sided Flycatcher perched on top of a
snag, only 150 feet from me. I watched it in amazement (although I used to see
them every year when I lived out west, this is the first time I have seen one
in Virginia) for about 20 minutes, and then when it switched perches it moved
closer, this time less than 80 feet away, and about 10 feet downhill from where
I was standing. Again I had excellent, unobstructed views both of the white
tufts on the sides of the rump and the dark vest, as it sat on a dead branch
for another 10 minutes, flying out only once, when it moved further down the
mountain and out of sight.
Also of note were 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches. One was near the abbey and the
edge of the mountain and I believe it was migrating through. The other was in
the same pine woods down our road where I have been seeing them on and off
these last few days.
There were quite a few Cerulean Warblers (at least 11) in the oak trees nearby.
It is much easier to see the Ceruleans when standing on the mountaintop and
looking down on them in the tree tops below. There were also 30 Yellow-rumpeds,
3 Blackpolls, 2 Black-and-Whites, 7 Redstarts, 2 Worm-eating, 15 Ovenbirds,
Kentucky and 11 Hooded Warblers.
There was a single Savannah Sparrow and still one White-throated Sparrow along
the road, and I saw 2 Spotted Sandpipers at the pond.
The Olive-sided Flycatcher brings the year's list to 112 birds here at the
abbey.
Father John Sebastian
Syon Abbey
Blue Ridge Parkway
Franklin County
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