We spent this past weekend at our place on Cedar Creek in Shenandoah County.
It had been two weeks since our last visit, and the change in birdlife was
remarkable. Two weeks ago it was all warblers, vireos, and a few summer
holdovers like immature Indigo Buntings and Scarlet Tanagers. This week it was
mostly
sparrows, both transients and early winter residents. We recorded 8 species
of sparrows (including juncos) with high counts of Chipping -22, White-throated
- ca.25, and Song - ca.10. Least common were Lincoln's (2) and White-crowned
(4). The latter included an adult (prob.leucophrys) and 3 immatures (prob.
gambellii). We also had our first Purple Finch, a single male. The "best
bird"
for us was an Orange-crowned Warbler (first fall celata), which is a species
that we have recorded only 3 or 4 times in our 26 years there. We also had
our first robins (for us they are a harbinger of winter, not spring) and a
small
flock of Cedar Waxwings, which have been scarce this fall despite bumper
crops of both wild cherries and wild grapes. We had a small flock of Myrtle
Warblers (Yellow-rumped for you youngins), but didn't have a very good crop of
poison ivy berries this year, so don't expect them to stay. Raptors were
disappointing, but rarely are very impressive at our place. A deer I jumped
from its
bed in turn jumped a woodcock, which flew only a short distance and landed in
the mowed trail about 10 yards from me, affording me one of my best views ever.
Overall, 39 species and a fun weekend of birding and leaf-raking.
Dave Davis
Arlington
