Had a nice evening at High Bridge Trail State Park, seeing the four
juvenile COMMON RAVENS still crammed in nest (photos below). Also had a
singing first of season PRAIRIE WARBLER along the entrance road at Camp
Paradise. NORTHERN PARULA, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, OVENBIRD, and LOUISIANA
WATERTHRUSH could all be heard singing from the bridge.
http://ebird.org/ebird/atlasva/view/checklist?subID=S29109559
Afterward, I went to Sandy River Reservoir and stayed until dusk. One
juvenile BALD EAGLE was still be seen in the nest with a parent. The
breeding plumage COMMON LOONS are still congregating near the Gates-Bass
landing. A CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW was heard again and later seen swooping over
the marshy inlet (insects are already so thick near the water you can hear
them swarming). This was my first time ever seeing this species and one
time it flew very close past my head; they are huge! A GREATER YELLOWLEGS
was heard again calling from the marshy area at the base of the dam like
yesterday. The final bird of the evening was a first of season EASTERN
WHIP-POOR-WILL calling across the lake.
http://ebird.org/ebird/atlasva/view/checklist?subID=S29109823
Evan Spears
Farmville, VA
