Sad report -- this was a bummer. With a Blue Jay above it when I first
arrived, a probable hatchling squirmed in an Acadian Flycatcher nest. After my
approach spooked the jay, a parent came in for nest duty. About an hour later
on my return trip, the nest looked empty & parents weren't around. Ugh.
The nest, above the Fire Road, was pretty threadbare below. So silhouettes
could be seen. On July 4, when Greg Moyers first spotted it, it was under
construction (close to finished.) A week ago, July 16, two eggs were in place.
I hope my evaluation of yesterday's outcome is wrong, but do not have high
hopes.
Madison Run Fire Road can be accessed from the Shenandoah Valley east of
Grottoes, and is partly in a priority Atlas block. It's a well-maintained Fire
Road that runs from the Valley to Skyline Drive; the first two-mile or so
stretch is a gentle upgrade along Madison Run -- easy hiking. Great habitat
for Pine, Worm-eating, and Black-and-white Warblers; Louisiana Waterthrush;
along with butterflies and wildflowers. The Fire Road intersects with two
State Roads: Browns Gap and Ore Bank Roads. There's roadside parking along the
Fire Road.
Diane Lepkowski
Harrisonburg
