Susan Stanton and I drove up to Bear Mountain Lodge in Highland County
yesterday to see the Red Crossbills. We were successful; Patti had said that
the crossbills came to the feeder all day and she was right. The female came
to the feeder right after we arrived. Later (as we sat down to watch for the
birds and eat our picnic lunch - what a great way to bird, right?), as if on
cue, the male and female came to the feeder again. We observed them for at
least ten minutes before they left - a life bird for Susan and a state bird for
me!
It was interesting to see other birds that we usually don't see in the
summertime in Lynchburg. A Horned Lark met us on the road into the lodge. We
also heard/saw Chestnut-sided Warblers, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Dark-eyed
Juncos, Blue-headed Vireos, and Purple Finches. On the way home we stopped at
the edge of Hightown to look for Bobolinks and finally found one. Surprisingly
we tallied over 40 species - we would have been happy just seeing the crossbill
as we needed to get back for at least part of Father's Day.
Bear Mountain Lodge is on the Little Switzerland Loop of the Virginia Birding
and Wildlife Trail and is an incredible place; I wish we had made arrangements
to go for the weekend as the birding and views were spectacular.
Thank you Patti and Tom for sharing your little piece of paradise with us,
Rexanne Bruno
Lynchburg
