Around 7:15 this morning (5/15/10) I was stunned to hear and then get great
looks at an ALDER FLYCATCHER at the bridge crossing Mill Creek on Rt 778 in
northern Amherst Co. This is the first Alder I have recorded in Amherst Co in
over 40 years of birding in the county! The VSO Gold Book indicates this
species is a rare spring migrant in the piedmont (less than 10 records when the
book was published with 1 of those being from Amherst Co).
Lots of other good birds today with a total of 110 species in Amherst Co with
25 species of warblers including Nashville, Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated
Blue, Black-throated Green, Cerulean,Cape May,Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian,
Blackpoll, Worm-eating, Northern Waterthrush, Kentucky, Hooded, and Canada.
Also had 6 species of shorebirds- both yellowlegs, Solitary and Spotted
Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Killdeer (most of these were feeding in the
mud at the far end of Thrasher's Lake).
Good Birding,
Mike
Michael R. Boatwright
Amherst, VA
