Hi all,
My dad and I just got back from a camping trip/wildlife watching trip to the
Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park. While our focus was to hike and
look for wildlife such as Bears we did manage some good bird sightings.
On Tuesday, November 5th at around 2:00pm we spotted a raptor flying somewhat
high heading southwest over the Horse Trail, the portion that connects Big
Meadows and Fishers Gap (parallel to Skyline Drive). It was obviously large,
about the size of a Red-tail on first impression. But it was soon obvious the
bird had a long tail and obvious thought was large Cooper's but at 10x it was
soon very obvious that the bird had bulging secondaries, a more pointed-wing
look, and what appeared to be a triangular-shaped tail. It was flying against
a large white cloud so getting color was tough but I believe I saw heavy brown
streaking when it flew through an area of blue sky though I'm not positive it
was an immature.
The other bird highlight of the trip was, on the same trail the day after
(yesterday, Wednesday) when I was sitting and watching a pair of Chipmunks play
on a log in front of me and an adult Cooper's Hawk swooped in and grabbed one
of the Chipmunks and flew off with dinner in talons!
Other notable birds for the 48-hour trip included (all in Big Meadows area):
Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered Hawks, Great Horned and Barred Owls,
all Woodpecker species excluding Red-headed, both Kinglet species, Hermit
Thrush, Fox Sparrow, and Purple Finch.
Also, I have no idea of their skill level, but while checking the Wildlife
sightings log at the Harry Byrd Visitor Center at Big Meadows, someone from
Maryland had wrote down a Snow Bunting seen graveling along the Rapidan Fire
Road that runs through the middle of Big Meadows on 11/4. I briefly searched
for this bird without success, and as I said, I have no idea of their skill
level but I thought I'd mention that a Snow Bunting was reported from this
location.
Good birding,
Gabriel Mapel
New Hope, Va
