[Va-bird] Birding Highland, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties
- From: William Hohenstein <elliety@xxxxxxx>
- To: <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:45:39 -0400
I had the opportunity to stop at a number of sites along the Virginia Birding
and Wildlife trail in Rockingham, Augusta, and Highland Counties late yesterday
and today.
I drove out from Alexandria thursday night and camped at the Hone Quarry
campground on the GW National Forest west of Harrisonburg. I didn't arrive
until 8:30 and quickly set up my tent, the Whippoorwills started singing at
8:50 and continued off and on through the night. I was able to find one just
outside my camp site - it buzzed me and landed repeatedly on the path in front
of me.
This morning I first headed out to Reddish Knob and Flagpole Knob in western
Augusta County. The road to Reddish knob is drivable -- Flagpole knob's road
requires a good 4X4 with high clearance. Highlights included Kentucky, Canada,
Chestnut sided, Redstarts, and Yellow-throated warblers. Ravens were common
and a Barred Owl was roosting on a dead tree looking over a small field.
From there, I headed out to Bluegrass Valley in Highland County. Great
birding, highlights included several bobolinks, kestrel, meadowlarks, red
headed woodpecker, least flycatcher, orchard and baltimore orioles, yellow
warbler, bald eagle, and tree, rough winged, and barn swallows.
Next, I headed out to Paddy Knob, large numbers of chestnut sided warblers and
american redstarts. Here I also found, ruffed grouse, blue headed, yellow
throated, and red eyed vireos, black throated blue and black throated green
warblers, Veerys and Wood Thrushes, numerous Black Capped Chickadees (singing
and calling), Juncos, a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, and least, pee wee, and
phoebe. Finally, I heard a mourning warbler just before the crest of the ridge
-- in heavy brush, I waited for about 20 minutes but it never popped up.
My complete list is below and specific lists are on e-bird:
Ruffed Grouse
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird
Mourning Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Other related posts:
- » [Va-bird] Birding Highland, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties - William Hohenstein
