Jim and Liz Reed, Peter VanAcker, Tom Pendleton, Josephine King and I were
joined by Rexanne Bruno and Susan Stanton from Lynchburg for a short trip on
the Blue Ridge Parkway and VA Route 610 this morning. Our first stop was
the first overlook south of Afton Mtn on the BRP, where nary a bird was
stirring. We heard a distant Carolina Wren and raven and had a
Double-crested Cormorant fly overhead. Prior to the start of the group trip
I had seen a cormorant in the Dupont ponds in Waynesboro and assumed this
may have been the same bird. We totaled only about a dozen species the
first hour. We passed from the parkway onto route 610, which roughly
parallels the BRP. On our second stop by the microwave tower we encountered
a mixed flock of busy warblers and more. A Black-throated Green and several
American Redstarts were flitting about a vine tangle along with a young
Indigo Bunting and female Scarlet Tanager. As one species moved along
another seemed to take its place in the same vicinity. We soon added
Canada, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Jo King and Rexanne also saw
a Worm-eating Warbler. A few towhees and catbirds were calling in the
distant shrub. Several of us also got good but fleeting looks at one (maybe
two) Blue-winged Warbler(s). Andrew Clem then join the group and soon
spotted a flying Red-headed Woodpecker. We remained in this general area
for about 1 hour as long as there were birds about.
Our biggest challenge was the identity of a secretive and stealthy little
bird in the dense weedy underbrush near the side of the road. It uttered a
very soft "pik" a time or two and was feeding on or close to the ground. It
afforded only limited and brief views to about 6 of us who saw the little
creature, or parts of it. We tossed around a number of impressions as we
glimpsed bits it, including Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Common Yellowthroat,
Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler. We finally settled on an
Opornis warbler. I never got a good look at the eye. Rexanne and others
were convinced that the bird had a complete white eye-ring (hence the early
reference to Ruby-crowned Kinglet). Therefore, based on the collective
assemblage of field marks -- yellow below, greenish above, dark head with
notable eye ring -- and after consulting field guides and references,
especially to review the fall vs. spring migratory paths of Connecticut
Warbler, the majority opinion was that this was a Connecticut Warbler.
Having not seen the key field mark I abstained from voting but have no
reason to doubt or refute the group's conclusion. The habitat and habits
are certainly good for Connecticut and the soft and infrequent call note
fits the description in Sibley's.
Five of us then stayed on to join Brenda Tekin and others at the Rockfish
Gap hawk watch at the Inn at Afton. Here we witnessed a few Osprey and
about a dozen Broad-winged Hawks. Just a reminder that peak Broad-winged
Hawk viewing is soon here. Get up to Afton Mountain or your favorite local
hawk watch as much as you can these next few weeks and you might luck into
one of those "thousand hawk" flights. I had to leave around 1 pm and
stopped back at the Dupont ponds in Waynesboro; the cormorant was still
there. The flyover cormorant on the mountain was therfore a different bird.
An adult Black-crowned Night Heron had apparently arrived since my morning
visit and was preening in a bush.
The complete list:
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Mallard
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Osprey
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downey Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Common Raven
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Black and White Warbler
American Redstart
Connecticut Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Andrew Clem)
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch.
Notice: Dr. Andrew Clem will be presenting a program on insects and spiders
of Virginia, "Spineless Wonders," at the Augusta Bird Club on Monday, Sept
13 at 7:00 PM in the Staunton Public Library. All are welcome.
John Spahr
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