VA Birders,
I spent a little over 2 hours birding Thompson Wildlife Management Area
(Fauquier County) on Sunday morning. It was a gorgeous day to be out and I was
able to find most of my target species:
Cerulean Warbler (at least a dozen; 3 nice views including a good study of a
female)
Kentucky Warbler (6-7; 3 seen well)
Worm-eating Warbler (5-6; 1 seen well while trilling)
Hooded Warbler (only 1 bird but luckily it was showing nicely)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3; 1 nice male)
Broad-winged Hawk (1)
The woods were alive with songs of local breeders: Redstarts, Wood Thrush,
Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, etc. I was later shocked to hear a singing
Winter Wren in the mix! I had previously run into Linda Chittum and friend
(Sorry, I'm miserable with names! Nice to meet you both.) who alerted me of the
bird a bit further down the trail (down from where the AT crosses the logging
road -- where the creek runs next to the road). They had apparently had a
Winter Wren singing in the same location 3 weeks before. Is this little guy is
trying to post up for the breeding season? Isn't this elevation a bit low for
this species to breed in this area? Regardless, a singing Winter Wren is always
a welcome sound.
I also passed by the bridge on 17 west of Paris to tick Cliff Swallow for the
year before heading home.
Will McPhail
Arlington, VA
