Rockfish Valley Trail 1/14/10

After my fourth, unsuccessful, 30 mile round-trip in three days looking for Rough-legged Hawks on routes 151/250, I decided to head over to the Rockfish Valley Trail. Seeing one of the RL Hawks is more being in the right place at the right time than going looking for one.

It was still around freezing when I arrived at the RV Trail at 10 a.m., but had warmed to 48 by the time I left at 11:45. As the temperature rose, so did the number of birds.

I saw woodpeckers (RBWP, PWP, DWP, Flickers), sparrows (White-throated, Song, Field), a Great Blue Heron, Cardinals, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmice, a WB Nuthatch, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue Jays, Northern Mockingbirds, Cardinals, American Crows, Bluebirds, and Turkey Vultures. 20 species on a winter mid-morning wasn't chopped liver!

Downy Woodpecker