American Goldfinch
I had an afternoon activity up on Wintergreen Mountain, so I decided to make a day of it. Although the mountain top had been a good location for birding a few years ago, last year was disappointing, and so was this morning. Perhaps it is all the new home construction, or perhaps spraying for gypsy moth, but there weren't many species for me to see when I arrived at 9:00 - Indigo Buntings, American Goldfinches, Pewees and Phoebes, Towhees, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Scarlet Tanager, and an American Redstart. One of the goldfinches stuck his tongue out at me!
American Goldfinch
So I headed down to Hickory Springs overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and was greeted by lots of American Redstarts, a few Cerulean Warblers, another Pileated and a Downy Woodpecker, Indigo Buntings, Towhees, and Red-eyed Vireos. A female Scarlet Tanager landed right in front of me, but changed her mind when she saw my camera and flew deeper into the woods, and called her male.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Female Scarlet Tanager
Male Scarlet Tanager