Highland County, VA 6/15/12

Our first stop was Paddy Knob. Along the gravel fire road 55 from route 84, we stopped when we saw a Ruffed Grouse on the road ahead of us. I tried to get some photos through the car windshield, and then getting part way out of the car, but the running engine vibrations made for poor photos. But it was a new life bird for me.

When we arrived at the locations where the Mourning Warblers are often seen, we saw lots of birds, but not our target. There were Chestnut-sided Warblers everywhere, Blue-headed Vireo, Black-capped Chickadees, and a number of other species. Two more Ruffed Grouse flew out of the tall grasses just a few feet in front of me. We also saw a very large, but dead, Timber Rattlenake on the fire road.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Black-capped Chickadee

American Redstart

On the way back down the fire road, we turned a corner and there was another Ruffed Grouse on the road. I stopped the car rather quickly, and it skidded downhill on the gravel about five to ten feet before stopping. Walt plans to tell everyone that we skidded for a quarter of a mile :-) The skidding car did not bother the Ruffed Grouse, and this time I stopped the engine and took photos as I leaned out the car window.

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse

We decided to take route 640 to Blue Grass. Along the way we saw lots of birds in addition to some bucolic scenery. We saw two Savannah Sparrows, a Vesper Sparrow, a female American Kestrel, 20+ Brown Thrashers, and lots more. As we approched route 250 (Hightown), Walt told me to be on the lookout for Red-headed Woodpeckers. Immediately past the intersection of 250 and 640, there was a Red-headed Woodpecker sitting on a post - almost as if Walt had pre-arranged the woodpecker to be there.

When we got to Margaret O'Bryan's place a little after noon, we were disppointed that we did not see any Golden-winged Warblers, but there were lots of birds there, and we added a Common Yellowthroat and a Yellow Warbler to out warbler tally. After driving around the area for a while, we headed back, and stopped at a few places along the way. At Ramsey's Draft we added our fifth woodpecker and our fifth warbler of the day (a Hairy Woodpecker and a Louisiana Waterthrush).

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpecker

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Cedar Waxwing

House Sparrow

House Wren

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Tiger Swallowtail

Louisiana Waterthrush

Today's List (51 species):

Killdeer Canada Goose Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker Flicker Red-headed Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Eastern Wood-Pewee American Crow Barn Swallow Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow

House Wren Carolina Wren Black-capped Chickadee Eastern Bluebird American Robin Northern Mockingbird Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Starling Blue Jay Blue-headed Vireo Louisiana Waterthrush Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler American Redstart Common Yellowthroat

Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow House Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Orchard Oriole Eastern Meadowlark Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle American Goldfinch American Kestrel Ruffed Grouse