With the report of 400+ Nighthawks passing over the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch last night, I headed over to the Rockfish Valley Trail this morning to see if some of them might have landed in the fields along the trail. I didn't see any Nighthawks, but I did see 34 species in 1-1/2 hours. Highlights included flocks of Flickers and Cedar Waxwings, a Black-throated Green Warbler, and a close approach flyover by a Red-tailed Hawk. Our resident tail-less Turkey Vulture made an appearance, and I heard one bird in or near the bog area that I could not identify. It was making a series of deep calls that sounded like lud-bump.
Five Flickers
Cedar Waxwings
Great Blue Heron
Red-eyed Vireo
Scarlet Tanager
Black-throated Green Warbler
Willow Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Tail-less Turkey Vulture
This morning's RV Trail list (34 species):
Carolina Wren American Goldfinch Indigo Bunting Song Sparrow Field Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Eastern Towhee Cedar Waxwing Downy Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Mockingbird Catbird Red-eyed Vireo White-eyed Vireo Black-throated Green Warbler American Crow Eastern Kingbird Eastern Phoebe Willow Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Meadowlark Scarlet Tanager Turkey Vulture Mourning Dove Rock Pigeon Red-tailed Hawk Great Blue Heron Northen Cardinal Blue Jay |