WOW, another spectacular day on the trail! Walt Childs and I arrived a little before 8:30, parked near the first wooden bridge on the Glenthorne Loop trail, and made our way on the east side of Reids Creek to the second wooden bridge. We logged 23 avian species in the first 30 minutes, 32 species within the first hour, and ended up with 43 species in 3 hours.
We saw seven warbler species: Cape May, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, American Redstart, Tennessee, and Common Yellowthroat.
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Tennessee Warbler: note the dark eye-line, yellowish green upper side, and white undertail coverts
Great Crested Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-eyed Vireo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scarlet Tanager
Willow Flycatcher
The hawks put on quite a show for us. Our first encounter was with a juvenile Cooper's Hawk - at first we thought it was a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk, but the tail bands are too broad, and we saw its non-foreshortened tail length when it was perched.
Cooper's Hawk
Next up was a Red-tailed Hawk that was sitting on a powerline pole, and then took off in flight.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
More than 1,000 Broad-winged Hawks were counted up at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch today, and we saw one flying over the trail.
Broad-winged Hawk
But the real entertainment came near the end of our hike when we saw an extremely light-morphed Red-tailed Hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk was circling with some Turkey Vultures.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Then a Common Raven decided to harass the hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
But as if the Raven wasn't enough, and American Crow decided to make it a three-way aerial battle.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
After a minute or so, the Red-tailed Hawk decided to take the offensive.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
And finally, a "gas-hawk" joined the group.
Red-tailed Hawk
And I can't forget the colorful Black and Yellow Argiope spider we saw on the trail.
Black and Yellow Argiope
This morning's RV Trail list (43 species):
Carolina Wren American Goldfinch Indigo Bunting Field Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Tufted Titmouse Red-tailed Hawk Cooper's Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Common Raven Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Great Crested Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Ruby-throated Hummingbird Northern Cardinal Carolina Chickadee Starling Rock Pigeon Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Catbird Red-eyed Vireo White-eyed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Scarlet Tanager Cedar Waxwing Brown Thrasher White-breasted Nuthatch Cape May Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Magnolia Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler American Redstart Tennessee Warbler Rose-breasted Grosbeak Northern Mockingbird Blue Jay |