Rockfish Valley Trail 9/20/12

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Walt Childs and I led a guided bird walk for Penny Warren, president of the Augusta County Bird Club. Penny's target bird was the Olive-sided Flycatcher that has been on the trail for about a week, but we didn't see it today. We did see 45 species, and after Penny and Walt left I added two more species to bring the morning total to 47.

It was heavily overcast when we started the hike at 8:30, and we had only about 20 species in the first hour. But the sun came out after that and the birds got quite active. Highlights of the morning were a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker, a Baltimore Oriole, Blue and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a pair of American Kestrels, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, a possible Merlin, a probable Great Horned Owl (in flight), a Common Raven, and six species of warbler: Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black and White, Cape May, and a Common Yellowthroat.

Magnolia Warbler