House Wren
I headed northwest this morning to the Allegheny Mountains in Highland County. There was a boldly colored Short-eared Owl photographed yesterday morning about 12 miles south of Monterey, and I wanted to see if I could find it. The Blue Grass Valley north of Monterey often yields some good birds, especially Golden-winged/Blue-winged Warbler hybrids.
My first stop was at the owl site, but no luck. The Blue Grass Valley was fairly quiet, and the only warblers I saw there were Yellow and Yellow-breasted Chat. The best photos were of immature House Wrens that were very vocal.
House Wren
Yellow-breasted Chat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Brown Thrasher
Pileated Woodpecker
After another unsuccessful stop looking for the Short-eared Owl south of Monterey, I made a stop at my friend's place along the Cowpasture River. The only warbler I saw there was a Black & White, but the Baltimore and Orchard Orioles put on a good show. I ended the trip with 32 avian species.
Black & White Warbler
Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore (left) and Orchard (right) Orioles
Brown Thrasher