First fall female Cape May Warbler
I started out hiking here in Old Trail (Crozet) this morning, but the heat and humidity got to me, so I headed home and then drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where the air was drier and it was 10 degrees cooler. I took my usual autumn route there: enter at mm. 0, move over to nearby and parallel Route 610 at mm. 2, return to the parkway at mm. 4, and then make stops at the lower and upper ends of the large cirque near mm. 7.5, and at Hickory Springs Overlook at mm. 12.
I stopped on 610 where I had seen (yesterday) the immature Indigo Bunting with a yellow throat to see if I could re-locate this bird and get better photos. But all I saw there was a first fall female Cape May Warbler and a House Wren. A Black Ratsnake was sunning itself in the road there.
First fall female Cape May Warbler
House Wren
Black Ratsnake
I stopped at the lower end of the cirque when I heard multiple birds. I saw four warbler species there, but all but a Black-throated Green Warbler were moving about too quickly for good photos.
Female Black-throated Blue Warbler
Cape May Warblers
Bay-breasted Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
A Blue-headed Vireo was mixed in with this group, and an Eastern Wood-Pewee (with a strong eye ring for this species) was moving about.
Blue-headed Vireo
Eastern Wood-Pewee
I drove all the way to the 3 Ridges Overlook (mm. 14), and didn't see any more warblers, so I reversed my trip and stopped at the same places. No more warblers, but I did see a Gray-cheeked Thrush on Route 610. This uncommon species was right on schedule, as the Virginia Gold Book states that this species should start arriving here on September 20.
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush