Crozet, VA 4/25/18

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

We had more than an inch of rain yesterday and over the night. There was still some light drizzle when I left my house this morning around 9:00, but it had stopped by the time I got to Lickinghole Creek and Reservoir 10 minutes later. The trail was very wet and somewhat muddy, and in some places the trail was covered with standing water. I hiked along the creek and most of the way around the reservoir to the dam. There were Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teals, and Canada Geese in the reservoir, along with two Spotted Sandpipers and my FOS Solitary Sandpiper. A Pine Warbler was singing high up in the conifers, and I saw my FOS Common Yellowthroat in the vegetation along the reservoir.

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Wood Duck

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Wood Duck and Canada Goose

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Spotted Sandpiper

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Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers

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Common Yellowthroat

An Osprey and a Belted Kingfisher flew over the reservoir. I saw a blackbird high up in one of the trees, and my best guess is that it was a Rusty Blackbird because of its white eyes, but its paler belly makes it a little confusing.

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Osprey

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Rusty(?) Blackbird

I saw a male Northern Cardinal in the process of molting. It's breeding season, and I doubt if this guy will be able to get a date looking like this.

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Northern Cardinal

I hiked back and then hiked a bit along the Crozet Connector Trail. I saw a very vocal Louisiana Waterthrush, three Brown Thrashers, and several other species.

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Louisiana Waterthrush

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Louisiana Waterthrush

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Brown Thrasher

On my return along the Crozet Connector Trail and in the large field near the wooden bridge and on the south side of the creek, I saw the Prairie Warblers that I saw there a few days ago. I hope that they stick around and breed there. I ended my morning hike with 35 avian species.

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Prairie Warbler

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Prairie Warbler

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Prairie Warbler


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