Red-tailed Hawk
It was sunny here in Crozet when I left my house, but by the time I met up with Walt Childs less than 15 minutes later at Rockfish Gap and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway, we were engulfed in fog at that elevation. We decided to try driving down the parkway, hoping that the fog would clear. It didn't. Along the way we saw three Common Ravens and two Red-tailed Hawks. One of the hawks was having a meal along the road shoulder - looked like it was a squirrel.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
We headed down the west side of the mountain at Reids Gap, made a short stop at Sherando Lake where all we saw were a few Blue Jays, and as we headed north from there, we saw a few other species under mostly cloudy skies.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Kestrel
Carolina Wren
We stopped at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, where we saw our only warbler of the day - an Ovenbird, as well as a few other species.
Ovenbird
Red-eyed Vireo
By this time, we had logged 24 avian species, and decided to go up to Rockfish Gap once again, but it was still foggy there with light drizzle. So I headed home but stoped for a quick look at King Family Vineyards. The rain had stopped by the time I reach the bottom of Afton Mountain. I saw four new species at KFV, bringing my day's total to 28.
Killdeers
Wood Ducks
Green Heron
At KFV, I also a Virginian Tiger Moth caterpillar.
Virginian Tiger Moth caterpillar