It's been a strange autumnal migration season. Between all the rain, the heat, and the remnants of Hurricane Florence, it's been feast or famine finding migrating species. The sun was out most of the past two days, but temperatures reached the upper 80s on both of these report days.
I needed to get a haircut in Nellysford this morning, and with an afternoon appointment in Charlottesville, I only had about an hour in the late morning to do some birding on the Rockfish Valley Trail. I started out on the north end of Glenthorne Loop and the east end of the downstream trail. I saw my first Yellow-rumped Warbler of the autumn, but the best birds here were a pair of Red-breasted Grosbeaks.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Eastern Wood-Pewee
I then went to the south end of Glenthorne Loop where there were a few woodland species.
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Flicker
But it was the American Kestrels that stole the show. When I was last on this trail on September 25, there were 6 American Kestrels there. This morning, there were at least 5 of them. I first saw a male and a female going after the same meal in the middle of the field, and the male won the prize.
Female and male American Kestrels
Female and male American Kestrels
Male American Kestrel
I followed the flight of the male Kestrel to a tree where it joined three other Kestrels.
Four American Kestrels
American Kestrel
American Kestrel
American Kestrel
American Kestrel
American Kestrel
With even higher temperatures forecasted for today, I chose to go to higher and cooler elevations up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but there were very few birds there. My first stop was at the north (lower) end of the large cirque near mm. 7.5. I spotted a Swainson's Thrush, and then there were five or six thrushes flying about. At least one of them was a Gray-cheeked Thrush. I don't know if these two species migrate together, or it was just a coincidence that both species were in the same trees.
Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
I continued down to Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12) with a few stops along the way. I saw Cardinals, Turkey and Black Vultures, Ravens, Tufted Titmice, and Carolina Chickadees, and heard Nuthatches, but don't know if they were White-breasted or Red-breasted or both. I saw my first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of this autumn. The orbweavers are busy spinning their autumn webs.
Carolina Chickadee
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Orbweaver
I returned to the north, and made a quick stop at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch where I saw an American Kestrel and a Bald Eagle.
American Kestrel
I finished the day's birding with a short hike here in Old Trail, where I saw several species, including another Swainson's Thrush.
Swainson's Thrush
Indigo Bunting
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Song Sparrow
Great Blue Heron