Black-throated Green Warbler
The winds shifted from southerly to the northeast, ushering in a little cooler weather. It was sunny when I left my house in Crozet to look for warblers and other migrating birds up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, it was foggy when I got there. The fog ranged from very light to very heavy along the first 12 miles of the parkway, often making seeing, much less photographing, the birds a real challenge. Near the northern end of the large cirque (mm. 7.5), I saw a couple of Black-throated Green Warblers, a Blue-headed Vireo, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush - probably the same one that I saw there two days earlier.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blue-headed Vireo
Gray-cheeked Thrush
There were a few Dark-eyed Juncos and a Tennessee Warbler at the south end of the cirque. I got a quick look at a bird that might have been a pale, female Blackburnian Warbler, but it flew into the trees and disappeared so quickly that I couldn't be sure.
Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
I saw a few more woodland species, and another Black-throated Green Warbler at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12).
Northern Flicker
Eastern Towhee
The fog was just too dense to make birding productive, so I returned north on the parkway, and stopped at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch. Most of the fog had lifted by that time. I saw a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the vegetation there, and a few high-flying hawks.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Hawks: Broad-winged; Cooper's; Sharp-shinned
When I got back to Old Trail in Crozet, I hiked a short distance near my house.
Carolina Wren
It was mostly overcast this morning, so I decided to stay close to home and hiked the four mile Lindy Bain loop trail here in Old Trail. It actually was more productive than I had hoped for, and I logged about 25 avian species this morning. At the beginning of my hike, I saw a Green Heron and three Wood Ducks.
Green Heron
Wood Ducks
Wood Ducks
A short while later, I got my first warbler of the hike - a female Common Yellowthroat. There were lots of House Finches and American Goldfinches. One of the House Finches appeared very light - perhaps an immature bird.
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
House Finch
House Finch
House Finch
House Wren
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbirds were feeding on poke berries, and a few of them appeared to be first year birds starting to get their adult plumage.
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird
I saw a few Palm Warblers - my first ones this autumn, if I remember correctly.
Palm Warbler
Palm Warbler
Palm Warbler
Gray Catbird
Near the end of my hike, I added two more avian species for the day: a Blackpoll Warbler (note the yellow feet), and a female Scarlet Tanager (my Old Trail species # 130).
Blackpoll Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Scarlet Tanager