Central Virginia 9/6/2019

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It was a strange birding day. Early in the morning, Hurricane Dorian was just off the coast of southeastern Virignia, and I expected the counterclockwise, northeasterly winds to push a lot of birds inland. When I got up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it was mostly foggy and quite windy. It must have been one of the outer bands of the hurricane. I don't remember ever being in fog and wind at the same time. Usually, strong wind will dissipate the fog. At any rate, there weren't any birds out that I could find on the start of the parkway or on Route 610. I figured that I might see my friendly Hooded Warbler near Hickory Springs Overlook, if it was still there and not hunkered down. I got lucky as it was willing to say hello to me.

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Hooded Warbler

Nearby, I saw a Magnolia Warbler, a female Eastern Towhee, a few American Goldfinches, and a Black and White Warbler flew across the parkway less than a foot away from me, and disappeared in the brush.

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Magnolia Warbler

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Eastern Towhee

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Monarch

I drove north again, and stopped on 610 near the old tower. A few hummingbirds were feeding on the flowers, so I took some photos as no other birds were out.

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I then stopped at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch at the start of the parkway. I had just missed a Mississippi Kite there, but saw a few birds flying by, although not very many.

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Merlin

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Common Raven

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Chimney Swift

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Broad-winged Hawk

I thought that Ridgeview Park in nearby Waynesboro might be better. The sun started to appear, and it wasn't very windy at that lower elevation. But all I saw there were some common woodland species, and one female American Redstart.

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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Red-eyed Vireo

I tried the first eight miles of the parkway again, but there weren't any birds out, and then stopped again at the hawk watch and saw a distant eagle.

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Bald Eagle

I had expected a great birding day, but it wasn't to be.


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