Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 10/1/2019

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

With all the warblers I saw on the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday, I wanted to try again this morning. Oce again, it was foggy this morning in the mountains, but the fog was lifting when I arrived at 9:00. I exited the parkway at mm. 2, and proceeded south on parallel Route 610. A little more than a mile down 610, I entered a straighter stretch of the road, and sunlight was illuminating the trees along the road. I saw a couple of warblers fly across the road, so I stopped and started birding. For about the next 200 feet, there were warblers all along the road. In additon to the photos below, I got a quick view of a Magnolia Warbler, but not long enough for a photo.

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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American Redstart

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Black and White Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Northen Parula

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Northen Parula

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Northen Parula

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Northen Parula

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Northen Parula

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Northen Parula

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Wilson's Warbler

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Wilson's Warbler

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Wilson's Warbler

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Wilson's Warbler

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Blue-headed Vireo

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Immature Carolina Wren

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Immature Carolina Wren

I also saw a warbler that I could not identify. It most likely was a Blackburnian.

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Unidentified Warbler

I stopped at the cirque (mm. 7.5), but didn't see any warblers there.

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Red-eyed Vireo

Next stop was at Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12) where I saw a Bay-breasted Warbler, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a very pale, immature Cape May Warbler.

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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Cape May Warbler

I hiked a short distance on the trail at 3 Ridges Overlook (mm. 13). At the start of the trail I saw two warblers. I thought that one of them was a female Common Yellowthroat, but after looking at the photos, I'm not sure. This bird has a split eye-ring and a rather short undertail. It could be a female Mourning Warbler. These two species can be confusing in the fall. The female Common Yellowthroat should have a complete eye-ring.

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Mourning Warbler or Common Yellowthroat ?

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Mourning Warbler or Common Yellowthroat ?

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Mourning Warbler or Common Yellowthroat ?

The other one was a Magnolia Warbler.

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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

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Magnolia Warbler

Farther down the trail, I saw an Ovenbird and a male Common Yellowthroat.

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Ovenbird

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Common Yellowthroat

There were a lot of birds flitting around, but a hiker came by and said hello very loudy. I said hello back quietly and put my finger up to my lips and asked him not to talk so loudly. Then he said even more loudly, "I can't hear you," and pulled ear buds out of his ears. Well, that was it for birding at this stop as all the birds flew. I returned north on the parkway and entered Route 610 at mm. 4. A short way down I saw two Pine Warblers. One was a pale, first fall female. A Scarlet Tanager was nearby.

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Pine Warblers

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Scarlet Tanager

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Scarlet Tanager

A short distance later, an Overnbird flew across the road. I followed its path into the woods, and saw another flock of warblers with some Red-eyed Vireos. There were Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, and Northern Parulas. Two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were nearby.

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Ovenbird

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Red-eyed Vireo and Black-throated Green Warbler

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Rose-breasted Grosbeak

It was another good day on the parkway/610.

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Chipmunk (aka rodent with a good PR agent)


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