Blue Ridge Mountains seen from Old Trail
We've had weird spring weather - variable heat, cold, rain, and sunshine. We had a bit of rain overnight again, but with temperatures dropping down into the mid-30's, there was snow in the mountains. Old Trail is in the Virginia Piedmont, just east of the Blue Ridge.
Blue Ridge Mountains seen from Old Trail
I wondered, once again, if the changing weather pattern would bring summer breeding and migrating birds here, and decided to hike here in Old Trail rather than drive elsewhere. I was not disappointed. I ended my morning hike with 43 avian species, and that didn't include a handful of species that I know are here at this time of year. Some of the birds were singing for mates, and others were just happy to take a breather in their journeys. I logged four warbler species, and the most cooperative was a Common Yellowthroat.
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Mockingbird
Red-shouldered Hawk
There was a lone Bufflehead in the pond along Old Trail Drive.
Bufflehead
But the real action was at the pond along the golf course. There were five Buffleheads, a Pied-billed Grebe, and two Blue-winged Teals. Tree, Barn (my first of year), and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were skimming over the pond. My first of year Spotted Sandpiper flew across the pond.
Bufflehead
Blue-winged Teals
Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows
Spotted Sandpiper
Circling above the pond was my first of year Osprey.
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
We get very few gulls this far from the coast, and a gull was floating in the pond. It looks to me like a Bonaparte's Gull that is molting into its breeding plumage, but flight photos showed reddish-orange rather than pink legs. I don't know what other gull species it could be, so I assume that Bonaparte's is correct.
Bonaparte's(?) Gull
Bonaparte's(?) Gull
Bonaparte's(?) Gull
Bonaparte's(?) Gull
Bonaparte's(?) Gull
Bonaparte's(?) Gull
This morning's bird list:
Canada Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Louisiana Waterthrush
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow