Crozet, VA 5/6/2020

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Lickinghole Creek and Reservoir

I hadn't planned on going birding today. The forecast was for off and on rain all day long, but when I checked the weather forecast this morning, it had changed to cloudy all day, and at that early hour, it was mostly sunny. I started off at Lickinghole Creek and Reservoir, thinking that I wouldn't see much today, and there weren't many birds along the creek. As I neared the turn to the reservoir, I saw a Spotted Snadpiper in the creek, giving me some great close-up views.

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Spotted Sandpiper

There were quite a few shorebirds at the gravel bar - mostly Solitary Sandpipers, and a few Spotted Sandpipers and Killdeers.

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Solitary Sandpiper

I hiked down toward the Bald Eagle's nest and could seen an adult with at least two eaglets. The adult took off and circled above the reservoir.

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Bald Eagles

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Bald Eagles

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Bald Eagles

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Bald Eagles

I didn't see a lot of birds, and the only warbler I could see was a Common Yellowthroat. I'm sure that I had more species, but the dense foliage made seeing birds a challenge.

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Common Yellowthroat

I had logged 20 avian species by the time I got back to Fairwinds Lane, and decided to hike a bit on the adjacent Crozet Connector Trail, where I added 4 more avian species ot my day's list.

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American Redstart

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Pine Warbler

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Pine Warbler

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Pine Warbler

Mint Springs Park

At this point, it was starting to get cloudy and breezy, and I had already hiked about 2 miles, but it was still only mid-morning. I decided to try my luck at Mint Springs Park to see if the Kentucky Warblers had returned, but I wondered if I had the energy to hike up the Fire Trail to look for them. In previous years, I had found them near the top of the trail - a 30 story elevation change (300 feet) in 1/2 mile.

That turned out to be a very good decision. I heard Hooded Warblers and American Redstarts as I started on the trail. I was only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up when I heard a Kentucky Warbler! And it wanted to get it picture taken!

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

Well, how about that! There was no need for me to hike the rest of the way up to the level part of the Fire Trail, so I headed back down. About halfway back down, another Kentucky Warbler showed up. It perched right in front of me, then dropped to the ground to forage, and then back up and started singing!

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

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Kentucky Warbler

I continued down, and saw a first year male American Redstart.

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American Redstart

When I got to the end of the Fire Trail where it goes into open field to the kiosk, I heard another Kentucky Warbler! It was singing in the woods near the start of the wooded section of the trail, but I didn't see it. I decided to try my luck at the other end of the Fire Trail and some of the trails close to that end. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher caught my attention.

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

As I hiked over on those trails, a Hooded Warbler starting singing very close to me, but it was behind some leaves and out of view. Two thrushes flew across the trail. They weren't reddish-orange enough for Wood Thrushes or Hermit Thrushes, so I suspect they were either Gray-cheeked or Swainson's, but I couldn't re-locate them for a better view. I saw two Black-throated Blue Warblers. The second one must have wanted something on a plant, as it perched on a nearby branch, flew to the plant, and then back to its perch. It did this mutliple times while I watched it.

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

By the time I left Mint Springs Park, I had logged 38 avian species for the morning. As I drove through Old Trail to my home, a Northern Mockingbird flew across the road, giving me 39 avian species for the day. Not a bad outing, considering I hadn't planned on going birding today.


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