Cooper's Hawk on March 25, 2021
I headed over to Ridgeview Park this morning. When I was there five days ago, I saw two Cooper's Hawks as soon as I entered the wooded area. One of them had juvenile plumage and the other one flew away quickly before I got a good look at it. It sounded like there might be little ones high up a nearby nest, but I wasn't sure.
Cooper's Hawk on March 25, 2021
This morning, as soon as I entered the same wooded area of the park, an adult Cooper's Hawk flew low in front of me, and up into the trees. I heard the same faint calls, and saw the hawk fly into the nest. It stayed only for a few moments, flew away, and then returned a few minutes later. I waited for it to return again, but it did not show again while I was there. It seemed strange to leave the nest unattended, unless the other hawk was sitting low in the nest and I couldn't see it.
Cooper's Hawk in the nest
Cooper's Hawk in the nest
Cooper's Hawk in the nest
Cooper's Hawk in the nest
I continued my hike in the park, and ended up with 20 avian species. I didn't hike as far as I did five days ago, as I checked the Cooper's Hawk nest several times while I was there.
White-throated Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northern Cardinal
Adult and juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks
The most interesting bird that I saw in the park was a Black-crowned Sapsucker. This is an adult female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with no red feathers in its crown, and not a juvenile (see Sibley's second edition). Sibley states that this type of Sapsucker is occasionally seen, and the first one I have ever seen.
Black-crowned (Yellow-bellied) Sapsucker
Black-crowned (Yellow-bellied) Sapsucker
Black-crowned (Yellow-bellied) Sapsucker
Black-crowned (Yellow-bellied) Sapsucker
On my way back home, I decided to check out the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 610. There was ground vegetation turning green, but no deciduous tree leaves, from mm. 0 to mm. 2 at Elk Mountain Road where I got onto Route 610. From there to Old Elk Mountain Road (near mm. 3), there was little green vegetation, and the road was all torn up from truck construction traffic. All I heard/saw along there was a Eastern Phoebe and two Eastern Towhees.
Eastern Towhee
The road was in much better shape from Old Elk Mountain Road to mm. 4 where I got back onto the parkway, and a bit more green vegetation near the ground. However, the Park Service had completely cleared most of the ground vegetation between 610 and the parkway along that stretch. Six warbler species breed along that section of 610, and I hope that the lack of foraging area doesn't affect warblers there this year. I saw at least three Pine Warblers, including a first year female, and a total of eight avian species on 610 and the parkway, before turning around for home.
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker