Pine Warbler
I met up with Tink Moyer to look for warblers that might have moved into the area. We started off on Route 610 between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Although I logged 15 avian species there, we only saw a couple of Pine Warblers.
Pine Warbler
We then drove down to Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, and soon saw one of the two Cooper's Hawks.
Cooper's Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
We added 12 additional avian species to our day list, giving us 27 for the morning.
Brown Thrasher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Carolina Wren
Near the end of the hike, Tink spotted a Yellow-rumped Warbler in one of the deciduous trees along the river.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
I looked for the warbler in that tree, and soon got a few photos of what I thought was a pale female Yellow-rumped Warbler. Tink said that the one he had seen was a boldly colored male, so I searched some more an found the one he had seen. When I started processing my photos, the first warbler I photographed seemed strange looking for a Yellow-rumped. It actually was a pale, first year female Pine Warbler. I don't think that I had ever seen a Pine Warbler in Ridgeview park, especially in deciduous trees along the river, and far from any coniferous trees. But it's migration season, and birds can turn up in the strangest places.
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
It's a sure sign of spring. The Virginia bluebells were in full bloom, and dragonflies are showing up.
Virginia bluebells
Dragonfly