Cerulean Warbler
It was a beautiful day to be out birding - mostly clear skies, dry air, and temperatures around 60 up on the parkway. I usually start off on Route 610 between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the parkway, but the areas where there have been warblers recently are in a lot of shadows from the dense tree cover the first half of the morning, so I stayed on the parkway and planned on birding along Route 610 on my way back. My first stop was at the Shenandoah Valley Overlook (mm. 2.9). You really can't see the valley from there because of all the trees, but it's close to where I had been seeing warblers on 610, and this time I had the sun at my back. I heard Ovenbirds, a Worm-eating Warbler, and a Hooded Warbler. I also saw two Cerulean Warblers. One of them was a first year female that still had some brown juvenile feathers, and the other a male that still had a bit of immature white above its eye.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
I continued south on the parkway, and stopped at the lower (north) end of the cirque (mm. 7.5) where I had seen warblers the past couple of weeks. I saw a female Scarlet Tanager, and then a male high up in the trees. I have seen females of this species a few times with a weak wing bar, but this was the first time I have ever seen a male with one.
Scarlet Tanager
Ovenbirds were constantly chatting on both sides of the parkway there, and some were frantically flying back and forth across the parkway. And then I saw why.
Barred Owl
I stopped at the upper (south) end of the cirque. A Cerulean Warbler was foraging in the trees close to the road. It had a large white spot on top of one of its tail feathers.
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
I saw a recently fledged American Redstart, and it was calling for mama to bring it some food. I also heard a Yellow-throated Vireo there, and saw and heard Red-eyed Vireos in several places along the parkway.
Recently fledged American Redstart
Recently fledged American Redstart begging for food from mama
At Hickory Springs Overlook (mm. 12), I heard Cerulean and Hooded Warblers, and American Redstarts, but there was so much vehicle traffic on the parkway that I didn't stay there very long to try and see them. I suppose that the great weather brought out a lot of folks, but it sure was busy for a weekday. I then decided to hike the trail at Bald Mountain (mm. 22). I could get away from traffic, and in previous years, have had Ovenbirds, Black and White, Black-throated Blue, Hooded, and Worm-eating Warblers there. As I hiked the rough road there, I could hear Ovenbirds, Black-throated Blue, and Hooded Warblers, but couldn't see any of them in the dense foliage. But I continued on, planning on stopping about a half mile or so up the trail where I knew that the tree density was reduced, and then I would turn around. Well, when I got to that location, the avian lunch bell must have gone off. First I saw an Ovenbird and a Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Ovenbird
Ovenbird
Red-breasted Nuthatch
And then a Black-throated Blue and a Black and White Warbler appeared.
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
But it wasn't over yet. A Worm-eating Warbler popped up, and a juvenile Dark-eyed Junco appeared, along with Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice.
Worm-eating Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco
But lunch still wasn't over. I saw an adult Blue-headed Vireo, along with what must have been a recently fledged offspring.
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Well, that was worth the uphill hike. On the way back to the parkway, I heard more Ovenbirds and Black-throated Blue Warblers, and a Hooded Warbler flew across the trail. I headed back north on the parkway, and got off onto Route 610 at mm. 4. I heard more Cerulean Warblers, saw more adult and immature American Redstarts, and finally got a few Hooded Warbler photos today.
American Redstart
American Redstart
Hooded Warbler
I ended up with about 30 avian species today, and it really was a good outing.