With high temperatures in the upper 90s all this week, it was also warm in the mornings up on the parkway and Route 610. Birds were tough to find, and most of them were staying in deep leaf cover to stay cool.
August 10I met up with Tink Moyer on Route 610 , and we birded there between mm. 2 and mm. 4 of the parkway. We also birded along the parkway between mm. 4 and mm. 8, but saw very few birds. Most of the birds we logged were heard-only, and we logged 4 warbler species (American Redstart was heard only).
Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Red-eyed Vireo
I did the same route this morning as two days ago. There were very few birds along Route 610.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
The parkway wasn't much better, but I did have a little luck at the south, upper end of the cirque (mm. 7.5).
Scarlet Tanager (appears to be a male in non-breeding plumage)
Scarlet Tanager and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Scarlet Tanager (appears to be a female or first year bird - note weak wing-bars)
Worm-eating Warbler
Cerulean Warbler (first year bird)
Cerulean Warbler (first year bird)
Cerulean Warbler (first year bird)
Cerulean Warbler (first year bird)
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warblers
BirdCast showed some overnight migration through central and western Virginia, so I headed back up to 610 and the parkway to take a look. It was really quiet up there. I logged only 15 avian species, and heard one Cerulean Warbler.
Eastern Towhee
Red-eyed Vireo