When I arrived at the trail at 9:30 this morning, it was very quiet along the downstream trail where I had been seeing lots of sparrows the past few days. I wondered if there might be a hawk or other predator around, and the little birds were in hiding. A couple of minutes later I got my answer - a Red-tailed Hawk, two juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks, a Common Raven, American Crows, Black Vultures, and Turkey Vultures had a three-ring circus going on overhead. The raptors certainly stole the show this morning. It all quieted down after about 15 minutes, and the little birds came out.
A half hour later I heard the two Red-shouldered Hawks - they were doing aerial battle, and I assume there was an argument over territory. The little birds went back into hiding until this melee was over. I ended my morning hike around 11:00 with 31 species, and I met Karl Huebner (from Lynchburg, Virginia) on the trail, and at that point he had seen two other species that I did not see this morning, bringing the total count to 33.[update - now 35 species]
The highlight of the morning for me was seeing a juvenile Palm Warbler foraging in the brush with an adult.
[11/4/12 update in an e-mail form Karl Huebner] After I left you this morning I spotted a Northern Harrier on the west side of Reids Creek. After a while it disappeared so I went to the east side and there were two Harriers along with at least four Red-tailed Hawks. After a while one of the Harriers went up on a thermal along with three of the Red-tails and went off somewhere but the other Harrier remained and I watched it for about twenty minutes mostly on the east side of Glenhorne Road. It interacted with a least one Crow a few times but for the most part the Crows left it alone. At one point it even glided over four Crows that were on a hay bale and they paid no attention. There was also a Kestrel on an electric wire in the distance. The remaining Red-tail stayed perched on a hay bale most of the time. I think both Harriers were juveniles.
Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Pine Siskin
Cedar Waxwing
Immature Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebirds
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawks
Red-shouldered Hawks
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Juvenile Palm Warbler
Juvenile Palm Warbler
Juvenile Palm Warbler
Juvenile Palm Warbler
Today's RV Trail list (33 species):
White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco * Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Field Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow * Belted Kingfisher Red-winged Blackbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Common Raven American Crow Northern Cardinal Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Eastern Bluebird Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Phoebe Northern Mockingbird House Finch American Goldfinch Pine Siskin Rock Pigeon Cedar Waxwing |
* species reported to me