It was an unusual morning on the trail. I arrived a few minutes after 9:00, the weather was sunny but cold and breezy, and there was little avian activity. As I headed downstream wondering where all the little birds were, I saw a pair of Bald Eagles perched at the end of the downstream trail. They soon saw me and took off. One of them was a Sub-adult I and the other a Sub-adult IV. Minutes later I saw a Northern Harrier cruising back and forth across fields on both sides of the Rockfish River.
|
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult I
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult I
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Bald Eagle - Sub-adult IV
Northern Harrier
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
By 10:30 things had calmed down a bit, and there were a lot more birds out and about. By 11:00 I had added another dozen species bringing my morning total to 29. It was good to see that there are still Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Phoebes on the trail, and the Palm Warbler(s?) that I have been seeing in the downstream riverside brush just before the picnic table was there as well.
Palm Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Phoebe
Today's RV Trail list (29 species):
Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Eastern Towhee Eastern Bluebird Palm Warbler American Goldfinch Northern Mockingbird Northern Cardinal Downy Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied sapsucker Blue Jay Starling American Crow Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Red-winged Blackbird Red-tailed Hawk Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Common Raven Eastern Phoebe Rock Pigeon Ruby-crowned Kinglet |