Revised 2011 bird total:
437 species

Monday, May 2, 2011

Bobolink, Veery, and Chestnut-sided on the year list!

My oh my - it has been a long time since I've posted on this blog!  WOW!  Time to catch up on the last number of days...

Thursday (April 28) I headed to camp for one night at Shenandoah National Park and hoped to find birds and bears (hmm..can you tell from my posts that I like bears too?  Ha ha)  Just a few minutes into the drive on the way to the park, I spotted 15 dark birds..with a white rump area..and yellow-orange crown.  Bobolinks!  Yes indeed, they were Bobolinks all right and I got some awesome looks.  That brought my year total to 267.  This boded well for the trip.  That night we encountered a mother bear with three cubs along Skyline Drive and the next morning they were in the exact same spot.  Amazing.  While on the way to look for them on the Friday morning I came across a location that was chock full of birds!   Juncos, Redstarts, Hoodeds, Red-eyed Vireos, Robins, Cowbirds, a Parula, just to name a few.  Such a special experience.  All of those were already well placed on my year list.  There just had to be a year bird mixed in with all of this excitement.  Yes indeed, there it was, a thrush.  But what kind?  Swainson's?  No, out of season.  Wood?  No, too dull.  Gray-cheeked?  No, too 'washed out' of a chest.  Veery?  Yes, perfect match to the "Veery in the book", indeed it was, bringing my year total to 268!   Then we went to a certain trail called Limberlost and we met a birder couple there and they kindly let me walk with them.  Thanks Jane and Bill!  Along the way I picked up Chestnut-sided Warbler, a life bird for me and year bird 269!  Awesome walk.

Until later

KestrelSwan

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