Photo by Linda Millington
May 4 was a great morning for a bird walk at Camp Highroad, which is located outside of Middleburg, Virginia. Linda Millington and Christine Perdue led a group of intrepid and knowledgeable birders as part of the month-long Celebrate Birds. At the beginning of the walk, a Cape May Warbler was heard and glimpsed in the pines near the camp offices. Yellow-throated Vireos were first head and then seen along the trails in the woods. Other spring arrivals such as Black-throated Blue Warblers, Pine Warblers, American Redstarts, Indigo Bunting and Northern Parulas followed. The songs and calls of Ovenbirds, Wood Thrush and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were heard in the woods and canopies. One participant looked up and spotted a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak over our heads. Field and Grasshopper Sparrows were heard and seen in the fields. Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Barn Swallows swooped over the pond. Another keen eyed participant found a distant Spotted Sandpiper on a gravelly bank at the pond.
The group ended the morning with 55 species. The complete list is below or can be viewed on eBird at https://ebird.org/checklist/S136046668
Species List
Canada Goose 18
Wild Turkey 1
Mourning Dove 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Bald Eagle 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 5
Eastern Kingbird 4
White-eyed Vireo 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 5
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 12
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 4
Carolina Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 11
Carolina Wren 6
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 12
Wood Thrush 6
American Robin 2
House Sparrow 3
American Goldfinch 21
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Chipping Sparrow 6
Field Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 5
Eastern Towhee 8
Baltimore Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
Ovenbird 3
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 2
Cape May Warbler 1
Northern Parula 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 7
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1