Songbirds of the Northern Neck

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Photos by Beth Fedorko and Dan Fedorko

Mid-April to late May is an exciting time in the Northern Neck as songbirds migrate through the area from as far away as South America. Some will stay in our area to nest, but many will continue farther north to breeding grounds in Canada, where the insect populations surge in summer and the food is plentiful. All you need to view these feathery jewels hidden in plain sight are binoculars, a bird guidebook, and a little knowledge of what to look for and where to find them.

Many of the spring migrants are warblers. The male warblers will be sporting their colorful breeding plumage. The myriad of field markings on these small creatures is astoundingly diverse. During migration time they also sing with such vigor that you may hear them before seeing them. Just look and listen. There are many species of migratory warblers, with some more common than others. Here are a few of the warblers and other migratory songbirds that can be found in the Northern Neck:

The most abundant is the Yellow-rumped Warbler, identified when it flies away displaying the bright yellow patch where the tail feathers join the body. They are also colloquially known as “butter butts.” They may winter in our area. The vocal Pine Warbler also winters here. Another yellow-hued warbler is the Common Yellowthroat, which loves to stay in low bushy cover, but will come out of hiding to sing. Other warblers with prominent yellow field markings are the Magnolia Warbler, Prairie Warbler, the Palm Warbler, the Prothonotary Warbler, and of course, the Yellow Warbler.

Other warblers found in the Northern Neck during spring migration are the Black and Whites, small birds observed meticulously scanning the undersides of branches for insects. We have found flocks of Blackpoll warblers stripping Holly trees of berries. The Blackburnian warbler spends time in high branches and you may catch a glimpse of his bright orange throat. The Red-eyed Vireo and White-eyed Vireo are small songbirds that you may hear more than see. They prefer to stay hidden in the foliage foraging for insects. The Red-eyed Vireo has a distinctive call that sounds like “Here-I-am-where-are-you?” The White-eyed Vireo has a white ring around its iris, and the call is harsh and fast. The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a rich black back, a swath of crimson above white on the breast, and a large beak.

In addition to the warblers, there are other migratory songbirds that transition through or breed in the Northern Neck. Color is the first way to identify them. Birds in blue plumage include the distinctive and vocal Indigo Bunting and the Blue Grosbeak identified by their large triangular beaks. Another blue-hued bird with splashes of yellow is the tiny Northern Parula that likes to hide in the tree foliage but will tease you to find it with its enthusiastic singing. Migratory birds in red are the Summer Tanager, with all over red breeding plumage, and the Scarlet Tanager, with bold black and red markings. Birds with distinctive orange coloring are the Orchard Oriole, with deep rusty-orange breast and black head, and the energetic little American Redstart with its mostly black body with splashes of bright orange and white.

Insects are the primary diet of the migratory birds, and there are some that make gathering food an acrobatic aerial show. The Eastern Phoebe perches while wagging its tail feathers before launching off the branch to snag a flying insect. The Eastern Wood-pewee will catch insects in the same manner, usually returning to the same perch over and over. Barn and Tree Swallows, with their pointy forked tails, soar like mini fighter jets in zigzagging flocks snagging insects and are most active at dawn and dusk. The Great Crested Flycatcher will alert you to its location with a sharp chirp as it perches conspicuously on a bare branch. The Acadian Flycatcher prefers shady forest canopy and is smaller than the Great Crested. It announces its presence with a loud “peet-sah” song. It can catch insects by flying backward.

Two brown-hued migratory birds are the Ovenbird that struts like a small chicken on the forest floor, and the Wood Thrush, a secretive Robin-sized bird with a beautiful fluty call. The dark gray Eastern Kingbird has bright white on the tip of its tail and can often be found perched on power lines defending its chosen nesting territory.

One of the larger migratory songbirds is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo with its long slender body with a distinctive long yellow bill. When not feeding on caterpillars, it will sit very still in the trees. Our smallest migratory bird and the visitor to many a red-plastic sugar water feeder is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The early American settlers thought hummingbirds were insects. Your binoculars reveal a gem of a bird with tiny iridescent feathers and a long beak with a retractable long tongue for pulling nectar out of flowers and feeders.

BIRD WATCHING TIPS

Binoculars and a good eastern United States bird guide are your primary tools for finding and identifying birds. There are on-line resources that can help you find and identify the spring migrants. E-bird is useful to know what birds have been observed in specific areas on specific days (www.ebird.org/home). The Cornell Lab of Ornithology main

tains a very user-friendly site that gives important data about all North American birds, with photographs, migration maps, and audio of bird song (www.birds.cornell.edu). You may also add an app to your phone that includes bird photos, information, and audio playback of birdsong (Caution: do not play birdsong to attract or flush out songbirds as it causes them undue stress). Sibley Birds and Peterson apps are highly rated. A good local resource is the Northern Neck Audubon Society. They offer birding walks to area parks, free of charge, and the information you gain on these walks is priceless.

Your property is a good place to practice your birding skills. Scan the trees and hedges, especially where they meet open spaces. Migrants will dart in and out of the cover of foliage to glean insects in the sunlight. If your yard has a water feature, especially where the water moves, you may attract warblers and other migrants to drink and bathe. Since these birds are primarily insect eaters they may not take advantage of your birdseed feeders, but they will see that your yard is a safe place because your year-round birds are present.

What time of day you go is as important as where you go. It is best to go in early morning when the sun is first warming the air, coaxing out insects and birds that have migrated at night and are ravenous and very vocal. Mid-day is less birdy as the heat of the day drives them into the cool shade of foliage and the birds are quieter. Late afternoon and early evening is a good time as the birds are enjoying insects before their nocturnal flight northward or roosting for the night. A good rule of thumb when looking for birds is to go low. If the trail goes downhill there may be water at the end of it — a small creek or stream. Trickling water catches sunlight and attracts thirsty migrants.

NORTHERN NECK BIRDING SITES

If you want to grab your binoculars and explore beyond your yard, the Northern Neck has some excellent parks with diverse habitats that attract a great variety of migratory songbirds. George Washington National Monument on Popes Creek and Westmoreland State Park (fee required) on the Potomac River, both off of Route 3 between Oak Grove and Montross, offer diverse habitats, walking trails that pass by ponds that attract migratory songbirds.

The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge has two sites. One off of Route 17 north of Tappahannock has open meadows bordered by forest. Another site off of Route 360, north of Warsaw, has open meadow, forest, and a small creek and marsh. One early May morning from the deck of the visitor center and the nearby dam, we observed more than a dozen migratory songbirds.

Belle Isle State Park (fee required) in Lancaster County off of SR 354 is on the Rappahannock River and has farmland, forest, creeks, and tidal wetlands. This diversity of habitat and the miles of trails that traverse these areas make for excellent birding. Barn Swallows are regularly observed soaring after insects around the, you guessed it, large red barn. Also in Lancaster County off of Route 3 between Lively and Kilmarnock is Hickory Hollow Natural Area Preserve. This wildlife area, maintained by the Northern Neck Audubon Society, has mixed woodlands, ravines, and swamps with over three miles of wooded trails perfect for migratory songbirds that prefer dense forest canopy. We spent a wonderful day in late May there. The highlight was observing a secretive Red-eyed Vireo building a nest on a branch over the trail.

As you can see, the Northern Neck’s diverse habitats from wetlands to open fields to woodlands offer exciting birding opportunities. So, get out there and bird, especially April to May, and enjoy the show!