 |
| Canebrake Rattlesnake or Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) beside the platform at entrance to Rock Falls Trail |
Here's a link to the post for the 4/21/19 visit, which contains links back to previous visits.
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2019/04/easter-in-sicily-island-hills-4212019.html
************
On May 7, Beth Willis and I birded on the JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA in the Sicily Island Hills. We went to the southern part of the WMA, accessed from LA-8 a few miles east of Harrisonburg. We drove the entire length of the main road through this part of the WMA, making many stops and spending some time on foot. Besides lots of birds, there were some really good butterflies (including Banded Hairstreak, Creole Pearly-eye), wildflowers (milkvine sp., Oakleaf Hydrangea, and of course old favorite Indian Pink), and a memorable encounter with a Timber Rattler.
 |
| male Summer Tanager |
 |
| Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) and milkvine (Matelea) |
 |
| creek just inside the entrance to the WMA |
 |
| woods along main road... |
 |
| ... |
 |
| ... |
 |
| at the start to Rock Falls Trail - we didn't go down the trail this time |
 |
| back on the road... |
 |
| ... |
 |
| ... |
 |
| ... |
8:45 a.m.; 3 hrs 57 mins; 4.3 miles
73 - 81 degrees Fahrenheit; cloudy, then sunny; not much wind
Birds:
Mourning Dove - 5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 7
Chimney Swift - 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3
Turkey Vulture - 1
Mississippi Kite - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 8
Downy Woodpecker - 5
Pileated Woodpecker - 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5
Acadian Flycatcher - 17
Great Crested Flycatcher - 7
White-eyed Vireo - 6
Red-eyed Vireo - 17
Blue Jay - 4
American Crow - 2
Carolina Chickadee - 7
Tufted Titmouse - 24
Carolina Wren - 15
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 7
Wood Thrush - 4
Cedar Waxwing - x
Eastern Towhee - 1
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1
Brown-headed Cowbird - 7
Worm-eating Warbler - 11
(video: singing Worm-eating Warbler)
Louisiana Waterthrush - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 2
Kentucky Warbler - 1
Hooded Warbler - 17
Northern Parula - 12
Pine Warbler - 14
Summer Tanager - 18
 |
| female Summer Tanager (same one below, paired with the male shown below) |
 |
| ... |
 |
| male Summer Tanager, paired with the female shown above |
Indigo Bunting - 3
Mammals: Eastern Gray Squirrel
Herps: Cope's Gray Treefrog, Green (Bronze) Frog; Green Anole, Timber Rattlesnake...
 |
| Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) at the head of Rock Falls Trail -- WATCH YOUR STEP, FOLKS! |
 |
| Timber Rattlesnake |
 |
| Timber Rattlesnake |
Spicebush Swallowtail - 4
Banded Hairstreak - 2
 |
| Banded Hairstreak (1st individual) - This was a new species for my butterfly life list. Thanks to Craig Marks for confirming the i.d. |
 |
| Banded Hairstreak (2nd individual) - This poor thing had damaged hindwings and looked rather ragged. |
 |
| Banded Hairstreak (2nd individual) |
 |
| Azure |
Monarch - 1
 |
| Monarch - spotted by Beth. The Monarch was just across the road from where the Green Antelopehorn milkweed were growing. Monarchs were also present here when I first found the Green Antelopehorn in spring 2018. |
 |
| Hackberry Emperor |
 |
| Hackberry Emperor |
Goatweed Leafwing - ~2
Creole Pearly-eye - 2
 |
| Creole Pearly-eye (1st individual) -- Creole Pearly-eye is another new species for my butterfly life list. When trying to i.d the pearly-eyes I'd photoed this day, I was torn between Southern Pearly-eye and Northern Pearly-eye, the two species that are already established as occurring in the S.I. Hills. However, Craig Marks pointed out that the butterflies in the photos appear to be Creole Pearly-eye. Note the five (not four) eye spots on the underside of the fore wing, for example. |
  |
| Creole Pearly-eye (2nd individual) |
Carolina Satyr - 1
Wildflowers:
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) -
 |
| Indian Pink or Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) - These candy-colored flowers are always a highlight of visiting S.I. Hills in the spring. |
 |
| Indian Pink |
 |
| Indian Pink |
 |
| Indian Pink |
 |
| milkvine sp. (Matelea) - Neither Beth nor I had encountered this plant before and we didn't know what to make of it. Checking out southeasternflora.com and wildflower.org brought me to the conclusion that these are one of the species of "milkvine" (Matelea) -- presumably either M. carolinensis or M. decipiens, or possibly M. obliqua. Really neat plant! |
 |
| milkvine (Matelea) - vine, leaves, and flowers |
 |
| milkvine (Matelea) |
 |
| milkvine (Matelea) |
 |
| milkvine (Matelea) growing up cane stalk (Arundinaria) |
 |
| milkvine (Matelea) and Indian Pink (Spigelia marilanica) |
 |
| Green Antelopehorn |
 |
| Green Antelopehorn |
 |
| Arrowwood (Viburnum) -- These were abundant. |
 |
| Oakleaf Hydrangea |
 |
| Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) |
As always, if you spot any incorrect i.d. or have a suggestion for one I'm unsure about, feel free to let me know.
The Sicily Island Hills are one of the most interesting and unique locations for wildlife and plant life in the state. I look forward to seeing what's new (to me) the next time I visit.
 |
| ... |
No comments:
Post a Comment