BRDC staff ventured into the field on Monday, February 15th in search of wintering/migrating ducks and waterfowl. We had a very successful day, with a total of 15 waterfowl species identified and 531 individuals counted. We spent the day hopping between bodies of water (Rural Retreat Lake, Claytor Lake, New River, and small regional farm ponds), and got to see a diverse array of specimens, even if they were, more often than not, hundreds of yards away. All individuals seen were submitted to eBird.
Pictured above are canvasbacks, which only migrate through the Southern Blue Ridge in the later winter/early spring. Behind them you can see hooded mergansers.
Species documented-
mallard
canadian geese
northern flicker
killdeer
bluejay
belted kingfisher
bald eagle
song sparrow
eastern bluebird
dark-eyed junco
great blue heron
american crow
common merganser
hooded merganser
red-bellied woodpecker
horned lark
rock pigeon
red-tailed hawk
northern mockingbird
northern cardinal
mourning dove
canvasback
ruddy duck
gadwall
ring-necked duck
bufflehead
carolina wren
american kestrel
american wigeon
pileated woodpecker
white-winged scoter
long-tailed duck
common goldeneye
downy woodpecker
ring-billed gull
eastern phoebe
golden-crowned kinglet
pied-billed grebe
common loon
common raven
The common loon is another species of waterfowl that can be spotted around the Southern Blue Ridge in the later winter/early spring during their migration north.
Late winter and early spring are excellent times for a birder to stop by ponds, lakes, or rivers in hopes of seeing some beautiful waterfowl. Many species have either been overwintering in the Southern Blue Ridge, or will be migrating through to northern breeding grounds. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience and study these often elusive or rare species!
