On the way back home, I decided to check out Camp Garnett on the Rich Mountain Battlefield property. I have heard a Golden-winged Warbler, or a hybrid of such there twice in the last couple of weeks. I messed around there for about a half hour and gave up. There was just too much traffic. Nothing had a chance to settle down, before another vehicle came through. I headed back toward Mabie; the family of American Kestrels were where I found them last week. I headed on down the road and much to my surprise there was a male Bobolink sitting on the power line. You just don't know how much time I've spent in Canaan Valley; trying to get a good Bobolink photo. Here one is, totally unexpected and 6 miles from home.
I dug my camera out, set some adjustments and turned around. It was still there, but there was nowhere to pull-off. I drove on up the road and was planning on getting a photo out of the window, when I came back down. Of course, it was then gone. It was all ready running through my head to come back tomorrow morning and try again. I still had the window down as I drove down the hill and a baby bird noise caught my attention. I looked over and a young Kestrel was sitting on top of a fence post. I quickly pulled off the road and got out; hoping for one decent photo. I kept walking and pressing the shutter and as luck will sometimes happen, it let me get very close! There was another young one about 100 yards away in a maple tree and both adults were present. There are two successful Kestrel nests in the same area, within a quarter mile of each other, Nice! But still no Bobolink photo.
Posted by High Virginia Outdoors
Photos by High Virginia Images
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