Current Photo of the Day
All photos are © Marshall Faintich
The Rockfish Valley Trail is situated along one of the major raptor autumn migration routes of the eastern part of the United States. September 16, 2009 was the start of the peak count for Broad-winged Hawks - 4,631 of these hawks were counted this day about 14 miles north of the trail at the Hawk Watch. It appears that this movement of raptors triggered a lot of activity on the trail as well. A pair of American Kestrels were circling above the Glenthorne Loop section of the trail, until they were chased away by a flock of crows. Soon after that, a juvenile Cooper's Hawk perched in a tree near the picnic table along the downstream trail.
American Kestrel
|
Juvenile Cooper's Hawk
|
|