FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Dyke Marsh 2/9

[Zelig88@xxxxxxx]

While the ground is still snow covered, a nice sunny morning provided 
excellent incentive for the Dyke Marsh walkers to explore the weeds and reeds 
along the Potomac, just south of Alexandria, this Sunday morning. The Dyke 
Marshers bumped into the Fairfax Auduboners who had also gathered for the 
same purpose. After a pre-emptive stike by the Dyke Marsh leader to establish 
turf (I clonked Les Alfredson on the head w/ my scope) - we decided the marsh 
really wasn't big enough for both groups and FAS headed up the bike trail to 
the stone bridge while the DM group patroled the usual route.

 The FAS group tried to do and end run around us while we were in the Marina, 
but we cornered them on the Haul Road. After extracting a heavy toll on their 
supplies --(we made them give us all their hot chocolate) we decided it was 
OK to let them tag along. Good for us, because Andy Rabin spotted a Hermit 
Thrush a short time later - one of the  highlight birds. The sparrow activity 
seemed somewhat subdued, but we managed to see 6 species - adding Fox, Towhee 
and American Tree to the usual WThroated, Song and Swamp. Waterfowl is still 
putting on a pretty good show, with GW Teal, Com. and Hooded Mergs, Ruddy 
Duck, No. Pintail, L.Scaup and Coots about. We also managed to find 2 Greater 
Scaup in the channel off the last platform on the boardwalk. The green hue to 
the head was easy to see as the birds were in toward the Marina Bay and the 
sun was coming over our backs. After leaving Haul Road, Andy and Anna and I 
walked up the bike trail again, hoping for Orange Crowned Warb. or 
White-crowned Sparrow. Did not see either. We did add  a few more Hoodies at 
the stone bridge and added RT Hawk along the way. My tally for the morning 
was 49 species, with FAS adding 4 to the list that we missed, including two 
Great Egrets for a total of 53 species this morning. List follows...Rich 
Rieger

GB Heron - 30
Great Egret - 2
C. Goose - 600
GW Teal - 75
Am. Black Duck - 8

Mallard -200
No. Pintail - 30
Ring-necked Duck - 1
G. Scaup - 2
Lesser Scaup - 40

Hooded Merg. - 10
Common Merg - 25
Ruddy Duck- 40
TV - 1
Bald Eagle - 1 imm.

RS Hawk - 1
RT Hawk - 1
Am. Coot - 250
Killdeer - 10
RB Gull - 300

Herring Gull - 6
GBB Gull - 40
Rock Dove - 6
MoDo - 6
Kingfisher - 2

RB WP - 3
Downy WP - 6
Hairy WP - 1
No. Flicker - 2
Blue Jay - 2

Am. Crow - 14
Fish Crow - 3
Carolina Chickadee - 20
T. Titmouse - 6
Carolina Wren - 8

Winter Wren - 1
GC Kinglet - 2
Hermit Thrush - 1
AM. Robin - 2
G. Catbird - 3

No. Mockingbird - 4
E. Starling - 50
No. Cardinal - 30
Towhee - 1 (F)
Am. Tree Sp. - 2

Fox Sparrow - 2
Song Sparrow - 30
Swamp Sp. - 8
WT Sparrow - 30
RW Blackbird - 2

House Finch - 1
Am. Goldfinch - 2
House Sparrow - 10







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