FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Dyke Marsh, Frfx Co, 2/1/04

[KurtCapt87@xxxxxxx]

VA BIRDers,

Another chilly one as Kim Peacock and I joined up for the Sunday Field Trip at 
Dyke Marsh, sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and free to all.  We started 
at about 19F and ended near 22F.  There was a light breeze in clear, blue skies.

Waterfowl and Bald Eagles were the stand outs today.  The warmth of Hunting 
Creek keeps the waters relatively ice free from the creek mouth to the marina 
and this attracts a good diversity, esp. given the sad state of the SAV this 
year.  Among the thousand or so Canada Geese were 2 barnyard X Canada Geese, 
one with a pink bill (it was 25% larger than the other geese).  Common 
Merganser about a hundred-strong, and a few groups of Lesser Scaup were about.  
Mallards made up the majority of ducks.  A single American Coot huddled with 
the massed geese under the interchange bridge.

Although waterfowl were concentrated, passerines were a bit harder to find.  
Best species was likely a Savannah Sparrow feeding in the grass along GW 
Parkway near the Stone Bridge.  Along Haul Road, a single Fox Sparrow was mixed 
in with a flock of Songs, White-throats and a Swamp Sparrows.

On the raptor front, 2 adult Bald Eagles were quite chummy on the ice off the 
marina, doing a bit of tail chasing and attempts to lock talons.  During a 
visit near the end of the day, I noted a first year hanging out with the 
adults.  And then a potential suitor dropped by.  Two other overflying adults 
rounded out the total at this one spot.

Haul Road produced a Sharpie and a Red-shouldered Hawk, the former causing a 
moment of silence as it flew overhead just below canopy level.  After walking 
Haul Road, a visit to the mudflats produced a Peregrine Falcon, a new species 
for the season.

Below is the tally of today's discovery.

Kurt Gaskill

Pied-billed Grebe 1
Great Blue Heron 12
Canada Goose 1000
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 2

Am. Black Duck 11
Mallard 465
No. Pintail 1
Canvasback 7
Lesser Scaup 22

Bufflehead 2
Hooded Merganser 15
Common Merganser 98
Ruddy Duck 16
Bald Eagle 6

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Am. Coot 1
Killdeer 1

Ring-billed Gull 300
Herring Gull 60 (the ice has greatly increased numbers!)
Great Black-backed Gull 14
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 2

Red-bellied WP 6
Downy WP 6
Hairy WP 1
No. Flicker 1
Blue Jay 2

C. Chickadee 5
T. Titmouse 4
C. Wren 7
W. Wren 3
No. Mockingbird 3

E. Starling 60
Savannah Sp 1
Fox Sp. 1
Song Sp. 10
Swamp Sp. 1

White-thr Sp. 10
No. Cardinal 17
Red-winged Blackbird 5
House Finch 2
Am. Goldfinch 3

House Sparrow 6
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