FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] FW: Northern Neck, March 27-29

["Beth and Harry Lumadue" <betharri@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jean and Charlie Brodwater joined us for 3 days of birding on the  Northern
Neck (March 27 ? 29.)  We stayed at the Best Western in Warsaw.  It?s a
central location and the motel is very clean, the rates are moderate and
include Continental breakfast.  The weather was overcast, windy and cold,
never getting above 50 F.  Most of our winter clothes were at home so we
were limited to birding from the car except for quick trips to scan the
Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay at Windmill Point.

Our first stop was to have been the Rappahannock River Valley National
Wildlife Refuge, Wilna Unit.  The gate was closed mid-afternoon Sunday.  The
gate was also closed at the Taylee Unit.  We did however see many Osprey
along the way.  We observed them on nests, carrying nest material, carrying
fish and in one field we saw four Osprey engaged in what we assume was a
mating dance.  The dance was accompanied by rather soft whistles.  Other
highlights were the many Bald Eagles, both perched and in flight; two male
Wild Turkeys (in different locations); Brown Pelicans at Windmill Point and
many Northern Gannets at Vir Mar Beach, close to shore.

In spite of the weather and the time of year we saw a total of 58 species:

Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Gannet
Great Blue Heron
Tundra Swan
Canada Goose
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey (conservative estimate 50)
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper?s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Greater Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl (heard)
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rufous-sided Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird (too many)
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Beth and Harry Lumadue
Staunton, VA


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