FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Bird life at Shenandoah Valley Ponds April 6th

[JMIrvine@xxxxxxx]

After this morning's Rockingham County field trip to the Augusta Wetlands I 
stopped by the pond near Green Valley Book Fair on my way home and found 7 
Mallards, 25 Green-winged Teal and 1 male Blue-winged Teal.  Encouraged by 
that, 
later in the afternoon I went to a series of other ponds nearby.  
At Lake Campbell on the Massanetta Springs Conference Center grounds, for the 
first time I can ever remember in 12 years of frequent visits, there was not 
a single Mallard in sight--nor any other ducks, for that matter.  Only one 
Great Blue Heron, the two tame (well, somewhat tame!) Mute Swans, and 7 Canada 
Geese were present. 

Next I went to nearby Lake Shenandoah and that's where the waterfowl were 
hanging out:  2 (maybe 3) Common Loons in full alternate plumage; 7 Canada 
Geese, 
15 Mallards, a pair of Blue-winged Teal near the dam; a cooperative and 
relatively tame flock of Lesser Scaup (the inverse of usual ratios, with 23 
females 
and 12 drakes), plus a single female Ring-necked Duck with them;  a female 
Red-breasted Merganser, 22 American Coot, and 25+ Tree Swallows, with single 
Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

On the way to Leonard's Pond I went by the small pond on Dan Stickley's 
property on Va. Rt. 276, where there were two Canada Geese plus a pair of 
Pied-billed Grebes that both dove just as I flashed past.

Leonard's Pond held 1 Mallard, 3 male Blue-winged Teal, 3 Killdeer, 1 Lesser 
Yellowlegs, 31 Wilson's Snipe (a record high single day number for me), and 6 
American Pipits.

Adding in the 3 Wood Ducks seen earlier at Augusta Wetlands and 3 more at 
Mount Solon Pond, it turned out to be a rather good day for pond-related birds. 
 
Sixty species and seven year birds made it memorable.

John Irvine
Harrisonburg, VA


You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.