FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] NVBC trip to Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co., Apr. 1

[Scott Baron <brnpelican@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello, birders.

7 birders joined Bob Klarquist and I at Sky Meadows
State Park today, sponsored by the Northern Virginia
Bird Club.  The weather was nice despite threatening
skies and a brisk wind that would kick up now and then
- temperature was a mild 59F at 8am, 67 at noon.  The
sky was cloudy with occaisonal sun.  Only a few
raindrops fell.

We visited the Visitor Center area, walked the path
through the Walnut Grove past the campground all the
way to the farm ponds.  We also birded Gap Run Trail
as far as the pond.  A couple of us birded the fishing
pond area before the walk and afterward I stuck around
the Walnut Grove area, where I added one more species
(Raven) and confirmed another (Rusty Blackbird).  We
got a good list of species, although we did note the
low numbers of some birds (like Chickadee) and absence
of others (like kinglets).

Highlights - RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, BROWN THRASHER,
VESPER SPARROW, RUSTY BLACKBIRD and each others
company.  We did not find the Tundra Swans that have
been around for a week and a half.  I was told by park
staff that they probably left Thurs. or Fri.

Species list with numbers below.

-Canada Goose, 11
-Mallard, 1
-Black Vulture, 1
-Turkey Vulture, 15
-B. Eagle, 2 (1 imm., 1 ad.)

-R.t. Hawk, 4+
-Am. Kestrel, 1
-Killdeer, 1
-Rock Pigeon, 9
-M. Dove, 12

-B. Kingfisher, 2
-Red-headed Woodpecker, 12.  One was inside excavated
cavity in snag, with only it's head out.
-Red-bellied Woodpecker, 6
-Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2
-Downy Woodpecker, 3

-No. Flicker, 25.  Migrants.
-Pileated Woodpecker, 1
-E. Phoebe, 3
-Blue Jay, 3
-Am. Crow, 5

-Fish Crow, 8
-crow sp., 1
-Com. Raven, 1
-Tree Swallow, 20+
-Car. Chickadee, 4

-T. Titmouse, 2
-W.b. Nuthatch, 2
-Car. Wren, 8
-E. Bluebird, 20+
-Am. Robin, 30+.  Migrants.

-No. Mockingbird, 6
-B. Thrasher, 3.  1 pair at Vis. Center, 1 singing
near Edmonds Lane.
-Eur. Starling, 100+
-E. Towhee, 2
-Chipping Sparrow, 1

-Field Sparrow, 15
-Vesper Sparrow, 2
-Savannah Sparrow, 2
-Song Sparrow, 17
-Swamp Sparrow, 2

-D.e. Junco, 2.  Both singing in woods, heard only.  I
get the feeling there were more that we couldn't see.
-No. Cardinal, 7
-R.w. Blackbird, 16+
-E. Meadowlark, 12
-Rusty Blackbird, 6+.  Some singing, in mixed
blackbird/starling flock near contact station.

-Com. Grackle, 8+
-B.h. Cowbird, 6
-House Finch, 1
-Am. Goldfinch, 1
-House Sparrow, 5

Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va.

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