FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Mason Neck SP bird walk YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER

["Jodi Bucknam" <jodibucknam@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Birders,

Ah, much better on my posting punctuality this week! :-)  Hopefully I can 
make a habit of this.

Betsy True joined me this morning for a productive walk in the lovely spring 
weather.  Our best bird was a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, which posed nicely in 
the sun for us as it crept about on pine branches over our head.  It also 
sang its heart out, which is what caught our attention in the first place.  
Not birds but still first-of-the-year were Zebra Swallowtail and Clouded 
Sulphur butterflies checking out violets and spring beauties.  Full species 
list follows.

Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck

Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser (one male with a "harem" of 16! females)

Bald Eagle
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee (mating!-- oops)

Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren

American Robin
European Starling (about six, one fussing with nesting materials in its 
beak)
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler (first of year)
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee

Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird
Dark-eyed Junco
Brown-headed Cowbird

The Mason Neck bird walk is held every Saturday morning in April, then will 
switch to first and third Saturdays from May through the summer.  We meet at 
the Visitor Center at 9:00, and hike the one-mile Bay View Trail (and 
occasionally 3/4-mile Wilson Spring Trail if birds are scarce) until roughly 
11am.  Parking is $4/car.

Please direct any questions about the bird walk to my email listed below.

Good birding,

Jodi Bucknam
Park Interpreter
Mason Neck State Park
7301 High Point Rd.
Lorton, VA 22079
703-339-2380
mninterpreter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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