FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Red-breasted mergansers, Rappahannock County

["Craig Tufts" <TUFTS@xxxxxxx>]

I spent much of Saturday, April 1, at a friend's land in northeastern
Rappahannock near Washington, VA botanizing, but keeping eyes and ears
open for birds too. At about 2:30 PM, a flock of ducks dropped out of
the sky, then swam, fed and rested for the next two hours on one of
their ponds. At first glance, through some obscuring pine boughs, I
thought they were common mergs; three of us put binoculars on them
quickly however and watched 9 red-breasted mergansers off and on for
hours. The flock included 6 males and 3 females. It was good to see them
on fresh water for a change! 

Other birds seen, with a few highlights noted, appear in order of
recollection:

American kestrel
Red-shouldered hawk
Eastern meadowlark
Swamp sparrow
Tree swallow
Pied-billed grebe
Canada goose
Black vulture
Turkey vulture
Eastern bluebird
Red-winged blackbird
Northern  mockingbird
Common grackle
American goldfinch
House finch
Purple finch
Blue jay
Mourning dove
Golden-crowned kinglet
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Carolina wren
Carolina chickadee
Tufted titmouse
Yb sapsucker
Hairy wp
Downy wp
Common flicker
Pileated wp
Brown creeper
White-breasted nuthatch
Fish crow 
American crow
Brow-headed cowbird
American robin
Hermit thrush- singing!
Yellow-rumped warbler
Chipping sparrow
Song sparrow
White-throated sparrow
Common raven

One other species noted was probably ruffed grouse but only a single
dropping was found!

Craig Tufts
St. Louis VA

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