FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Kentucky Warbler, Waterthrush, etc. - Beaverdam Park, Gloucester Co.

[Dave Hewitt <dhewitt@xxxxxxxx>]

A beautiful clear morning (5/6/04) offered outstanding birding at Beaverdam 
Park in Gloucester County from 7-9 AM. This was my first serious outing at 
this location and I wasnt disappointed. Highlights were:

Kentucky Warbler - 1
Louisiana Waterthrush - 2 [one other individual resembled Northern WT, but 
my general inexperience with these species kept me from distinguishing it 
for sure. it had a yellowish wash below, darker, more distinct streaking on 
breast, but a song quite unlike what i consider the normal song of either 
and certainly different from the other LA's heard this morning. the song 
was more musical and whistle-like than chirpy, leaving me to guess it was a 
LA based on location and time of year]

Black and White Warbler - many
Scarlet Tanager (2 males, 1 female constructing nest)
Northern Parula - abundant
Ovenbird - many
Red-Eyed Vireo - very abundant [interesting note: at two separate times i 
watched a pair chase each other rapidly through the understory, stop 
abruptly on a branch, then one (presumably the male) "danced" for the other 
by swaying back and forth in front of it with tail spread open]
White-Eyed Vireo - 1
Wood Thrush - 3
Common Yellowthroat - 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - 1
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher - several
Chimney Swifts - several
Swamp Sparrow - 2 (seemed to be a pair and this seems awful far south for 
breeding to me)

The Mute Swans (argh) on the lake now have youngsters in tow. Woodpeckers 
were strangely absent.

Recent arrivals at home nearby are Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting. We 
still have a White-Throated sparrow at the feeder as well... when will he 
leave?

Dave Hewitt
Gloucester, VA


---------------------------------------------
Dave Hewitt
Fisheries Science/Crustacean Ecology
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
College of William and Mary
P.O. Box 1346
Gloucester Point, VA  23062
804.684.7643
dhewitt@xxxxxxxx

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