FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] 5/6 - Huntley Meadows

["Scott Priebe" <falco57@xxxxxxx>]

Birded the bike trail this AM from before dawn till about 9AM, then went over 
to the main entrance to check out the shorebirds till about 11AM. Around dawn, 
two Yellow-breasted Chats (of 4 total) were displaying and singing in the 
Woodcock Meadow, doing a slow humping sort of flight between shrub tops. Other 
pre-dawn singers in the meadow were Indigo Buntings (many), White-eyed Vireos 
(2), Common Yellowthroats (many), and a lone Prairie Warbler. Numerous 
Chestnut-sided Warblers moved through the clump of Willow Oaks near the path as 
I left the meadow. An Acadian Flycatcher was singing in the wood just past the 
meadow. A flock of 16 Laughing Gulls passed overhead at one point. The 
highlight of the morning was a Red-shouldered Hawk chasing a Piliated 
Woodpecker around me for several minutes (I think the WP got away) at the marsh 
east of the trail at about the 3/4 mile mark. Then a Sharp-shinned Hawk swooped 
into the marsh on the trail of something (didn't catch it either). Picked up a 
Scarlet Tanager just before reaching the maintenance area.

On the boardwalk, the shorebirds are still numerous, with Semipalmated Plovers 
[6] joining the numerous Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary SPs. A few 
Least SPs and a couple of Wilson's Snipe are still present. 

I saw 63 species in all, 7 warbler spp. (above plus Yellow-rumped (2), 
Black-and-white (1), and Ovenbirds), and Yellow-billed Cuckoo (3).  

Later I went to Monticello Park, arriving about 11:30. Apparently I missed most 
of the action. I picked up Black-Thr. Blue and Black-throated Green  Warblers 
just above my car as I arrived. Also many Chestnut-sided were in the park. Also 
had N. Parula and Black-and White W. bathing, and a Blue-winged W. Cape Mays 
were present, but I kept just missing seeing them by minutes. 

Scott Priebe
Springfield, VA