FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Sat. Occoquan Bay NWR - strange house finch

["Renee Grebe" <grebe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Please excuse the late posting.  We visited Occoquan Bay NWR on Saturday
morning (from about 9:30am - noon, hoping the higher winds would keep the
flies at bay, we were half right).  Besides the "usual" birds folks have
been seeing, we saw a HOUSE FINCH with a bright yellow streak on its
breast.  It was sitting by the side of the road between the ranger's
station and the entrance booth.  Can anyone out there shed some light as
to why it would have this yellow patch?

http://talking-dog.com/grebe/photos/birds/20060610_houseFinch.jpg

We weren't able to see any King Rails, but in the same marsh area with the
stone bridge we were able to see a GREEN HERON with a fluffy large BABY
GREEN HERON - quite cute.

Highlights of the wildlife seen:
- green heron with baby
- blue grosbeak
- eastern bluebirds
- tree swallows
- eastern towhee
- field sparrow
- orchard oriole
- yellow breasted chat
- common yellowthroat
- brown thrasher
- yellow warblers
- eastern kingbirds
- northern bobwhite (heard only)
- bald eagle
- osprey (so many we lost count)
- handful of deer
- on opossum crossing the path in front of us!

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