FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] FW: Lorton, Frfx Co, 7/4/06

["Kurt Gaskill" <KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Gaskill [mailto:KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2006 4:06 PM
To: (va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Subject: Lorton, Frfx Co, 7/4/06

VA BIRDers,
 
Since I am interested in learning about breeding birds in my local
neighborhood, I went to the Lorton area of southern Fairfax Co today and did
20 points counts (5 minute duration).  The stops were fairly wide apart
(where one could stop, that is).  The traffic was fairly light when I began
- 0800 - and still light when I ended - 1030.  I covered the area around the
old prison site that was still undeveloped or not a golf course.  Plus
several sites around the landfill and then a few stops at Occoquan NVRP
(where the Brown-headed Nuthatch was last January).  I suspect the species
list and numbers would have been a bit higher if I started earlier - both by
the clock and the calendar - yet the results were still illuminating to me.
Highlight was a briefly singing Black & White Warbler on the road used by
waste haulers to the incinerator.  I suspect I heard it because there were
only 5 trucks that traversed the road during the point counts.  Also, there
was a Willow Flycatcher near the pond on Silverbrook Rd in what remains of
an emergent growth habitat around this permanent pond.  Also of interest was
a huge group of 60 Turkey Vultures, circling like a dark cyclone above the
quarry area.  I met up with several Yellow-breasted Chats at various spots.
Additionally, I noted Eastern Bluebirds carrying food to young in a nest
cavity - the cavity being a Purple Martin house!  Nearby, 2 Northern
Rough-winged Swallows seemed to be paying a lot of attention to a Bluebird
house - hmmm?  Numbers for the 62 species found follow.
 
Kurt Gaskill
 
C. Goose 5
Mallard 3
Great Blue Heron 4
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 60
Osprey 4, nest on com tower
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Killdeer 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 3
Mourning Dove 36
YB Cuckoo 1, on a wire
Chimney Swift 4
Red-bellied WP 5
Downy WP 2
Hairy WP 1
No. Flicker 4
PIleated WP 1
E. Wood Pewee 2
Willow Flycatcher 1
E. Phoebe 2
E. Kingbird 4
White-eyed V 1
Red-eyed V 4
Blue Jay 7
Am. Crow 5
Fish Crow 3
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallow 1
No. Rough-winged Sw 2
Barn Sw 16
C. Chickadee 5
T. Titmouse 9
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
C. Wren 19
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
E. Bluebird 5
Wood Thrush 6
Am. Robin 12
Gray Catbird 5
No. Mockingbird 9
Brown Thrasher 3
E. Starling 76
Cedar Waxing 3, CF
No. Parula 1
Prairie Warbler 1
Black & White Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 10
YB Chat 5
E. Towhee 7
Chipping Sp 6
Field Sp 5
Song Sp 10
No. Cardinal 16
Indigo Bunting 9
Red-winged BB 4
Com. Grackle 26
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
Orchard O 3
House Finch 42, I passed twice that number going to the stop
American Goldfinch 21
House Sparrow 7