FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Cameron Run, Alexandria

["Paula M. Sullivan" <paulas@xxxxxxxxx>]

In the three years I have birded at Cameron Run, I have never seen as
many birds as I did this morning. Cameron Run is often good at the time
of high tide at Hunting Creek.  Today high tide at HC was at 8:30 and I
was at CR from 7:40-9:15.

The maintenance work carried out by the City of Alexandria did nothing
to detract from the suitability of this spot for shorebirds. In fact,
the habitat may have been enhanced. There is more exposed mud than ever
and birds can now be found from the point  where the creek passes under
the Beltway to at least the fourth weir to the west, in contrast to the
last two years when the birds congregated near the intersection of
Eisenhower Avenue and Bluestone. This location is a great learning
laboratory for shorebirds since they are always in close viewing range.
Parking is still difficult, the only legal parking being at the end of
Bluestone Rd.

The Western ID is a bit shaky, but  I noticed bright chestnut on the
scapulars, not the wing, and a longer bill than the Semi-palms in the
seconds before it flew.

The following are minimum numbers. It was hard to count the birds, as
they were up in the air a lot, but who can complain at the thrilling
sight of shorebirds lifting up at some mysterious signal, flying
together in close formation, making numerous sudden, tight turns, and
then returning to land right in front of you?

GB Heron   1
Great Egret 17
Snowy Egret  6
Little Blue Heron  1, im.
Green Heron  1 or 2
Canada Goose
Mallard
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs  44
Lesser Yellowlegs  69
Semi-palmated Sandpiper  110
Western 1
Least Sandpiper  12
Pectoral Sandpiper  16
SB Dowitcher 4
Laughing Gull 12
Ring-billed Gull 20
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher  2
Barn Swallow
Mockingbird
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Goldfinch

Paula Sullivan
Alexandria, VA
paulas@xxxxxxxxx







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