[va-bird] Hunting Creek and Dyke Marsh Summary

[KurtCapt87@xxxxxxx]

VA BIRDers,

The 32nd Julian Calendar Week is over and I thought I would post a summary of 
intersting birds noted at Hunting Creek and Dyke Marsh this past week.  
Amongst the sightings, 15 species of shorebirds were noted.

Two Least Bitterns were noted by Chip and I in Dyke Marsh today, 8/12, during 
an early morning canoe trip through the Big Gut of the marsh.  It was nearly 
low tide and rising at sunrise as we traversed the Gut - good conditions for 
observing Least Bittern.  Also found were 3 Marsh Wrens.  Two and half weeks 
ago, this same route under nearly identical tidal conditions yielded 9 Least 
Bitterns and 11 Marsh Wren - the difference indicates that these birds are 
likely on the move.  Others birds of note were Green Heron, 5 Wood Ducks (two 
of which were half-grown HY birds), 7 E. Kingbirds, 4 E. Phoebes,  2 Yellow 
Warblers, 1 Prothonotary Warbler, 10 Song Sparrows, 350 Red-winged Blackbirds 
and 225 Common Grackles.  It was interesting to note a flock of Red-winged 
Blackbirds has formed which roosted in the marsh - migrants from up north?.  
In contrast, the 600+ individual flock of Common Grackles found 4 weeks prior 
has decreased in size.

With regard to waterfowl, shorebirds, larids & others, the following are the 
maximum numbers noted this week (comments based upon prior years' data):

Pied-billed Grebe 6
Double-crested Cormorant 126

Least Bittern 2
Great Blue Heron 32
Great Egret 52
Snowy Egret 2
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2

Canada Goose 172
Wood Duck 7
Am. Black Duck 1
Mallard 369
Ring-necked Duck 1 "Firestone"

Osprey 8
Bald Eagle 2 (adult + HY)

Am. Coot 4

Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 9
Killdeer 38
Greater Yellowlegs 50 within a week of migration peak
Lesser Yellowlegs 120 within a week of migration peak
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 6, near migration peak
Semipalmated Sandpiper 83 near adult migration peak
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 29 adult migration peak has past
White-rumped Sandpiper 5
Pectoral Sandpiper 23
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Short-billed Dowitcher 4, hendersoii and griesius noted
Wilson's Phalarope 2 (last seen 6 pm on 8/12)

Laughing Gull 697, HY birds noted for the last few weeks
Ring-billed Gull 1051, HY birds noted for the last few weeks
Herring Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 17
Caspian Tern 23, HY birds are evident, noted for the last 2 weeks
Forster's Tern 113 (the migration peak for this species was last week), note 
HY birds
Black Tern 1 adult

Chimney Swift 130
Belted Kingfisher 1
Purple Martin 8, migration peak has past
White-eyed Vireo 1, also on the move

If you have an oppportunity, please send me your observation plus counts for 
the birds at Dyke Marsh and Hunting Creek.  Thanks!

Kurt Gaskill


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[va-bird] Hunting Creek and Dyke Marsh Summary