FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Dulles Wetland / Loudoun Co

["Jon Little" <littlejon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A group of 13 received permission to bird the Dulles Wetlands this morning. 
Weather was quite pleasant, and after the Ernesto rains, the wetland was in 
prime condition for shorebirds, etc. 

Unfortunately, shorebirds were in short supply - only a single Greater 
Yellowlegs and a single Killeer were present (surprising, if not 
disappointing). In spite of that, the rest of the birds, butterflies, and frogs 
made the trip very worthwhile. As was true elsewhere around the state this 
weekend, Great Egrets were more numerous than expected. The predictable 
Virginia Rails & Sora responded to Phil Kenny's I Pod and are always a treat to 
hear. 

Oddest bird of the day was a young Red-tailed Hawk with a very leucistic 
(almost white) head and white subterminal tail band. After we got home, BJ 
found a photo of just such a bird in a magazine - it just verifies the standard 
cliché: "every hawk is a Red-tailed unless proven otherwise"! Even though it 
might have been tempting, anyone who thought it was a Rough-legged was just 
crazy!

All-in-all, we tallied 46 species and encountered 1, if not 2, of the resident 
Bald Eagles that nested there (for those who hadn't heard, that nest fledged 3 
young this year).

Totals:

PB Grebe - 1
GB Heron - 2
Great Egret - 8
Green Heron - 2
Black Vulture - 2
Turkey Vulture - 6
Canada Goose - 60 - or more?
Wood Duck - 8
Mallard - 6
Bald Eagle - 2 (1 adult, 1 imm)
RS Hawk - 1
RT Hawk - 1 
Virginia Rail - 4 (probably more in there, for sure)
Sora - 2 (at least)
Killdeer - 1
Greater Yellowlegs - 1
Mourning Dove - 10
Chimney Swift - 4
RT Hummingbird - 9
Kingfisher - 2
RB Woodpecker - 1
Downy WP - 1
Pileated WP - 1
Pewee - 2
Empid Fycatcher - 1 (probably Acadian or Least?)
American Crow - 20-40
Fish Crow - 6+?
Tree Swallow - 2 or more
Barn Swallow - 10
C Chickadee - 2
Titmouse - 4
WB Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 6
Bluebird - 2
Robin - 6
Catbird - 6
Mockingbird - 1
Starling - 1
C Yellowthroat - 4
Chipping Sparrow - 4
Song Sparrow - 2
Cardinal - 4
RW Blackbird - 20
C Grackle - 6
Cowbird - 4
Golfinch - 8

Again, thanks to all who came along and to the Dulles Wetlands Management for 
letting us enjoy this wild and wonderful place!

Jon & BJ Little
Winchester