FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Northern Virginia Observations, 10/3/04

[KurtCapt87@xxxxxxx]

VA BIRDers,

Kim Peacock and I birded a few locations on the piedmont of Northern Virginia 
today. Highlight was a Loggerhead Shrike on Rectorstown Road (710 in Fauquier 
co) about 1/3 mile north of the bridge over Goose Creek.  The location is at a 
bend in the road - this area has a interesting "western" feel & with few 
reports - the pullout was on the east side of the road.  A fence row with a few 
bushes and short trees were along the row, the surrounding area is grassland + 
hillside often used for cattle grazing.  The Loggerhead was in one of the 
short, leafless trees along the fence and dropped down and then back up with an 
insect snack while we watched.

We started off at the NY Monuments of Manassas Battlefield just a bit after 
0700, meeting up with several people over the course of the morning - Jay 
Keller, Larry Meade, Alan Schreck and Linda Field (Peter Ross arrived about 
when we left).  My apologies if others were left off, misspellings, etc.  The 
monuments were a bit slow, perhaps due to the wind and late sun, but yielded a 
few good birds for us, to wit:

Wood Duck 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Am. Kestrel 1
Chimney Swift 2+
Red-headed WP 1
E. Phoebe 3
Red-eyed V 1
Blue Jay 27 (special thanks to Jay for keeping a fine tally)
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 1
RC Kinglet 6
Gray Catbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Black-throated Green 3
Pine Warbler 1
baypoll sp. 1
Am. Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
E. Towhee 2
Field Sp 1
Song Sp 5
Swamp Sp 1
Indigo Bunting 2
Com. Grackle 300 (on the drive down Rt 28)

Kim, Jay, Larry and myself than visited North Fork Wetlands which yielded the 
following species of interest.

Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 2
Blue-winged Teal 2
Green-winged Teal 6
No. Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Am. Kestrel 2
Red-headed WP 1
E. Phoebe 3
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 3
House Wren 4
Marsh Wren 1 (after a bit of thought)
Common Yellowthroat 6
E. Towhee 1
Field Sp 2
Savannah Sp 6
Grasshopper Sp 1
Song Sp 60
Lincoln's Sp 2
Swamp Sp 12
White-throated Sp 1
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 3
E. Meadowlark 7
Am. Goldfinch - over a pound

Afterwards, Kim and I visited upper Thompsons WMA and netted a Brown Creeper, 
Magnolia Warbler and a White-throated Sparrow plus numerous E. Towhees and a 
Sharpie, Broad-winged and a Common Yellowthroat.  We then motored down to Rt 17 
and up near Sky Meadows, taking Carr Rd eastward.  Belted Kingfishers, 
Red-headed WP, a few Common Ravens were the highlights along this stretch, plus 
over 3 pounds of American Goldfinch (quite impressive actually, well over a 100 
birds in one flock).  

We linked up with Rectorstown Rd and noted the Loggerhead Shrike as we drove 
southward.  We continued south of I-66, turning onto Belvoir Rd (Rt 709). We 
stopped and quickly scoped 3 Pectoral Sandpipers on THE COMPLETELY DRAINED 
BELVOIR POND!  That's right, the pond is mud and a little creeklet running down 
its middle.  Forget ducks.  (Matt, I know what your thinking!)

We continued onto Harrison Rd finding many Indigo Buntings over a recently 
harvested corn field near the pond. Palm Warblers sat on the fence.  And, we 
tallied our 9th sparrow species of the day there, Chipping Sparrow. We drove 
home from there.

Kurt Gaskill
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