FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Blackbirds in Prince William County

[Michael Bowen <dhmbowen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Virginia Birders:

This Maryland birder paid one of his irregular visits to the Commonwealth 
today, to look for the flock of Brewer's Blackbirds that has been seen 
along Fleetwood Drive south of Nokesville, Prince William County.  I was 
easily able to find the Asbury Church and cow pasture along Fleetwood 
(parking in the icy church parking lot was another matter!)  After a few 
minutes, during which I watched a flock of about 30 Horned Larks flying 
around the Holsteins, the Brewer's Blackbirds flew in and fed for a short 
time before flying off again.  I counted 19 birds, most of them 
males.  There was another, smaller flock of Horned Larks along Parkgate Dr. 
just south of the Brentsville High School.  Neither lark flock had any 
Longspurs or Buntings in it.

On the east side of Fleetwood Drive, about midway between Parkgate Dr. and 
Aden Rd., there was a flock of about 30 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS near an old water 
trough.  At first I thought I had some more Brewer's.  A single female 
Red-winged Blackbird was with them.  And along Old Church Rd. (Rte 649) 
just east of Parkgate Dr., there was a flock of about 30 AMERICAN PIPITs 
right by the road in a snowy field.

Other nice birds in the same vicinity were a WINTER WREN and HERMIT THRUSH 
in the wet wood along the swollen creek (Slate Run) along Old Church Rd., 
about 1/4 mile south of the intersection with Crockett Rd. (Rte. 709)  I 
was also happy to see a few Eastern Meadowlarks here and there.  We hardly 
ever see them in our part of Maryland any more.

I was happy to note, some 36 years after I was first introduced to birding 
in Augusta County along the beautiful Blue Ridge near Waynesboro, that the 
Brewer's Blackbirds and American Pipits were new Virginia birds for me, 
bringing me at long last, and not a day too soon, to over 250 species for 
the state.

Good birding!

Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD



D.H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817
Tel./Fax: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowen@xxxxxxxxx

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