FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Fairfax Co: Huntley Meadows highlights, late afternoon, 7 Dec

["Sherman Suter" <ssuter@xxxxxxxx>]

I spent 1550 to 1730 EST yesterday (Sunday, 7 December) at the boardwalk
on the main pond, Huntley Meadows.  Cool (3 C); with thin snow cover on
much vegetation and thin ice capping water in woods and marsh borders. 
Surprisingly little diversity among the waterfowl (though I stayed until
45 minutes past sunset).  With the exception of a single bird (noted
below), only had Canada Goose and Mallards. 

Highlights included
   Red Throated Loon:  1 (fly over only; about 1705)
      (flew in from the West, circled above pond some three times, and
then left back down Barnyard run);
   Common Merganser:  1 female 
      (present at least for much of the day according to notes in
visitor center log);
   Northern Harrier:  1 immature;
   3 species of shorebirds:  Killdeer 1; Lesser Yellowlegs 2;  Wilson's
Snipe  1 (very cooperative);
   American Pipit  3   
   Palm Warbler   1

Sherman Suter
Alexandria VA
ssuter at aaas.org
   

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