FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Dyke Marsh, 12/4

["MARC RIBAUDO" <moribaudo@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sherman Suter and I constituted the Dyke Marsh walk this morning.  We were 
later joined by Ed Eder.  While waterfowl were scarce, the walk was still quite 
birdy, with 49 species seen.  Best were common loon (1 out in the Potomac off 
the picnic area and 1 in the marina), horned grebes (2 off the picnic area), 
coot (marina), common yellowthroat (end of the newly repaired boardwalk), 
winter wren (several along the trail, inlcuding one about 60 feet up in a 
tree), catbird (2) and fox sparrow (3).  The number of house finches was 
noteworthy (45).  Here is the complete list:

common loon - 2
pied-billed grebe - 1
horned grebe - 2
great blue heron - 9
canada goose - 70
mallard - 54
hooded merganser - 3
bald eagle - 2
sharp-shinned hawk - 1
red-shouldered hawk - 1
red-tailed hawk - 1
american coot - 1
ring-billed gull - 25
breat-black backed gull - 1
herring gull - 12
laughing gull - 1
rock pigeon - 1
mourning dove - 35
belted kingfisher - 1
red-bellied woodpecker - 4
downy woodpecker - 9
northern flicker - 5
golden crowned kinglet - 6
ruby-crowned kinglet - 4
cedar waxwing - 6
carolina wren - 17
winter wren - 4
gray catbird - 2
northern mockingbird - 3
carolina chickadee - 15
tufted titmouse - 4
white-breasted nuthatch - 2
brown creeper - 2
blue jay - 11
fish crow - 4
starling - 45
yellow-rumped warbler - 6
common yellowthroat - 1
eastern towhee - 1
fox sparrow - 3
song sparrow - 22
swamp sparrow - 5
white-throated sparrow - 45
northern cardinal - 26
red-winged blackbird - 50
blackbird sp. (redwinged or rusty) 30
house finch - 45
american goldfinch - 60
house sparrow - 15

Marc Ribaudo
Woodbridge, VA