FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] FW: Dickcissel in Culpeper Co, 12/0/0

["Kurt Gaskill" <KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Gaskill [mailto:KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 11:13 PM
To: (va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Subject: Dickcissel in Culpeper Co, 12/0/0

VA BIRDers,
 
Larry Meade, Jay Keller and I were birding in Culpeper County this morning
and I spotted a Dickcissel mixed in with a few other sparrows - I believe
Jay also noted the bird as it flew away.
 
Our journey had brought us out to Myers Road, previously noted by Todd Day
for Snow Buntings and Dickcissels:
 
>>>birds were along Myers Mill Road (623) at the intersection of Springs
Road (802), near the Rappahannock River in Culpeper County. 
 
We arrived early and noted Savannah and White-crowned Sparrows immediately,
along with a Palm Warbler.  Walking down the road we found a group of Horned
Larks which contained 3 Snow Buntings in a corn stubble field.  Upon
backtracking, there was a bit of activity in the neighboring loosely wooded
field - single Yellow-rumped Warbler and Purple Finch plus Eastern
Bluebirds, Juncos, Field and Song Sparrows.  It was here that I noted the
Dickcissel - yellow bib with dark dot above a plain dirty white breast.  It
flew away over some junipers.  As we continued backtracking, one of the
grassy fields contained a dozen plus American Pipits and two Palm Warblers
(Western).  A group of birds flew past which contained at least one Lapland
Longspur.
 
We continued onto the Remington sodfarms area.  There were more American
Pipits, over flying Horned Larks, many White-crowned Sparrows and a couple
of Eastern Meadowlarks.
 
We drove thru the Nokesville area on our way to the Prince William County
sanitary landfill.  We quickly scanned a few fields at Nokesville and added
more American Pipits, a Killdeer and 3 Wilson's Snipe in a field.  Plus,
another Palm Warbler.
 
The Prince William County sanitary landfill treated us well - Larry Meade
quickly found a first winter Glaucous Gull.  Tallies at the dump were:
 
Laughing Gull 30
Ring-billed Gull 1000
Herring Gull 500
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Glaucous Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
 
We parted company with Larry, had a bite to eat, then headed out looking for
waterfowl along Quantico Creek (Possum Pt Rd), Neabsco Creek and Leesylvania
SP, the mouth of the Occoquan River from the nearby marina and Pohick
Regional Park.  We had some fine tallies - Quantico gave us Tundra Swans and
54 Hooded Mergansers.  The mouth of the Occoquan netted us 3 Common
Goldeneye plus Pied-billed and Horned Grebes and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Pohick Bay viewed from the same named Regional Park was awash with ducks
plus 1 or 2 Greater Scaup.
 
As the "Goblet of Fire" beckoned me, we split a little after 3 pm and headed
for home.  Our last new species of the day was an Eastern Towhee crossing
the road (#78).
 
Kurt Gaskill
 
PS good movie but probably not good for younger kids - also had a fine
Japanese meal afterward!