VA BIRDers,
In addition to the previous reported Greater White-fronted Goose highlight
for the Alexandria subsector of the DC CBC last Saturday were Merlin on the
golf course just south of Hunting Creek near the GW Parkway and Peregrine
Falcon, carrying prey, just north of the Dyke Marsh picnic area (and over
the golf course, too). Oddball bird was a euplectes species, probably an
Orange Bishop, at Dangerfield Island, in the NPS work area mixed in with
Song and White-throated Sparrows near some large dirt piles with forbs and
pokeberry bushes adjacent. The census route is along the Potomac waterfront
from the Dyke Marsh picnic area to Jones Point and thence through Alexandria
to Dangerfield Island and includes the inland old cemeteries.
The team counted 56 species on the route (not including the euplectes) and
poached 2 species from Maryland, Oxon Hill (Black Vulture and Red-tailed
Hawk) as well as Wood Ducks and Green-winged Teal in the mid-section of Dyke
Marsh before the sun rose. Thus, the 60 species found were close to average
for the route (ave=61, N=7), albeit the duck numbers were abysmal; only 3
duck species were tallied on the route itself (average = 8). At this time,
I think the new Wilson Bridge construction is a contributing factor for this
reduction. Mallards and Am. Black Duck numbers were down compared to prior
years averages (7 years). Passerines were about pretty much typical,
although White-throated Sparrow numbers set a high count for the route. New
for the route were the aforementioned Greater White-fronted, the MD Black
Vultures, and Field Sparrow; the 8 year species total on the route is 95.
As an aside, crossing from MD to VA on the Wilson Bridge today I spotted a
Peregrine Falcon chasing Rock Pigeons (DC territory).
Kurt Gaskill
