VA BIRDers,
Sherman Suter and I visited a few places for waterfowl this morning and then
headed to the Prince William County Sanitary Landfill along Rt 234 to see
what was new there. We started viewing Belmont/Occoquan Bay from Mason Neck
SP, Fairfax Co, then Pohick Bay from Pohick Regional Park and then a short
stop at Belmont Marina overlook. Lesser Scaup dominated the birds on
Belmont Bay with ca. 11,000 observed. Here are the rough numbers:
C. Goose 35
Gadwall 2
American Wigeon 3
Mallard 10
Green-winged Teal 1
Canvasback 2
Redhead 13
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 11,350
Bufflehead 62
Hooded Merganser 4
Ruddy Duck 4,500
Pied-billed Grebe 44
..
also a single Boneparte's Gull
Numbers of gulls were down at the landfill, but the diversity was a bit
improved over last week.
Laughing Gull 4000
Ring-billed Gull 900
Herring Gull 350
Iceland Gull 1, first year
Thayer's Gull 1, first/second year, spotted by Sherman and then it flew up
and away
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1, first year
Greater Black-backed Gull 30
Bald Eagle 5, one adult, one 4th, one 3rd, and two 2nd years
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Golden Eagle 1, first year
Common Raven 1
Kurt Gaskill
