Good, catchy title, eh?
Driving to work today via Rt 606 to the west of Dulles airport, I
observed 4 large black birds sitting together in a white oak snag across
from the NOAA facility. From a quarter mile away, they were likely black
or turkey vultures. Getting closer, one of the four flew out over the
road and started foraging in newly cut hay. Raven.
And three more soon joined the single in the field. I usually see a
single raven in the area during my AM drive perhaps once a week or so.
Never before a family group. Likely they nested at the airport or as
someone else point out, in a nearby diabase quarry.
For a number of years, I've been running a 7.5 mile route from my
office near Sunset Hills Dr in Reston to Rt 7 at Colvin Run Mill and
back. For the past four years, early to mid-June has presented me with a
perplexing bird identification problem. Every year at this time,
ear-birding while running, I encounter a number of individuals that I
can only identify as yellow-bellied flycatchers. In '03 when I first
encountered them, I located two. In 2004, I had at least 4. Last year I
recall only 1-2 but today, between 12:30 and 1:30 PM, under overcast,
cool skies, I had at least 5 and perhaps 6 of these birds. My
conclusions are that I encountered a good number of late migrant
yellow-bellieds or 2) that I just don't know some local, atypical songs
of Acadians. I did hear 6 different Acadians singing normally along this
route today. The third really weird possibility is that there is some
bizarre, disjunct yb population in the area, thousands of feet below the
few Virginia records or many hundreds of miles south of typical breeding
habitat.
To bolster the first conclusion, of these birds being late migrants, I
also heard a black-throated blue warbler singing from decid woodlands
just north of the junction of Hunter Mill Rd and Colvin Run. Countering
the migrant consideration is that two of the birds are singing in
exactly the same spots where I encountered them in '03 and '04. To most
easily reach these mystery singers, turn on Carpers Farm Way off Rt near
Colvin Run Mill. Almost immediately upon turning, there is a one car
parking area adjacent to the dirt trail that leads south along the
creek. Park there and walk about 200yds to a small, old rock quarry area
on the left. This seems to be the location for one of these birds
closest to road access. Walking the mile or more towards Hunter Mill,
you may encounter 2-3 more of these birds as well as northern parulas,
Acadians, scarlet tanagers and wood thrushes. The black-throated blue
was also on the left side of the trail just 100 or so yards before you
come to the Hunter Mill Rd. crossing.
There is always something exciting when you get out there and look and
listen.
Craig Tufts
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