[va-bird] Birdy morning at Huntley 10/20

It was a beautiful, clear, crisp moring at Huntley Meadows (Fairfax County) 
this morning.

With sunrise not until 7:20 this morning, the group started at 7am in early 
morning light (I started out about 6:45am).  Scores of sparrows were about at 
the start of the boardwalk, keeping us busy until the morning light burned 
off the fog blanketing the wetlands.  Birds were quite abundant, and we were 
able to find some goodies.  Can't recall the last time I had a baltimore 
oriole and junco in the same day at Huntley...

As we were leaving the NoVa Birding Club was venturing out - maybe they can 
add some to what we saw.

My personal highlight was seeing the previously reported cattle egret - not 
such a sexy bird, but its only the second I've ever seen in the park.  Here's 
some more highlights (not a complete listing):

- 10 great egrets, 1 great blue, 1 CATTLE EGRET
- mallards, wood ducks, gw teal, a pair of pintail
- both flavors of yellowlegs, 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, killdeer, several pre-
dawn snipe
- all 7 woodpeckers (juv RED-HEADED WP seen at end of boardwalk along with a 
sapsucker)
- song sparrows, swamp sparrows, white-throated sparrows, field sparrows, 
towhees, several JUNCOS
- a couple ruby-crowned kinglets and one possible golden-crowned (not seen 
well)
- many, many butterbutts, several common yellow-throats, and a palm warbler
- a small flock of cedar waxwings
- hundreds of red-winged blackbirds, scores of grackles, and 2 RUSTY BBs, and 
one BALTIMORE ORIOLE

We also had a bird that sparked some debate - some of us favored female brown-
headed cowbird, others were arguing for female indigo bunting, others 
undecided.  Checking Kurt's Fairfax County "extreme dates" web site, I saw 
that 10/15 is the current late date for indigo bunting - for what that's 
worth to the debate.

Good Birding,
Chris French
Oakton, VA
bonxie at att dot net
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