VA Birders,
I spent a couple of hours at Fort C.F. Smith Park, Arlington, this
morning. I arrived about 10:00 am and spent most of my time watching the Bird
Stream. About 11:00 am, I heard a soft song, which sounded like a WHITE-EYED
VIREO. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes, the vireo appeared and checked
out
(but didn't go in) the stream. However, after eluding my all spring and
summer, this bird gave me some great looks!
Then suddenly, I saw a larger bird appear in the vegetation behind the
stream. It just sort of flopped there and spread its wings out like doves do.
My first reaction was, what on earth is this? Then I noted that it was about
the right size and shape for a cuckoo, and I started checking field marks. To
my astonishment, the bird had a solid black, curved bill. It also had a
buffy throat and some rusty color on its wings, which didn't seem to fit with
the
black bill. I saw mostly the upperside of its tail, and couldn't see any
markings on the underside. Otherwise, the bird was a fairly dull brown on the
head and back, and pale underneath. I must have watched it for several minutes
before it disappeared. Then I went and got my National Geographic Field Guide
out of the car, and when I opened it to cuckoos, the mystery was solved. My
bird was a juvenile BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.
Other highlights at Fort Smith this morning included a RED-EYED VIREO
which actually stayed in the stream for a few seconds, NORTHERN PARULA,
MAGNOLIA
WARBLER, AM. REDSTART, and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
I'm hoping the vireos and cuckoo, as well as the warblers, will stay
around for our Northern Virginia Bird Club walk tomorrow, but alas, they'll
probably be just one-day-wonders! (For NVBC members reading this, if it rains
Thursday morning, we'll have the walk on Friday, same time, same place.)
Good birding,
Val Kitchens
Arlington, VA
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