[va-bird] Chester Phelps WMA, Fauquier, 31 March

Greetings, 
 
Today is something of an anniversary for me, nine years to the day that I  
stumbled upon the Sunday morning Dyke Marsh walk, which triggered the  
never-ending downward spiral of "serious" birding.  Until that point I knew  
how to 
identify some birds, and knew a little about them, but didn't know  squat about 
where, when, and how to find them.  I didn't know that Grebes,  Accipiters, or 
Longspurs existed.  Until that point I had only spent about  seventy bucks on 
binoculars and fifteen on my one field guide.  On  that Sunday morning, Roger 
Miller was leading the troops around, pointing out a  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 
to the crowd at the beginning of Haul Road while my  friend and I happened 
upon them.  We were there looking for a Bald Eagle at  the advice of a guy I 
knew that was into birds.  It was these Dyke Marsh  walks that led to me 
meeting 
many fine birding companions over the  years, Larry Cartwright, Kerrie 
Kirkpatrick, Bev Leeuwenburg, Erika Wilson,  Paula Sullivan, Ray Carter, and 
especially Kurt Gaskill.  Kurt and I cut  our teeth during many long outings in 
the 
metro DC area and the New  Jersey/Delaware/Maryland coast over the next few 
years.  By extension,  these Dyke Marsh walks opened the door to the whole 
enchilada.  So, I raise  an ale to all of you that I've met and birded with 
over the 
years.  
 
Sue Heath and I birded the Phelps WMA in southern Fauquier County today  from 
seven-thirty until about nine-thirty.  We try to get there weekly or  better 
from now until June.  A few new birds for each of us today, and a  few that I 
hadn't heard of in Fauquier County yet this year.  A single  Blue-gray 
Gnatcatcher was in a mixed parid and Kinglet flock.  At least  three Brown 
Thrashers 
were seen or heard signing.  Four Barn Swallows were  with over a dozen 
Rough-winged and a couple of Trees at the wetland.  We  had at least two 
Eastern 
Phoebes.  Eastern Towhees were in good number and  in good song, and I note a 
new 
arrival outside my office window here in  Warrenton today.  There was a pair 
of Hooded Mergansers at the wetlands, a  place where they successfully bred 
last year.  Over 35 Wood Ducks were  tallied there as well.  We had a singing 
Brown Creeper, a song I seldom  hear, and a flock of at least twenty 
Golden-crowned Kinglets nearby.  Pine  Warblers were singing as well.  
 
Later in the day at a private farm pond I had two Common Loons, twelve  
Double-crested Cormorants, six hen Red-breasted Mergansers, and a hen  
Canvasback.  
The real treat here was killer looks at three Vesper Sparrows  along a gravel 
road.  My first for the year, and the first for Fauquier  County.
 
The cast of characters, in Bob Ake order (the order they appear in my  
notebook):
 
Eastern Towhee, 10
Northern Cardinal, 20
Tufted Titmouse, 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2
Brown-headed Cowbird, 24
Carolina Chickadee, 15
Blue Jay, 50+
Yellow-shafted Flicker, 15
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 6
Slate-colored Junco, 20
Downy Woodpecker, 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 24+
Brown Thrasher, 3-4
Pine Warbler, 4
White-throated Sparrow, 12
Brown Creeper, 1 singing
Pileated Woodpecker, 3
American Robin, 10
Eastern Phoebe, 2
Swamp Sparrow, 2
Red-shouldered Hawk, 1
Hooded Merganser, pair
Wood Duck, 36 (at least 24 of them drakes)
Ring-necked Ducks, two pair
Barn Swallow, 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 12+
Tree Swallow, 2
Hairy Woodpecker, 2
Carolina Wren, 1
Turkey Vulture, 1
American Crow, 12
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1
Red-tailed Hawk, 1
 
Cheers,
 
Todd
 
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Todd Michael  Day
Jeffersonton, Virginia,  USA
BlkVulture@xxxxxxx
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