VA BIRDers,
Thankfully, the weather forecast was just another April Fool's Joke and the
regular Sunday Field Trip to Dyke Marsh saw no showers whatsoever. Overcast
skies, a gentle breeze and temps in the 50's were quite fine for the morning
with highlight being the arrival of Wilson's Snipe to the marsh (or maybe
they have been there for a while and the high tides brought them out?).
Another highlight was Blue Jay building a nest along Haul Rd - 2 more weeks
and you would never be able to see the location!
We started out at the picnic area and used fine opportunities to study
Gadwall, Bufflehead, Pied-billed Grebe and Horned Grebes. Plus many Osprey
and their nests, an adult Bald Eagle near the Stone Bridge, 2 adults at the
MD nest site near the Wilson Bridge, and many DC Cormorants, some showing
their "crests" very nicely! In the marina we found a Red-shouldered Hawk,
barely a year old, looking intently for breakfast. Overflying Killdeer were
a treat as well as a Hairy Woodpecker which posed nicely for several members
of today's crew still on the learning curve.
Haul Road produced Golden-crowned Kinglets at near eye-level, a few Song
Sparrows that appeared to be migrating, and fine encounters with residents
like titmice and wrens. At the dogleg we started viewing the Tree Swallow
parade, several participants learned just how cryptic the plumage of snipe
can be, and we saw a fine group of over flying Wood Ducks. A nearby
Ruby-crowned Kinglet started singing its "Patriot Song". A Red-tailed hawk
pounced on something in the marsh, and then it later perched for us to
scope. At the boardwalk we viewed a group of Red-breasted Mergansers,
spotted still more Horned Grebes, and got excellent looks of Caspian Terns,
one of which called out near us very clearly. We finished the day with 50
species.
This Field Trip is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and is free to
all; we start at 8AM Sunday morning in the first picnic area. See the FODM
website ( http://www.fodm.org/ ;) for more details on bird sightings plus
other happenings.
Kurt Gaskill
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