[va-bird] Dyke Marsh, Frfx Co, 5/13/07

VA BIRDers,
 

Wow!  What a windy, blustery morning - felt like October!  Chill winds from
the north and overcast skies. The winds died back a bit (but not completely
until after noon) and the sun came out to a Blue Sky by about 9am.  And the
dozen plus people who came for the Field Trip to Dyke Marsh, sponsored by
the Friends of Dyke Marsh and free to all saw a fine array of breeders and
migrants.  All were thrilled with the many orioles, both in the picnic area
and along Haul Rd.  But the real treat today was an American Bittern picking
up out of the marsh to the south of dogleg and flying for 10 seconds or so -
all got on this bird and got to see its heron-like flight style coupled with
a distinctive profile and rich brown coloration.  

 

We also had a nice assortment of warblers, most of which everyone saw in
fine detail.  The Black-throated Blues were great; the Black-throated Green
was fine and the Blackpolls excellent.  Another surprise was a Brown
Thrasher flying out of the vegetation near the dogleg bridge - could this
species once again be considering breeding in that area?  The best breeder
confirmation today was Hairy Woodpecker, both adults bringing food to the
next cavity and you could hear the little ones inside!  We also got fine
views of Yellow-billed Cuckoo - plus fine photos.  Everyone loved the many
Osprey (it looks like one nest on some debris in Hunting Creek Bay is
abandoned), a second year Bald Eagle flew over and a Red-shouldered Hawk
(year old bird) was patrolling the marsh. 

 

Later that afternoon I visited the mudflats at the Stone Bridge to add the
shorebirds and update the gull numbers.  The list is below.

 

Kurt Gaskill

 

Canada Goose 25, 2 sets of goslings of 3 and 4

Mallard 8

Red-breasted Mergansers 7 still lingering

DC Cormorant 3

American Bittern 1

Great Blue Heron 2

Osprey 15, probably more

Bald Eagle 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Semipalmated Plover 5

Killdeer 1

Lesser Yellowlegs 4

Spotted Sandpiper 4

Semipalmated Sandpiper 4

Least Sandpiper 8

Laughing Gull 6

Ring-billed Gull 63

Great Black-backed Gull 4

Rock Pigeon 2

Mourning Dove 4, FS

YB Cuckoo 2

Chimney Swift 5

Belted Kingfisher 1, male

Red-bellied WP 3

Downy WP 2, CF

Hairy WP 2+, CF, NY

No. Flicker 1

Acadian Flycatcher 1

E. Kingbird 6

White-eyed V 1, dogleg area

Warbling V 1

Red-eyed V 2

Blue Jay 3

Am. Crow 1

Fish Crow 3, spending a lot of time on the goose island!

Tree Sw 6

Barn Sw 8

C. Chickadee 3

T. Titmouse 4

C. Wren 5

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, most activity on the dogleg, early nest this year
are gone

Am. Robin 12, CF

Gray Catbird 2

No. Mockingbird 2

Brown Thrasher 1

E. Starling 10, CF

No. Parula 3

Yellow 3

Magnolia 1

Black-throated Blue 3

Yellow-rumped 4

Black-throated Green 1

Blackpoll 5 - yep, a species more numerous than Yellow-rumps!

Am. Redstart 1

Common Yellowthroat 2

Scarlet Tanager 1

Song Sp 4

No. Cardinal 12, CF

Indigo Bunting 2

Red-winged BB 20

Common Grackle 25, CF

Brown-headed Cowbird 4

Orchard O 10, one inspecting a nest site

Baltimore O 6

House Finch 1

Am. Goldfinch 6

House Sparrow 2, maybe more but too windy to walk the marina

 

And no Marsh Wrens


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