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-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Gaskill [mailto:KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 6:44 PM
To: (va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Subject: Mason Neck and Fairfax Co Birding, 10/1/05
VA BIRDers,
Wow! What a day! This last cold front really pushed through a fine group
of birds! Before the Mason Neck SP field trip, Jay Keller and I posted up
at Mason Neck NWR near the rookery just before dawn to hear the flight.
Amazing! The first thrush group came over Belmont Bay near 6AM - perhaps
just a half dozen thrush, Swainson's and a Veery and Gray-cheeked. A few
minutes later the next group came over the river side bringing more
Swainson's, Gray-cheeked and another Veery. Nearby, a Wood Thrush gurgled.
After this group passed, then another went south over the Belmont Bay side
and it soon opened up into a broad front over our head. This one Wood
Thrush circled overhead and kept calling as the sky began to lighten; our
tally was:
Veery 2
Swainson's Thrush 36
Gray-cheeked Thrush 20
Wood Thrush 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Great Horned Owl (juv) 1
Swamp Sparrow 3
Spotted Sandpiper 1
We left for the Field Trip meeting place, dodging several thrushes on the
road on the way. We met up at the rendezvous spot and soon the 17 of us
moved on to the Mason Neck fields area. After trudging about for 30+
minutes, we finally started observing large numbers of migrants. I believe
we easily missed a couple dozen birds. But the ones we saw were really
wonderful... small flocks of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Scarlet Tanagers,
Baypolls types darting overhead, many Blackpolls in the trees, several E.
Wood Pewees, a single Trail's Flycatcher close by, many Eastern Phoebes (the
field was just dotted with them!), Great Crested Flycatcher, both kinglets,
an overflying Bobolink, flocks of American Robins and blackbirds overhead,
plus fine October warblers like Tennessee, Nashville, Yellow (late in these
parts), Chestnut-sided, Cape May, and Black-throated Blue. New birders got
close looks (that is, forget the binoculars) at Palms and Yellow-rumps and
Magnolias - great for all!
We finished the fields area at about 10AM and then most of us continued onto
the rookery area. Here we looked upon a small fraction of last springs
1000+ Great Blue Heron nests and then we pished up a few birds, including
our first Pine Warbler of the day and very fine looks at a Cape May Warbler.
We ended about noon observing a Spotted Sandpiper; the field trip netted
about 77 species.
After lunch, Jay and I visited another Mason Neck NWR road, finding our only
Winter Wren and Least Flycatcher of the day, plus a few more migrants.
Then, we moved onto Accotink Bay at Fort Belvoir. Folks, this place is just
loaded with ducks! The entrance into the base took only about 5 minutes and
off we went to the Bay. Here we netted Gadwall, a couple of American
Wigeon, 78 Blue-winged Teal, a few Northern Shoveler, 20 Northern Pintail
and about 200 Green-winged Teal. Lots of Bald Eagle action kept putting the
ducks up! Plus 10 Pied-billed Grebe, our first American Coots of the
season, a Northern Harrier, many Forster's Terns, Great Egrets and Greater
Yellowlegs. All in all a fine day that pushed us over the century mark,
just for Fairfax County!
Can tomorrow be similar?
Special Thanks to Jodi Bucknam for making Mason Neck SP Field Trip
arrangements! At this time, Jodi leads Field Trips at Mason Neck SP every
Saturday at 7AM.
Below is the list of notables for the day.
Kurt Gaskill
Wood Duck 4
Gadwall 1
American Wigeon 2
American Black Duck 3
Blue-winged Teal 78
Northern Shoveler 4
Northern Pintail 20
Green-winged Teal 200
Pied-billed Grebe 10
Bald Eagle 8
Osprey 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 4
American Coot 4
Killdeer 2
Greater Yellowlegs 20
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Chimney Swift 350
E. Wood Pewee 9
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1
Trails Flycatcher 1
Least Flycatcher 1
E. Phoebe 10
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Tree Swallow 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 43
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Wren 5
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Veery 2
Gray-cheeked Thrush 20
Swainson's Thrush 36
Wood Thrush 2
Gray Catbird 11
Cedar Waxwing 11
Tennessee 1
Nashville 1
Northern Parula 6
Yellow 1
Chestnut-sided 2
Magnolia 5
Cape May 2
Black-throated Blue 5
Yellow-rumped 9
Black-throated Green 5
Pine 2
Palm 8
Bay-breasted 1
Blackpoll 12
baypoll sp. ca. 6
Black & White 1
American Redstart 2
Common Yellowthroat 8
Scarlet Tanager 7
Field Sp 1
Song Sp 1
Swamp Sp 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 10
Bobolink 1
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