[va-bird] FW: Spring 99, No. VA, 3/26/06

srdykxfhm

-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Gaskill [mailto:KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 9:09 AM
To: (va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Subject: Spring 99, No. VA, 3/26/06

VA BIRDers,
 
Either it was my first opportunity to bird this spring or it was the Barred
Owl hooting out my window ? in either case, I got up and out the door at
0600 looking to put in a 12-hour birding shift.  The sky was blue, not much
wind, and all the locals were singing up a storm!  Robins, cardinals, finch,
mockingbirds, crows, sparrows?wonderful to hear!
 
I was on the road for several minutes before asking myself, ?where to go?? 
All I could think of is ?The Point? ? that confluence of Possum Point and
Cockpit Point Roads just north of Quantico Creek and west of the Potomac in
Prince William County.  So, I drove there, arriving near 0630.  The area was
filled with the same songs of my neighborhood plus a few extras like
Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Osprey, and Wood Duck.  This was
going to be fun!
 
I stopped first for waterfowl ? a Tundra Swan still reins outside the marsh
edge hanging out with a few Canada Geese.  Wood Ducks around plus 3 Hooded
Mergansers ? 2 males vying for the attention of a female.  A Ruby-crowned
Kinglet started singing as I watched this second year Bald Eagle fly low
over the geese and swan ? in the background a pair of American Black Ducks
fed.  I continued down the road spotting 30 Ring-necked Ducks.  But, not too
many neo-tropical migrants this morning.  I found Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creepers, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown
Thrasher, Pine Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, and Rusty Blackbird.  Also found one
Jay Keller; we linked up from that point until he departed near noon.  We
left the Point noting an American Kestrel Jay spotted.  Next stop: Neabsco
Creek and Leeslyvania.
 
Leeslyvania netted Eastern Phoebes and Tree Swallows plus Paula Sullivan and
Sharon Lynn.  Other highlights were Green-winged Teal, Red-shouldered Hawk
(they breed near the creek), Lesser Black-backed Gull on the mudflats,
Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Barn Swallow mixed in with many Tree
Swallows over the creek, and Hermit Thrush.  Next stop: Veteran?s Park,
Woodbridge.
 
Veteran?s Park produced several Gadwall and 4 Lesser Yellowlegs plus Wood
Duck, and more Green-winged Teal. We drove to Occoquan Bay NWR, there was a
Brown Thrasher singing to our right and later an Eastern Meadowlark doing
the same.  Also the blue sky turned gray-ish and a wind kicked up.  Yet,
this turned out to be a most productive stop as we heard and briefly saw our
top sighting here ? Sedge Wren.  It was along the short stretch of trail
from the parking lot to Easy Road.  We continued down Easy Rd and ran into
Carmen Bishop, Charlotte Friend and ? gawd I am sorry but I forgot your
name!  Shame on me.  Anywho, we stopped and got one of the local King Rails
to spout off (Carmen et al had 2 going just a few minutes earlier).  On the
way back to the car noted 2 American Tree Sparrows mixed in with several
Song, Field and White-throated Sparrows.  We noted a Savannah Sparrow south
of the parking lot.  We drove out hearing a few Rusty Blackbirds.  Next
stop: marina at the mouth of the Occoquan River.
 
At the marina we spotted Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, more Bald Eagles, Red-tailed
Hawk, and Belted Kingfisher.  And a dozen Osprey.  Jay had to split so I
continued alone to the next stop: Pohick Bay Regional Park, Fairfax County.
 
Pohick was productive adding many more American Black Ducks and Mallards,
Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, more Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, a
Common Loon, 13 Pied-billed Grebes, and 2 Horned Grebes ? one dressed in
spring finery.  I continued to Mason Neck SP to view Belmont Bay from
another angle.  This last stop netted more Horned Grebes, 400 more Lesser
Scaup, and more Common and Red-breasted Mergansers.  I next went to the
Great Marsh of Mason Neck NWR.
 
The Great Marsh was great producing 14 Greater Yellowlegs, a Wilson?s Snipe,
a Forster?s Tern hunting the marsh, and a singing Purple Finch from a pine
tree across from the platform!  There were also 2 female Hooded Mergansers
and more Common and Red-breasted Mergansers.  It was about mid-afternoon so
I drove to the Occoquan Regional Park where the Brown-headed Nuthatch was
found a few months ago.  No luck on nuthatches brown or red, just more Pine
Warblers and a Brown Creeper plus dozen-plus Turkey Vultures, 2 Red-tailed
and one Red-shouldered Hawk?and?a Sharp-shinned Hawk on the attack!  Next
stop: Jackson Abbott Wildlife Refuge, Fairfax Co (nr Rt 1).
 
Jackson Abbott had many Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal and a few
Yellow-rumped Warblers.  Plus a Cooper?s Hawk!  I left knowing it was
getting late, heading for the Waynewood Park where Bill McGovern reported a
Red-headed WP.  And, sure enough, the little fella called out to me after
just a few minutes, then flew from tree to tree.  Next stop: Dyke Marsh
 
At Dyke I tried for a catbird but came up short.  So, I scanned the river
for gulls.  This was fortuitous and I spotted a first spring Iceland Gull on
the wooden pilings where Hunting Creek flows into the Potomac River. 
Great!  I then drove to the parking lot just north of the Wilson Bridge
hoping for a falcon experience.  Ooops!  Did I ever get the experience ? two
Peregrines were seen ?doing it? on one of the crane girders!  There was much
noisemaking, too!  Next Stop: Roach?s Run, nr National Airport.
 
Roach?s produced the hoped for Black-crowned Night-Herons (3) plus a
Pied-billed Grebe.  It was nearly 6pm now.  Next Stop: Huntley Meadows.
 
I like stopping at Huntley because it can attract a few new birds at the end
of most birding days.  And it worked out well here as 10 Northern Shovelers
were present on the main pond.  Lots of Green-winged Teal, too.  As dusk
fell and darkened to night, the usual Wilson?s Snipe moved about and a
single Fox Sparrow called to end the day.
 
So I fell short of the century mark: 12 hours and 99 species.  I guess next
year I should do some planning!
 
Kurt Gaskill


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