[va-bird] Huntley cattle egret? Maybe pieces of it . . . .

My daughter and I took a late-morning walk at Huntley today.  The most 
interesting thing we saw was a scattering of pure white feathers, some quite 
large, 
centered around a 25-foot snag near the Cedar Trial, perhaps 100-feet from the 
cut-over to the tower.  And yes, there were more feathers poking out from the 
top of the snag.  My best guess is that a (large, Coop or Peregrine?) hawk 
used the snag for a butcher block.  Most likely a great egret, but perhaps it 
explains the apparent departure of the cattle egret.  Too bad no one witnessed 
the event.
Also of note were two singing wrens past the tower.  I can't rule out winter 
wren, as I did not hear them well, but given the habitat and what I did hear, 
I think marsh wren would be a better fit.  Others:

Both yellowlegs
1 killdeer
5 pectoral sandpipers
1 adult sharpie
5 gadwall circling endlessly without landing
60+ yellow-rumps near the Visitor's Center

Ben Jesup
Alexandria


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