VA BIRDers,
As I drove through the entrance gate of Leesylvania near dawn, I noted Ben
Jessup also checking in. Marc Ribaudo waved to us as we parked near Freestone
Point, as he had arrived a bit earlier. As we got our of our cars, we heard an
E. Screech Owl from the hillside, which whinnied a couple more times during
the morning.
The migrant wave was very nice with kudos to Ben for first finding it on the
hillside near the Lee ruins at about 0730 (Marc and I were finding little
along the river at that time and caught up with him after missing the first 20
min.). Top birds were Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Trail's
Flycatcher, Veerys, Cape May Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers, No. Waterthrush,
and
Summer Tanager. Ben probably has a better feel for the numbers but the
estimates below may be close. Top quantities go to Chimney Swift, E. Wood
Pewee, No.
Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Common Grackle and Brown-headed
Cowbird. Here's a quick summary of the notables:
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 3
YB Cuckoo 1
E. Screech Owl 1
C. Swift 30
RT Hummingbird 9
EW Pewee 20
YB Flycatcher 1
Trail's Flycatcher 1
Least Flycatcher 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 4
White-eyed V 1
Yellow-throated V 1
Warbling V 1
Red-eyed V 12
Purple Martin 2
Tree Sw 2
No. Rough-winged Sw 60
H. Wren 1
BG Gnatcatcher 22
Veery 2
Gray Catbird 1
No. Parula 6
Yellow 3
Chestnut-sided 2
Magnolia 1
Cape May 2
Black-throated Blue 1
Black-throated Green 2
Blackburnian 2
Bay-breasted 1
Blackpoll 1
baypoll 1
Black & White 1
Am. Redstart 2
No. Waterthrush 1
Com. Yellowthroat 3
Summer Tanager 1
Chipping Sp 3
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 4
Com. Grackle 375
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
Baltimore Oriole 4
Afterwards I visited Julie Metz Wetlands Mitigation Bank (just down the road
a bit). Highlights here were Red-tailed Hawk, No. Bobwhite (amazing! and
suburbia is across the street), E. Kingbird, more White-eyed Vireos, No.
Rough-winged Swallows, Nashville Warbler, Prairie Warbler, more Blue Grosbeaks,
and
Baltimore Oriole.
After lunch at 5 Guys, a quick stop at Occoquan NWR netted an adult Cooper's
Hawk strafing her lunch, even more Chimney Swifts, another E. Kingbird,
another Purple Martin, another hundred No. Rough-winged Swallows, a handful of
Barn
Swallows, more Blue Grosbeaks, and a few Bobolinks (maybe more in the grass?).
I then walked the trail into the Great Marsh of Mason Neck (NWR - Frfx Co)
and quickly noted about 22 Blue-winged Teal, 35 Green-winged Teal, ALOT of
Red-winged Blackbirds - perhaps 600, and the usual Bald Eagles.
I then went home, watched a movie, and then dropped by the Stone Bridge at
Hunting Creek Bay - Dyke Marsh at sunset. Best birds were Pied-billed Grebes,
a
couple of Snowy Egrets, some Wood Ducks, two Northern Shovelers, shorebirds
(already described earlier by Dan Kluza), ca. 1325 Laughing Gulls, and ca. 300
Chimney Swifts.
A fine century day.
Kurt Gaskill
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