Hello, birders.
The cool and windy but beautiful fall day at the park
produced a lot of birds. Temp. started out at 38 F,
high around 50, variably cloudy. There were all sorts
of clouds today. For a time, they almost covered the
sky like a big gray curtain. Other times, the clouds
were puffy and white and moving pretty quickly. And
all sorts of in between. It was windy, out of the NW.
I surveyed a swath of land from the contact station to
the entrance road pond through the woods and fields to
the fishing pond and farm ponds near Rte. 17, as well
as the Vis. Center area.
Top bird was definitely the LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE near the
fishing pond (now called Turner Pond) near Rte. 17.
Also, there were lots of SPARROWS, with 8 species
present on my survey. Other good birds were PURPLE
FINCH and ALL 7 WOODPECKER SP.
To go to the spot where I found the Shrike, park at
the fishing pond, the entrance of which is across the
highway from the Bridle Trail entrance. Walk NW along
the edge of the pond to where a stream empties out
into it. Don't cross the stream but follow it maybe
another 50 ft. or so. Their are a few willow trees,
the tallest of which is 20 ft. or so. The shrike was
found perched in a thick prickly bush with red berries
on it. This bush has vines on it and tall grass near
it. It is just past the aforementioned willow trees.
I didn't see the bird until I was about 20 - 25 ft.
away from it, when I saw the white of its underparts
kind of shining in the light. The shorter bill and
unbroken black mask matched the characters of
Loggerhead, not Northern. The bird stirred after a
while and then began to utter some notes. It sounded
somewhat like a bluebird, with soft, sweet notes. I
imagine that it was uttering some notes from its song?
It was Sparrow Day, with birds concentrated near the
contact station, in the general vicinity of the
entrance road pond (NW of contact station), the middle
of the Walnut Grove and across the trail from the
group campground. CHIPPING and SONG SPARROWS were the
most numerous, with a flock of about 50 Chippings in
the Walnut Grove and about 25 more in a few other
spots. I tried to pick out a Clay-colored but I
didn't find any. SONG SPARROWS numbered about 83,
FIELD SPARROWS approx. 15, SWAMP SPARROWS approx. 13,
mostly near the entrance road pond, D.E. JUNCO approx.
22, WHITE-THROATED and SAVANNAH approx. 12 each and 1
immature WHITE-CROWNED, which are quite uncommon at
this park.
There were flocks of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, CEDAR
WAXWINGS, over 125 AM. ROBINS in the early am, and 17
PURPLE FINCHES, mostly heard. That's a high number,
at least for here. All 7 species of woodpeckers,
including 12 RED-HEADED. NO. FLICKERS were migrating,
with several present.
Several each of BLACK and TURKEY VULTURES, a few
RED-TAILED HAWKS, a pair of KESTRELS, an imm. BALD
EAGLE and either a Red-shouldered or late Broad-winged
Hawk were present. On this last bird, I saw a black
and white banded tail below but couldn't ID the bird.
I stink at raptors.
All the MOURNING DOVES were in a flock near the
Visitor Center, numbering 23. Warblers consisted of
only YELLOW-RUMPED. Stangely, only 1 T. TITMOUSE and
2 CAR. CHICKADEES and no NO. CARDINALS.
I'll be birding part of the Meadow Trail tomorrow
morning, I hope to see the e-trip participants there.
Off to my costume party. I'm really late! Happy
Halloween!
Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va.
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