[va-bird] Olive-sided Flycatcher at Riverbend, Fairfax Co.

Hello VA-Birders,

On this fine morning I went to the Riverbend Park meadow and riverfront trail.  
It was a very active morning and several good birds were around.  I was 
delighted to first hear then see an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER perched fairly high 
(but not at the top of) a large tree overlooking the meadow.  I was on my way 
out when I heard the "drink three beers" call - being given fairly weakly vs my 
past experiences.  I saw it flycatching among the branches after a little 
while, and when it perched, it had it's back to me showing off those bright 
white ovals gleaming in the just-risen Sun.  After a while it went for another 
insect and landed facing me, showing its vest.

Off the meadow and along the river, I heard my first YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER at 
Riverbend this season.  I wondered why more weren't around.  It was in the open 
area between Riverbend and Great Falls where 3 trails intersect.

Perhaps most importantly, I noticed that I once again spooked two NORTHERN 
WATERTHRUSHES from the same spot I had done several times before in past weeks. 
 As soon as you leave the parking area and walk toward Great Falls along the 
trail closest to the river is the exact location, amid some vegetation aroud an 
old stump.  I confirmed the birds visually and by song.  I looked at the past 
BBS data and found that they have been breeders in the western part of Northern 
Virginia, so I am wondering if we have some at Riverbend?  I may be way off 
here, but it should be checked out.

Finally, as I was changing my shoes before heading to the office, I was treated 
to the explosive peenting of a COMMON NIGHTHAWK coming from the top of one of 
the large sycamores - in broad daylight!  It only did it 4 or 5 times, but I 
wonder if it was just roosting there overnight, or something more?

The morning's list follows, 60 species.

Jay Keller,
Arlington


Double-crested Cormorant 2 
Great Blue Heron 8 
Green Heron 1 
Canada Goose 12 
Wood Duck 10 
Mallard 4 
Solitary Sandpiper 1 
Spotted Sandpiper 1 
Mourning Dove 2 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 
Common Nighthawk 1 
Chimney Swift 12 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 
Downy Woodpecker 1 
Northern Flicker 2 
Pileated Woodpecker 1 
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 
Eastern Wood-Pewee 7 
Acadian Flycatcher 1 
Eastern Phoebe 1 
Great Crested Flycatcher 6 
Eastern Kingbird 3 
Yellow-throated Vireo 2 
Red-eyed Vireo 8 
Blue Jay 2 
American Crow 3 
Fish Crow 5 
Tree Swallow 6 
Carolina Chickadee 2 
White-breasted Nuthatch 2 
Carolina Wren 3 
House Wren 3 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 
Eastern Bluebird 2 
Veery 1 
American Robin 4 
Northern Mockingbird 1 
European Starling 8 
Cedar Waxwing 125
Northern Parula 2 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 
Black-throated Green Warbler 1 
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 
Blackpoll Warbler 11 
Prothonotary Warbler 2 
Ovenbird 2 
Northern Waterthrush 2 
Louisiana Waterthrush 1 
Common Yellowthroat 3 
Song Sparrow 1 
Northern Cardinal 8 
Indigo Bunting 6 
Red-winged Blackbird 11 
Common Grackle 15 
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 
Orchard Oriole 2 
Baltimore Oriole 1 
American Goldfinch 37 
House Sparrow 6 



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