[va-bird] Phelps WMA and Remington, Fauquier 28 April

Hear ye, hear ye:
 
Made my way to Chester Phelps WMA in southern Fauquier County today, trying  
to get there before sunrise.  The first pitch was at 6:13, game time temp  was 
a nippy 40F, official attendance was one, and the game lasted three hours  
and five minutes.  It was clear, no wind until around nine AM.   Probably 
warmed 
up to about 60F by the time I left.
 
What a great day.  Atop of the whole Ivory-billed thing (which  makes the 
fifteen or so warblers I tripped over seem pretty nonchalant), today  was just 
one of those good days to be outside for a few hours.  
 
I walked from the Curtis parking lot on Route 632 down to the wetland, and  
then back out.  Had plenty of birds that I haven't had yet this year, and a  
few that haven't been reported in Fauquier yet.  New arrivals for me  included 
Great Crested Flycatcher (2), Blackpoll Warbler, Hooded Warbler  (5), Bank 
Swallow, Black-throated Green Warbler (2), Black-throated Blue  Warbler, 
Lincoln's 
Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Summer Tanager.  The  Lincoln's was 
something of a surprise; the rest are either breeders or expected  migrants.  
 
What was very obvious was the increase in numbers since my visit there 24  
April.  Today I had decent numbers of Red-eyed Vireos (22), White-eyed  Vireos 
(14), Common Yellowthroats (17), Black-and-white Warblers (8), Blue-gray  
Gnatcatchers (30, probably low), Wood Thrushes (7), and Ovenbirds (9).   Still 
not 
seen were Indigo Bunting, Acadian Flycatcher, and Catbird, which is  somewhat 
surprising.  Numbers are still building for all but probably the  Gnatcatcher. 
 
 
Breeding activity included a Hooded Merganser hen (one of two) with nine or  
ten small young in tow.  This is the second consecutive year that they've  
been confirmed as breeders here.  Each of the three duck blinds probably  has a 
phoebe nest, but I only checked the middle blind.  The nest  in that one had 
five eggs.  A Pine Warbler was seen carrying materials to  line its nest with.  
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest was about half built  along the Rappahannock.  
Tree Swallows have claimed a few cavities, and a  wood duck box.  Must be roomy 
in there.  There was no singing  Pied-billed Grebe here today.  
 
Departed Phelps and headed to the sod area of Remington.  Not much to  add 
here.  No Upland Sandpipers.  Did have singing Savannah Sparrow  and Horned 
Larks, both of which breed there.  Meadowlarks, Cooper's Hawk,  American 
Kestrel, 
and a few other birds were around, but nothing to write home  (or listservs) 
about.  I think I had about 45 birds, and with a little more  planning, might 
have gotten 50.  
 
The list from Phelps:
 
Turkey Vulture, 4
Wood Duck, 18
Mallard, 5
Hooded Merganser, 11, including a hen with 9 or 10 young
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1
Wild Turkey, 1 gobbler
Killdeer, 3
Lesser Yellowlegs, 2
Solitary Sandpiper, 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 1
Barred Owl, 1 answered my imitation
Chimney Swift, 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 5
Downy Woodpecker, 2
Yellow-shafted Flicker, 1
Pileated Woodpecker, 3
Ivory-billed Woodpecker, pretty sure I heard one
Eastern Phoebe, 3, one incubating five eggs
Great Crested Flycatcher, 2
Eastern Kingbird, 2
White-eyed Vireo, 14
Yellow-throated Vireo, 1
Blue-headed Vireo, 1, such a pretty bird
Red-eyed Vireo, 22
Blue Jay, 77
American Crow, 6
American Crows that sounded like Fish Crows, 3
Tree Swallow, 8
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 6
Bank Swallow, 1 or 2
Barn Swallow, 8
Carolina Chickadee, 5
Tufted Titmouse, 5
White-breasted Nuthatch, 3
Carolina Wren, 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 16, a few singing that impossible song
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 30, but there might have been twice that many
Hermit Thrush, 1
Wood Thrush, 7 singers
American Robin, 5
European Starling, 1 flyover heading north
Northern Parula, 6
Yellow Warbler, 1
Magnolia Warbler, 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler, 1
Myrtle Warbler, 8
Black-throated Green Warbler, 2
Pine Warbler, 5, one carrying nesting material
Prairie Warbler, 4, still awaiting the masses
Blackpoll Warbler, 1 not singing
Black-and-white Warbler, 8
American Redstart, 2
Ovenbird, 9
Louisiana Waterthrush, 1
Common Yellowthroat, 17
Hooded Warbler, 5
Yellow-breasted Chat, just 1
Summer Tanager, 2 gorgeous singing males
Scarlet Tanager, 1
Eastern Towhee, 20, just an estimate, there are hundreds there.
Chipping Sparrow, 12 at the parking lot
Field Sparrow, 6
Song Sparrow, 2
Lincoln's Sparrow, 1, second that I can think of for the location
Swamp Sparrow, 14, none singing
White-throated Sparrow, 35, low estimate
Dark-eyed Junco, 1
Northern Cardinal, 40
Red-winged Blackbird, 7
Eastern Meadowlark, 2 at Rogers Ford Road
Common Grackle, 4
Brown-headed Cowbird, 6
Orchard Oriole, 2
House Finch, 1
American Goldfinch, 13 in a flock flying overhead
House Sparrow, 2, but I made these up for Bob's sake
 
Cheers,
 
Todd
 
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Todd Michael  Day
Jeffersonton, Virginia,  USA
BlkVulture@xxxxxxx
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