Hello VA-Birders,
Kurt Gaskill and I braved the puring rain and winds today to bird several areas
of Northern Virginia, which include Possum Point, Julie Metz Wetlands,
Leesylvania State Park, Belmont Bay, Veteran's Park, Mason Neck SP, Burke Lake,
and a few others. Despite the conditions we tallied 86 species, with several
of the highlights mentioned below:
Possum Point held some migrants, including our season's first BLACK-AND-WHITE
WARBLERs as well as several YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERs. In addition, there was a
single FORSTER'S TERN, a BARRED OWL, and a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, and swallows
such as NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, BARN, and TREE. Several RUSTY BLACKBIRDs were
seen and heard as well.
We were happy to find a WHITE-EYED VIREO at Julie Metz Weltands, as well as a
few BLUE-GREY GNATCATCHERs. There were also two April NORTHERN PINTAILs and a
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, another Rusty Blackbird, and 8 more Forster's Terns.
By the time we made it to Leesylvania SP, the rain was torrential which made
things difficult (our wives think we are crazy) but we managed 3 NORTHERN
SHOVELERs, a CHIPPING SPARROW, and two more YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERs.
Mason Neck gave us 2 COMMON LOONs, a CANVASBACK, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKs, and
others. Burke Lake had a nice surprise of a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL standing
and flying with Herring and Ring-billed Gulls for comparison, as well as 11
AMERICAN COOT, swallows, and several waterfowl including 3 COMMON LOONS and
RUDDYS. Finally, we found a BROWN THRASHER on Palmer Road near Lorton.
It just goes to show you that there is plenty of good birding to be done under
any conditions! Complete list of species follows:
Jay Keller
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Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Black Duck
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Greater Yellowlegs
Common Snipe
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Forster's Tern
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
White-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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