Beating the heat (just by a little bit) Greg Beck and I started birding in
NW Faquier County this morning at 5:30am. We drove down Harrison Rd were we
heard both BOBOLINK and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW but saw neither. We then moved
on to the Bridle Trail at Sky Meadows SP. We made a clockwise loop following
the Meadow Trail to the Bridle Trail. We got great looks at a single WILLOW
FLYCATCHER and two gorgeous LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES. The Shrikes were in the
location previously reported on this list. Brown Thrashers were to be found
in large numbers in this area. We also heard another Grasshopper Sparrow but
of course did not see it.
We then went to the west side of the park and watched some RED-HEADED
WOODPECKERs for about 20 minutes, including a pair feeding some begging
chicks in a nest cavity. By this time the heat was already becoming
unbearable (900am). We drove down towards the visitor center and got some
good looks at an AMERICAN KESTREL that at one point was flying low over the
road in front of our car.
We left Sky Meadows and went back to Harrison Rd hoping to actually see the
Bobolinks this time. We were richly rewarded and saw two beautiful male
Bobolinks perched 30 ft away from us on a power line. We also got to watch
their beautiful hovering display flights over the meadow. And their song,
what can one say, one of my favorites. In the same area we saw another
Kestrel as well as 3 COMMON RAVENs.
Finally tally for the day was 58 species.
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Jeff Clark
Fairfax City, VA
http://www.nothoo.com
