[va-bird] Re: Some No. VA Birding near the Potomac, 5/22/05

Thank you for your note Katie!

You're probably right in your comment concerning the usage of "The =
Point"
and let me extend an apology to you and the list readers.  I defined the
terminology on a VA BIRDs post a couple of weeks back for the VA BIG DAY
(mainly to save key strokes).  I should have defined it a few more times
before assuming it was accepted (like Sparrow Alley or, for those of you
from the Midwest, the Magic Hedge).  The area in question is the region
encompassing Possum Point and Cockpit Roads just north of Quantico Creek =
and
east of Rt 1 near Dumfries, Prince William Co. It is one of the best =
spring
migrant spots in the Northern Virginia area.  It is currently publicly
accessible.

Your tanager comment is interesting and worth considering.  Of course, =
it
would work best with Summer since Scarlet has more white under the wing =
than
an Evening Grosbeak.  This ignores the bill shape, wing/body color
contrasts, etc....  I suppose it must go into the books with a big =
question
mark.  Like Ken Kaufmann often hints, if you can ID all the birds, =
you're
doing something wrong!

Kurt Gaskill

-----Original Message-----
From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] =
On
Behalf Of K. Franklin
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2005 8:15 PM
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-bird] Re: Some No. VA Birding near the Potomac, 5/22/05

This really seems like a great day of birding, but its too bad that most =
of=20
us have no idea where it is.  I can't find anything that tells me where =
"THE

POINT" is.  It would be great if people could be more precise with their =

birding locations.  We all don't live in No.VA (though traffic would =
suggest

we all do!) and we all dont read every message from everyone.  Ive only =
been

getting emails from this list for a couple months, and only lived in=20
Virginia since last fall.  Theres no such location in the Claudia Wilds=20
book.

I think that the description of a female evening grosbeak fits other =
birds=20
better.  Seems unlikely that youd see the dark gray undersides and =
yellowish

wash on the nape, but miss the very bold white wing patches.  When I =
lived=20
in New Hampshire I used to see lots of these birds, and I never thought =
of=20
the females as having yellowish napes, and I always saw white patches in =

flight.  Its how I knew it was an evening grosbeak.  I cant imagine that =

even if it only flapped once that you wouldnt see it.  With all the =
tanagers

you reported, Im betting thats what it was.  A female tanager.  Maybe a=20
goldfinch?

Katie

>From: "Kurt Gaskill" <KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: KurtCapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx
>To: <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [va-bird] Some No. VA Birding near the Potomac, 5/22/05
>Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:56:40 -0400
>
>VA BIRDers,
>
>
>I tried my luck at The Point this morning, and then moved on to =
Leeslyvania
>SP and Julie Metz (completely missing Marc Ribuado!).  From there I =
check
>the mouth of Occoquan River from the marina, then Hunting Creek Bay =
from=20
>the
>Stone Bridge nr Dyke Marsh.  I ended up at Monticello for a couple of =
hours
>to end the day.  Today migration was quite strong and many species may =
have
>been near peak abundance in the area.  Highlights were Wood Duck with
>ducklings at Quantico Creek and Hunting Creek (5 ducklings at the =
latter),
>Mallard with ducklings at Little Hunting Creek (only 1), 5 Lesser Scaup =
off
>the marina near the mouth of the Occoquan, 3 half-grown Hooded =
Mergansers=20
>on
>Quantico Cr, ca. 20 Semipalmated Plover at Hunting Creek, Semipalmated
>Sandpipers at the ash ponds at The Point and at the mudflats of Hunting =
Cr,
>Willow Flycatcher at The Point, Least Flycatcher at The Point, =
Leeslyvania
>SP and Monticello, Bank Swallow in Hunting Creek Bay, Gray-cheeked =
Thrush=20
>at
>The Point, Tennessee Warbler at The Point and Monticello, Mourning =
Warbler
>at Leesylvania near the Beaver Pond near the Car Top Boat Launch area,
>Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at The Point and Monticello, and Evening =
Grosbeak=20
>at
>The Point.
>
>
>
>Warbler migration observed along this route was dominated by Magnolia,
>Blackpoll, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat and honorable mention =
to
>Canada.  Only a few Yellow-rumps were found.
>
>
>
>The following is a list with the estimated numbers observed on some =
birds=20
>of
>interest.  I have lumped everything together mainly so you can get a =
feel=20
>of
>the breadth of abundance which is complicated by visibility, etc.
>
>
>
>Kurt Gaskill
>
>
>
>Wood Duck 33
>
>Mallard 12
>
>Lesser Scaup 5
>
>Hooded Merganser 3
>
>DC Cormorant 13
>
>Semipalmated Plover 20
>
>Killdeer 3
>
>Solitary Sandpiper 1
>
>Spotted Sandpiper 9
>
>Semipalmated Sandpiper 10
>
>Least Sandpiper 2
>
>Ring-billed Gull 24
>
>Greater Black-backed Gull 3
>
>Yellow-billed Cuckoo 10, easy to see today
>
>Ruby-thr Hum 2
>
>Belted Kingfisher 1
>
>E. Wood Pewee 15
>
>Acadian Flycatcher 13, most at The Point where only a few breed
>
>Willow Flycatcher 2
>
>Least Flycatcher 6, all fairly bright but one gave merely a "whit" as =
it
>flew over the singing Mourning Warbler
>
>Great Crested Flycatcher 6
>
>E. Kingbird 3
>
>White-eyed V 6
>
>Warbling V 1, Metz as Marc pointed out
>
>Red-eyed V 38
>
>Blue Jay 21
>
>Purple Martin 14
>
>Tree Sw 8
>
>Bank Sw 1
>
>Barn Sw 15
>
>House Wren 7
>
>Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 25
>
>E. Bluebird 6
>
>Gray-cheeked Thrush 1, singing
>
>Swainson's Thrush 3
>
>Wood Thrush 8
>
>Gray Catbird 22
>
>No. Mockingbird 1, huh?
>
>Brown Thrasher 4
>
>Cedar Waxwing 62
>
>Tennessee 2
>
>No. Parula 9
>
>Yellow 6
>
>Chestnut-sided 3, nice views at Monticello
>
>Magnolia 19, probably more but their song can be hard to pick up at =
time
>with everything else in high gear
>
>Black-throated Blue 5
>
>Yellow-rumped 4, one male noted
>
>Black-throated Green 7
>
>Yellow-throated 8, all at The Point and Leeslyvania SP
>
>Pine 1
>
>Prairie 2
>
>Blackpoll 28, ever hear there complex song? It reminds me of elements =
of=20
>the
>Grasshopper Sparrow's complex song
>
>Black & White 2, all on Cockpit Rd
>
>Am. Redstart 32
>
>Prothonotary 3, Marc: the nest is close to where you saw the bird!
>
>Worm-eating 6
>
>Ovenbird 1
>
>No. Waterthrush 6, at The Point and Metz
>
>Mourning 1
>
>Common Yellowthroat 27
>
>Hooded 1
>
>Wilson's 1
>
>Canada 11
>
>YB Chat 2
>
>Summer Tanager 5 - really big bills on these birds!
>
>Scarlet Tanager 11
>
>E. Towhee 3
>
>Chipping Sp 2
>
>Field Sp 2
>
>Song Sp 6
>
>Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
>
>Blue Grosbeak 3
>
>Indigo Bunting 23
>
>Orchard O 7
>
>Baltimore O 4
>
>Evening Grosbeak 1 (female), well I only got 3 primary field marks on =
this
>bird as it flew towards and over me - the big pale bill, the yellowish =
wash
>on the nape and the dark gray underside of the wings on a lighter =
colored
>body.  Missed the white oval patches on the wing undersides - but then =
it
>only flapped a few times and I really wasn't sure just what the hell I =
was
>looking at. Yep, it's one to ponder!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply =
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>email to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
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