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>Leeslyvania
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 =
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
thehours
Stone Bridge nr Dyke Marsh. I ended up at Monticello for a couple of =
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 withlatter),
ducklings at Quantico Creek and Hunting Creek (5 ducklings at the =
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
onCr,
Quantico Cr, ca. 20 Semipalmated Plover at Hunting Creek, Semipalmated
Sandpipers at the ash ponds at The Point and at the mudflats of Hunting =
Willow Flycatcher at The Point, Least Flycatcher at The Point, =Leeslyvania
SP and Monticello, Bank Swallow in Hunting Creek Bay, Gray-cheeked =Thrush=20
atWarbler
The Point, Tennessee Warbler at The Point and Monticello, Mourning =
at Leesylvania near the Beaver Pond near the Car Top Boat Launch area,Grosbeak=20
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at The Point and Monticello, and Evening =
atto
The Point.
Warbler migration observed along this route was dominated by Magnolia,
Blackpoll, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat and honorable mention =
Canada. Only a few Yellow-rumps were found.birds=20
The following is a list with the estimated numbers observed on some =
offeel=20
interest. I have lumped everything together mainly so you can get a =
ofit
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 =
flew over the singing Mourning Warblertime
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 =
with everything else in high gearof=20
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 =
thethis
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 =
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!send=20
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