The Hour Before Dawn At Lorton, Fairfax County
Like many birders, sometimes I like to get up before dawn and watch what
happens as the night skies brighten with the breaking of dawn. And lately I
have developed an interest in the big fields around the old Lorton
penitentiary site, in southern Fairfax County. So this morning found me
staring eastward into the nocturnal expanse of the field near the
intersection of Furnace and Hooes Roads, expectantly waiting for dawn.
I had arrived a bit later than I hoped, about a quarter after five, and so I
should not have been surprised to hear a Song Sparrow singing. Soon, the
edges of the field held the efforts of many Song Sparrows - over a half dozen
were heard throughout the hour of my presence. At just about the same time
that the Song Sparrow's started up, the peenting of American Woodcock could
be heard. I did not hear any display flight noise at this point, but from
the sounds I supposed I could make out the general location of several
Timberdoodles in the left and right portion of the field. Very soon after
the first few Song Sparrow efforts came Northern Cardinal songs. More
Cardinals quickly joined in as over a dozen were heard, dominating the music
of the morning. As the eastern sky began to lighten, the few Killdeer in the
field to my left got restless and began sounding out various versions of
their calls. To my right, American Robins started chirping and soon short
bursts of Robin songs added to the morning melodies.
As the skies continued to brighten I heard the first crows. I had to turn
westward as I heard the calls from behind me - I spotted a few of these
American Crows near the old prison staff houses and roadside trees; I
supposed these were possible-nesting birds. Then calls of Fish Crows caused
me to turn back eastward as the first group of this species flew over my
position. For the next 30 minutes, groups of 5 to 25 Fish Crow flew over me,
traveling westward. Higher overhead I heard gulls and spotted a few small
groups of Ringed-billed Gulls. But these birds traveled eastward! I can
only suppose that these birds were flying over the piedmont and as dawn broke
they headed for the nearest large body of water that could be seen - the
Potomac River.
Mixed in to the eastward/westward crossings of crows and gulls were the
northerly flight of blackbirds. First Common Grackles in bunches of 10 or 20
flew over. Intermittently, small groups of Brown-headed Cowbirds would be
interspersed between grackle bunches. In the distance, dozens-strong flocks
of European Starlings would take off from the Silverbrook Road shopping
strip, apparently also heading north. One group of Rusty Blackbirds flew
north, calling over my head. Curiously, I did not note any Red-winged
Blackbirds but I suppose I may have just missed them.
As it grew ever more light, a few Robins would take off from the trees to my
right heading northward. I would occasionally see few-membered groups of
smaller birds flying overhead, sometimes with the Robins: I could not discern
their identity. And finally enough light was in the sky for me to make out
one of the displaying Woodcock; at this point I was hearing two doing flight
displays. But this one bird appeared to be flying in a low climb and I
watched it fly over northwestward, over the road and the nearby houses and
out of sight. I supposed it migrated! Then I heard the slightly strangled
song of a Savannah Sparrow in the left field. In front of me the call notes
of a few other Savannahs were uttered, yet it was still too dark to find
them. (I continued to look for these sparrows but could not find them even
at sunrise and believe they moved elsewhere.) To my right, the high notes of
a Horned Lark were heard as this bird, too, flew over my position northward.
A Mallard flew in front of me. The singing of Northern Mockingbirds became
noticeable. Songs permeated the air around me. It became loud.
Sunrise was now only a few minutes away. A couple Eastern Towhees called
from the field edge to the right; an Eastern Phoebe began calling from the
nearer Towhee. Juncos started chipping and a few moved past into the trees
and bushes behind me. Robins dropped down into the trees to the right; soon
they would fly out again - dozens. A couple of Eastern Bluebirds flew across
the field. An adult Sharp-shinned Hawk rapidly beat a low flight - perhaps
10 feet off the ground - eastward into the field and landed in a group of
trees near the eastern edge; probably a male. Chickadees, Titmice and
Carolina Wren songs came to my ear. A small group of Canada Geese came into
the left field and began to feed.
The sun was up; I could see the reddish-orange light on houses to the
northwest. Bird song soon decreased. I noticed that I was chilled. Yet, as
I entered the car to warm my body with the heater, I knew that my soul was
warmed from the sounds and sights of bird life as they woke up to greet the
dawn.
Below are my counts of the birds I could ID during my hour-long stay at this
Lorton field.
Kurt Gaskill
Canada Goose 15
Mallard 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Killdeer 5
American Woodcock 5
Ring-billed Gull 14
Mourning Dove 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Horned Lark 1
American Crow 15
Fish Crow 100
Carolina Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
Carolina Wren 3
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 80
Northern Mockingbird 2
E. Starling 70
Eastern Towhee 2
Savannah Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 8
Junco 6
Northern Cardinal 15
Rusty Blackbird 8
Common Grackle 100
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 1
Unknowns dozens
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