While Robert Hindle and I were birding my local patch this morning (around
8.30 am), we found an adult female Yellow-headed Blackbird in with a flock of
80+ adult and immature Brown-Headed Cowbirds. The exact location was a small
ballpark immediately south of Route 236 and immediately west of Accotink
Creek, Fairfax County. [This part of the county is firmly in the Piedmont.]
Robert was reviewing the flock from afar and called me over because he had
noted some yellow on one bird. As we walked closer, some young lads entered the
ballfield and the flock took off; but I thought I did notice a yellow flash
somewhere. I jokingly said that we should follow-up as we might have a
Yellow-headed Blackbird (though I more seriously thought of Meadowlark, which
has
been seen at this location before). We reminisced about the previous
Yellow-headed Blackbird we had seen on CBBT many years ago, our only Virginia
sighting.
A few minutes later, the flock returned, and there was the bird. Not the
immature that I had half-heartedly hoped for, but an adult female, with a
yellow
chest, face and supercilium. Before I could get the scope on it, the flock
took off again. It returned one more time, but without the blackbird. By this
time, the ballfield was getting into full use and the flock flew away over the
horizon - in a northerly direction. Perhaps the blackbird went with them? In
any case, we could not relocate it.
Anyone finding a large cowbird flock in the Fairfax County area would be
advised to scan it carefully!
Stephen Eccles
