[va-bird] eagles at Leesylvania State Park

My ornithology class went to Leesylvania State
Park to look at the eagles and ducks this
afternoon from about 2:45 to 4:30.  This was our
first official ornithology field trip for the
semester and it was a great way to start.  We
were amazed to see 53 bald eagles as we scanned
the ice up and down the river from the fishing
pier using our scope at 3:45.  27 were immature
and 26 were adults.  Several were fishing in the
open water snagging fish from the surface with
their talons while in flight. Others were feeding
on fish on the ice.  Others were just sitting
around in groups of 3 or 4 or alone on chunks of
ice.  The ducks (scaup both spp, common
mergansers, buffleheads, and goldeneyes) were
ignoring the eagles.  It was quite a scene. Ice
and eagles looked more like the way I picture
Alaska not the Potomac River.  We also had a
flock of 54 juncos. 32 white-throats, and 2 song
sparrows feeding on the lawn next to the parking
lot at the fish pier and a yellow-bellied
sapsucker and winter wren in the nearby trees.

All the best
Fred

=====
Frederick D. Atwood     fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675     
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org

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