[va-bird] Re: had fun Sunday!

 Joy, 

 My weekend was far less interesting than Mr. Gaskill's, so I will make
this brief for everyone else. 
 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK showed up at the feeders for some good ol'
sunflower hearts on Friday (at home in Ruth, VA); I had BLACKBURNIAN
WARBLER & HERMIT THRUSH singing in WV on Saturday, CHESTNUT-SIDED &
CERULEAN WARBLER in PA on Sunday & was greeted by SCARLET TANAGER,
NORTHERN PARULA and BALTIMORE ORIOLE back home in Ruth on Monday.

 Ian C. Topolsky
   Ruth, VA


--- kurtcapt87@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Joy,
> 
> It was good running into at Huntley Meadows late Sunday afternoon.  I
> had just gotten back from a business trip out to the coast and I
> admit that I felt like I was missing the spring migration since I was
> away.  I tried getting a "fix" Saturday, but the weather was far less
> than accommodating (gawd, it would rain, and then stop, then rain,
> then stop, then. UGH!).  So when Jay (Keller, the guy with me at
> Huntley) called late Saturday proposing an early start for Sunday, I
> figured, "sure, maybe it won't rain and we can find a few new
> migrants".  That's why I/we began so early (yes, I saw that look you
> gave!).  Despite the early date, we managed to find 133 species.
> Since I didn't get a chance to tell you all the gory details, I
> thought I would send this note. 
> 
> We loaded the car at my house, listened to the local Barred Owl and
> then left and headed south on 95, taking the Prince William Forest
> Park exit - Rt 619 aka Joplin Rd.  We stopped near the intersection
> with the road that goes to Breckinridge Reservoir and found a
> chipping Whip-poor-will and a nearby a Chuck-will's-widow that kept
> singing and singing!  If we had a flashlight (yes, I know, turn in
> that scout merit badge) we probably could have found it sitting in
> the tree near the road.  (But, no flashlight!)  Anyway, we got into
> the car and went on to Nokesville.
> 
> I like Nokesville even though more houses are going up (I feel sorry
> for the commuters, it must be murder!).  We headed to this nice road
> that last year was kind to us and was kind again this time around -
> American Woodcock displaying!  Nearby, a couple of Grasshopper
> Sparrow sang their quiet insect song.  It was getting light - maybe
> half an hour to sunrise which would have been beautiful IF there were
> no clouds!  Lots of robins singing, towhees, Chipping Sparrows, Field
> Sparrows, and Eastern Meadowlarks. and a couple of hound dogs
> ('natch, it's Virginia, right?).  We then headed over to Cedar Run
> Wetlands and heard the grunting of a Virginia Rail.  Then off to
> Fleetwood Rd for a White-crowned Sparrow and further down the road, a
> Solitary Sandpiper in a wet meadow.  Yet, all that driving and its
> getting light and all but no kestrel?  I wished we could have checked
> a few more roads for the falcon, but we wanted to get to Possum Point
> early-ish.  So, we left and drove on, only we stopped briefly at this
> really innocuous gravel lot next to some transformers.  We stopped
> here once before last year hoping for Pine Warbler but not finding
> any (lots of pine trees near this spot).  So, we stop again and. no
> Pine Warbler.  Yet, we find this Blue-winged Warbler singing away and
> we look at it and its pretty clean- not a hybrid.  Great!  We also
> hear a Ruby-crowned Kinglet going nuts with its patriot song and spot
> two Eastern Kingbirds on the wires.  Anyway, we needed to make tracks
> and so eastward!
> 
> We make the Point after stopping for a traditional Scottish
> breakfast(wink-wink, HA!).  We check a few turnouts on Possum Point
> Rd and find not one, not two, but THREE Tundra Swans!  I can only
> guess these birds "missed the boat" when the adults left (ya know,
> young swans learn their migration routes from the adults).  Anyway,
> we also found a Snowy Egret which was pretty neat since it had lots
> of plumes and we so seldom find them up here in spring looking so
> handsome.  Of course there were many Bald Eagles, two Red-shouldered
> Hawks, a Red-tailed, and a couple of Prothonotary Warblers along the
> road.  We then drove onto the show near the power plant.
> 
> Lots of fun - we find a quiet Great Crested Flycatcher fly catching
> in the woods, many Gray Catbirds and White-eyed Vireos, a Blue-headed
> Vireo up in a pine with a Scarlet Tanager (the former sang, the
> latter was quiet).  (Oh, I should mention we saw Larry Meade and Phil
> Kenny here, I think Phil found the Scarlet Tanager.)  At the crest in
> the road I see a Blue Grosbeak perch on a wire and there a lot of
> Orchard Orioles! Caspian Terns fly over heading for Quantico Creek. 
> Both yellowlegs down in the pond.  Down the road, most everything is
> the same as Marc Ribaudo wrote about the day before. We find this
> pair of Purple Finch, several Palm and Worm-eating Warblers (this one
> wormie would chase this other bird - I think it was a cardinal - away
> from its singing perch, then return and sing again, and then the
> cardinal returns and it all repeats - very funny).  Hermit Thrush,
> Warbling Vireo, Summer Tanager, Northern Parulas, LA Waterthrush,
> Yellow-throated, Pine (yea!) B&W and Prairie Warblers, Ovenbirds and
> Wood Thrush singing in the woods, and lots of Blue-grays.  And LOTS
> of yellow-rumps!  It's a great spot even when neo-trop migration has
> just barely started!
> 
> We left, but not before spotting 4 Blue-winged Teal in the river near
> the road.  Next was Leesylvania SP which was still great with many
> birds (like parulas and yellow-throateds and more dendroica coronata)
> plus we added Boneparte's Gull, Forster's Tern, Purple Martin,
> White-breasted Nuthatch, and E. Bluebird.  Veteran's Park was our
> next stop and we found more Snowy Egrets - two!  Plus Wilson's Snipe.
> 
> 
> There is this nice overlook at a marina near the mouth of Occoquan
> Bay and you can scope about half the bay.  Here we added a lot of new
> species: Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Red-breasted
> Mergansers, Common Loon, and Herring Gull.  And ya know there are ten
> Osprey nests all around you!  We then went to Occoquan Bay NWR and
> walked around a bit and we were just AMAZED at the number of Yellow
> Warblers!  It was past noon and we counted at least 15 singers. 
> There was also Yellow-breasted Chat and King Rail, plus Savannah
> Sparrow and a few Rusty Blackbirds by the automatic gate near the
> entrance. 
> 
> Jay thought we needed more raptors, so we headed over the Lorton
> area, driving the roads around the old prison site.  Yes I know; more
> new houses here.  But it still attracts the birds and we find our
> first Black Vultures and manage to log in a Cooper's Hawk plus
> Red-shoulders, Red-tails, Osprey, and eagles.  And this little pond
> has a Spotted Sandpiper!  We left, passing a few singing meadowlarks.
> 
> We head to Pohick Park and scoped across the bay and pick out 50 or
> so American Coots and one Pied-billed Grebe off Fort Belvoir. 
> Scanning above the forest also paid off with a Northern Harrier!   I
> thought we should go to Dyke Marsh but first a brief stop along the
> river for Bill McGovern's Red-headed WP near Waynewood Dr.  Sure
> enough - it's still there and another too!  Maybe they will stick
> around and breed???  Anyway, we continue northward and stop at Dyke
> and find a Ruddy Duck and an American Black Duck! It seems like Dyke
> always has a bit of luck attracting waterfowl late into the season. 
> Next stop was the Wilson Bridge looking for one of the Peregrine's -
> and sure enough, it must see us drive up because it lifts off its
> "blue girder perch" and gives a nice welcome flight over Virginia. 
> Very nice!
> 
> So, we headed to Huntley where we met up with you.  The Glossy and
> White-faced Ibis were a nice tic to the day's list, although the
> overhead flight made viewing them difficult. And it seems like there
> were 2 American Bitterns - besides the one you found to the east
> there was one just west of the raised portion of the boardwalk loop,
> posing on this grassy tussock for the looongest time!  And
> Green-winged Teals, a single Hooded Merganser, a calling
> Yellow-crowned Night Heron in the woods near sundown, and eight Least
> Sandpipers running around on a little square of mud.  We also spotted
> about 100 Rusty Blackbirds (really close looks at some feeding near
> the boardwalk), not too mention at least 7 Solitary Sandpipers, many
> Greater Yellowlegs and one Lesser.
> 
> I was surprised how well the day went considering we are not really
> near migration peak.  But it was lots of fun as well as good to get
> out and stretch the legs.  Hope to see you soon - maybe get you out
> to the spring count in Fairfax (May 6) or at Cape Charles (May 13) or
> even Highland County (May 15)?  And maybe you know a friend
> interested in the counts too???  Let me know - I might be able to
> help find a place for a sleeping bag.  However it works out, until
> next time - keep spotting those owls!
> 
> Kurt
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> 


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