[va-bird] upper northern neck, many ducks, Oct 29

Sunday Oct 29
Spectacular blustery weather in the morning
(there were white caps in King George
ponds!)calming to a magnificent afternoon, full
of bird songs.

I visited King George ponds along route 3,
Washington's Birthplace, Westmoreland State Park,
and two private properties in Leedstown.  
Notables were hermit thrushes, a lack of
yellowthroats and catbirds, and a big influx of
waterfowl compared to my last visit. Also owls
(great horned and barred) were busy hooting away
in the afternoon and at dusk.
Only time to tell you about a few of the totals.

BARN OWL in a silo on a private farm in Leedstown
BLACK SCOTER female in King George ponds, a
strange place.
220 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS in a swamp-forest in
Leedstown.
1700 RING-NECKED DUCKS King George ponds (roughly
50% female.
Also at King George Ponds: 22 Pied-billed grebes,
3 horned grebes, 367 coots, 4 bufflehead, 4
harrier, 2 immature bald eagles flushing the
ducks, 665 ruddy ducks (roughly 50% female), 2
lesser scaup, 1 shoveler, 1 black duck, 53
american wigeon, 23 gadwall, only 2 mallard, and
790 canada geese. 12 horned larks were also here,
their tinkling songs sometimes heard between the
roaring gusts of wind.  A fair number of laughing
gulls were still around (260).

Muse Rd, GW Birthplace, and Westmoreland State
Park had very few waterfowl still, with only 125
surf scoters, 70 scaup sp,  56 ruddy ducks, 5
common loons, and 2 horned grebes. Also present
were 3 royal terns, 31 Forster's terns and 2
Bonaparte's Gulls (The latter were in Pope's
Creek on a sand bar with ring-billed gulls). 

In the afternoon in Leedstown the air was filled
with the sweet songs of meadowlarks,
white-throated sparrows, and white-crowned
sparrows (28).  31 wood ducks flew into the marsh
at dusk and a king rail was heard.


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
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
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