[va-richmond-general] Flash-coated Eyecatcher

  A birding party of 6 enjoyed a beautiful morning at Point-of-Rocks Park on 
Saturday.  

  A Redtailed Hawk, nearly mature Bald Eagle, and Hermit Thrush were amongst 
the highlights.  The usual Carolina Chickadees and Northern Cardinals were in 
attendance, but the Fish Crows, many Gulls, an Eastern Phoebe, Redwinged 
Blackbirds, Field, White-throated and Savannah Sparrows, Redbellied and Downy 
Woodpeckers showed up for the party. We were surrounded by trilling Carolina 
and Winter wrens throughout our walk.  Very clear and lovely out there.

  Jan and Linda Johnson and I then went over to Belle Isle at the floodwall to 
look for the Flash-coated Eyecatcher (see what happens when birders are waiting 
around for a bird to show up?!).  The little sucker never did make an 
appearance, but we did see several Wrens, Sparrows, a Northern Mockingbird, a 
Great Blue Heron, American Black and Mallard Ducks, and ubiquitous Canada 
Goose.  

  The highlight arrived on fast wings, however, as we were about to leave; a 
Peregrine Falcon zipped up under the Lee Bridge, perching on part of the 
tressel, making a show of obvious lurking.  We got a good look at it before it 
dove through a round metal opening atop the tressel, flying out the other side 
and potentially grabbing an unsuspecting victim.  

  When I returned home, I walked around the lake here in the neighborhood and 
then back in the little park behind the lake.  The resident Belted Kingfisher 
appeared, a male, as usual, to make a show of claiming territory (there was no 
mistaking what he was doing after I watching him fly tight circles around the 
lake and land on the very same again).  A Eastern Towhee, Nothern Mockingbird, 
Butterburts, and several Chickadees and Sparrows danced around the edge of the 
lake.

  It was a very lovely birding day!

  Irene Ries in Southside

Other related posts: