[va-richmond-general] Potomac birds - 8 thru 17 of the year

    After attending a job fair in Loudon County this morning, I decided to do 
some birding at a near-by park along the Potomac River. I was there for about 2 
1/2 hours - until it started to sleet (was there any sleet further south?). I 
was hoping for an eagle, but no luck. I did, however, have great looks at a few 
dozen Buffleheads. While looking through my scope, I noticed what appeared to 
be a raft of ducks hanging out under a tree at the edge of a little spit of 
land in the middle of the river about a mile off. One seemed to be repeatedly 
flapping his wings. I drove to get a closer look and discovered - to my 
disappointment and embarrassment - that they were all decoys! The one with the 
flapping wings was a decoy "sitting up" with it's wing spinning in a circle. 
There were Redhead, Mallard, Canada Goose, and a few other decoy "species." 
There were quite a few duck hunters out on the waters today. The Buffleheads 
didn't seem to be bothered by the sounds. I got some good pictures and some 
videos of the Buffleheads. I also watched a female Pileated pecking away at a 
tree for about 1/2 an hour. She didn't seem particularly bothered by my 
presence as she kept flaying away at the tree and stopping once-in-awhile to 
cobble up some grub or other. I was fortunate that she hung around long enough 
for me to take the scope off the tripod and mount the camera. I got what I hope 
are some really good shots of her, as well as a really good video I took of her 
with the camera mounted on the tripod. I'll post the pictures first opportunity 
I get. Here's the total list of species seen/heard:

Crow sp. - 2
Buffleheads - 2 dozen plus, also heard them
Carolina Wren - very vocal
Kinglet sp. - not sure which one. I can't remember which one says 
"seet-seet-seet." RBK?
hawk sp. - flying along the water's edge. It was cloudy so he looked all dark 
on top and mottled white underneath. it was flapping it's wings slowly, but 
didn't seem large enough for a buteo. Guesses?
Pileated Woodpecker, female (heard several others calling)
Dark-eyed Juncos
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch, male
Northern Cardinal, male
Carolina Chickadees
Red-bellied Woodpecker


Good birding.
Michael Shapiro
Richmond - reporting from Potomac Falls, VA

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