[va-richmond-general] The Friday Birders

Team Frozen Feet, comprised of Al Warfield and Irene Ries, braved the cold and 
iced-crusted snow to spy on the birds at Rockwood Park, once again.  Here's who 
we saw:
Belted Kingfisher (m) - no fish-swallowing antics this time, sorry
Greenwinged Teal (1 pair)
Northern Shoverler (1 pair)
Wood Duck (3 pair)
Mallard Duck (1 pair)
Hooded Merganser (several pair)
Turkey Vulture
Blue Jay
Northern Flicker*
Carolina Wren*
Redbellied Woodpecker (f)
American Goldfinch*
American Robin
Yellow-rumped Warbler (m)
Great Blue Heron
American Crow
Redshouldered Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee*
Redtailed Hawk (j) - though this might be open to interpretation as a Baldie 
due to sheer size
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Ring-billed Gull
Downy Woodpecker (pair)
Winter Wren

The day's amusement this time was when 3 crows perched at the top of a hardwood 
tree.  After a few minutes of preening and chattering, the hawk came streaking 
in, and landed, as if on purpose, in the same tree, just a few branches under 2 
of the crows.  Squawks of irritation and protest followed, and the crows 
intermittently dived at and tried to harry the hawk, who completely ignored 
them.  Each stubbornly refused to leave their own perch, the hawk refusing to 
be annoyed and the crows purporting to be completely calm and comfortable.  
Finally 2 of the crows flew off to the left of the tree, and the hawk also did, 
and landed on a tall stump.  The crows now used this new opportunity to 
divebomb and generally rake the hawk's feathers.  Two of the crows wandered 
off, but the third continued, and when it flew up for another round of hazing, 
was this time met by a launching hawk...with outstretched legs and talons.  The 
crow hastily dodged and darted down toward a little island in the marsh and 
landed (Al and I laughed and imagined the crow hyperventilating over the close 
call).  The hawk flew off, probably with a satisfied smirk.

Key:

f = female
j = juvenile
m = male
* = auditory ID only

Happy Birding.

Irene in southside

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