My wife and son insisted I was crazy, but I was out the door at 3:30 AM today
to head to Breckinridge Rd. by Pr. Wm. Forest. I heard at least 3, possibly 4,
Whip-poor-wills and one Chuck-will's-widow before they stopped calling at about
5:15 AM. Then the day shift took over. Thought I heard a couple of Magnolia
Warblers, but it was too hard to tell with everything else singing there. Dawn
found me at the Mary Bird Trail in the park, and I hiked in to Taylor's Farm on
High Meadows Trail. Several singing Scarlet Tanagers and quite a few Red-eyed
Vireos and Ovenbirds, but not much else except for an occasional Wood Pewee and
Acadian Flycatcher. I hit Occoquan Bay at about 10, and I walked the loop the
goes by the banding station and back out past Painted Turtle Pond. I watched
the banders with a male Pileated WP, who apparently had been previously banded
last year. He was not at all happy about the attention. The highlight was
watching a pair of N. Mockingbirds try to discourage a flock of Cedar Waxwings
and a Br. Thrasher from eating the cherries in the trees at the parking lot.
Fifty-seven species seen in all, the list follows.
Scott Priebe
Springfield, VA
Prince Wm. Forest NP 34 spp.
Canada Goose
Mourning Dove
Chuck-will's-widow
Whip-poor-will
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Pine Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch
Occoquan Bay NWR 39 spp.
Canada Goose
Mallard
Lesser Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Northern Bobwhite
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
