Despite muggy weather, 10 birders showed for this Sunday's (28 July) edition of
the Dyke Marsh walk (Fairfax County). (The walk is open to all). Emphasis is
now on tern and shorebird fall migration, with the highlight being an early
southbound Black Tern just beginning a molt into basic plumage. A quick stop to
Hunting Creek yielded 5 species of shorebirds. A Swamp Sparrow is still
singing near the phrag patch on the peninsula. A Least Bittern flying across
the "Little Gut" ended the day nicely. Noticeable misses were Red-eyed Vireo,
Yellow Warbler, and Tree Swallow.
The List for your edification
Pied-billed Grebe 6
DC Cormorant 18
Least Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 21
Great Egret 23
Mallard 96
Osprey 7 (including two fledglings)
Killdeer 26 (Hunting creek)
Greater Yellowlegs 31 (Hunting Creek)
Lesser Yellowlegs 4 (Hunting Creek)
Least Sandpiper 12 (Hunting Creek)
SB Dowitcher 2 (just beginning a molt into basic)
Laughing Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 420
Herring Gull 3
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 126
Black Tern 1
Rock Dove 10 (Flyovers)
Mourning Dove 10
Chimney Swift 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 11
Downy Woodpecker 3
N. Flicker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 (Picnic Area)
Eastern Kingbird 6
Warbling Vireo 1
Blue Jay 2
Am. Crow 13
Fish Crow 1
Barn Swallow 53
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 4
Carolina Wren 9
Marsh Wren 1
Am. Robin 2
Gray Catbird 3
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 24
Common Yellowthroat 2
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1 (near phrag patch)
Northern Cardinal 15
Indigo Bunting 1 (still singing at "dogleg")
Red-wing Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 3
Orchard Oriole 1
Baltimore Oriole 5 (including 2 fledglings)
American Goldfinch 23
House Sparrow 1
Enjoy the beginning of fall migration!
Larry Cartwright
acartwright@xxxxxxxxx
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