I was in Occoquan Regional Park from 1:45 - 3:30 Sunday afternoon, looking for
the nuthatch. I had nearly given up when I got about a 15-second view at ~3:20
p.m. Unfortunately, there were no other birders nearby to alert, and it was
gone so quickly, I don't know if it could have been found again. It was moving
quite rapidly. Here's where I saw it: after parking by the closed gate and
walking down the road, shortly after the 25 mph sign on your left is a road
cut-through, presumably to the landfill. There is a gate across the road with a
sign to the effect of "Government Property. Do not Enter." Standing outside
this gate, I saw the brown-headed nuthatch in one of the scraggly pines on the
right, shortly past the gate. I was alerted to its presence by its call, which
is unlike any other commonly heard around here. There were so many chickadees
in the same area, I quickly lost track of it, but I think it flew to the right.
It might also be worthwhile to check the pines on the left immediately after
the road, which is where it appeared to fly. As stated, it was a very brief
view, but better than none at all!
There were numerous other birds on and around this road, which is what drew me
there in the first place, including white-throated sparrows, cardinals,
chickadees, goldfinches, and an excellent view of a Hermit thrush.
Laura Farron
Woodbridge, VA