This, the last of my Dismal Swamp walks for 2005, was a nice, cool venture
with the wind remaining at bay until late in the walk. After the entrance gate
opened at 6:30 and the barking dog receded into the background, many birds were
heard at the Washington Ditch parking lot. Today Debbie Darland, Rexanne
Bruno, Aaron Bose, Gaylan and Jan Meyer, and Peggy Rommen joined me for the
walk. Highlights included the young tom turkey walking along and displaying in
the path, knockout looks at Prothonotary Warblers and other warblers, a brief
look at a singing Swainson's Warbler, and a life butterfly for me.
New swamp birds this year were Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Kingbird, Blue
Grosbeak, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, and Indigo Bunting. None of these birds
represents a new arrival for the state, but they are all a first for me for the
swamp this year. You'll notice that a particular flavor for many of these
birds is they are edge or scrub species. They were recorded at the parking lot
which is near enough to such habitat that we got to hear them. We also heard
the Veerys from the parking lot, but from the other, woodsy side obviously. A
total of 51 species were recorded with 14 warblers.
The complete list is as follows: Wild Turkey (1), Ovenbird (11), Carolina
Wren (6), Eastern Towhee (3), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3), Prairie Warbler (1),
Yellow-rumped Warbler (20), Common Yellowthroat (7), Gray Catbird (3), Hooded
Warbler (4), Great Crested Flycatcher (8), Prothonotary Warbler (35),
Yellow-breasted Chat (1), Eastern Kingbird (1), Blue Grosbeak (1),
Black-and-white Warbler (8), Pine Warbler (1), Red-shouldered Hawk (2), Wood
Duck (1), Brown-headed Cowbird (5), Red-winged Blackbird (1), Eastern
Wood-Pewee (2), Tufted Titmouse (2), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (4), Louisiana
Waterthrush (4), Barred Owl (1), Red-eyed Vireo (8), Veery (2), Northern Parula
(7), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (2), American Redstart (20), Acadian Flycatcher
(8), Red-bellied Woodpecker (3), Swainson's Thrush (1), Great-blue Heron (2),
Northern Cardinal (2), Indigo Bunting (5), Downy Woodpecker (1), Carolina
Chickadee (2), Swainson's Warbler (2), White-throated Sparrow (1),
White-breasted Nuthatch (2), Blue Jay (2), Hairy Woodpecker (2), Wood Thrush
(1), Turkey Vulture (6), Northern Waterthrush (1), White-eyed Vireo (1),
Pileated Woodpecker (3), Chimney Swift (1), Barn Swallow (2).
The butterfly list included: Pearl Crescent (50), Zebra Swallowtail (3),
Carolina Satyr (25), Red-banded Hairstreak (1), Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper
(1), E. Tiger Swallowtail (1), Palamedes Swallowtail (1), Eastern Comma (1),
Spring Azure (1), and my lifer Creole Pearly-Eye (2). There was also an
unidentified skipper which was photographed. Its identification will be the
subject of some concentrated study.
Thanks to all who joined me for one or more of these walks and helped make
each one even more enjoyable. Let's do it again next year. And now for the
VSO meeting and off to New Jersey for the World Series of Birding with the VSO
Roving Ravens. Have you made your pledge yet?
Cheers,
Bob
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
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