VA BIRDers,
Clear skies, a light wind, and a slightly cool morning warming to shirtsleave
weather (this is November?) met the group that turned out for the Sunday Field
Trip at Dyke Marsh (sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and free to all).
(Amazing weather - one of the benefits of living in the "south"!) There is no
question that today's highlight was an American Bittern sneaking across the
trail near the end of the dogleg. Kudos to Barb Perry who's keen eyes caught
this bird trying to cross the trail. A fine species for Dyke (our 205th
species tallied this calendar year! pretty good for just a few hundred acres,
eh?) and a great November tic, too.
As usual, we started off in the picnic area, lamenting the dearth of ducks but
thrilled to see the Bald Eagles were unconcerned with the river habitat
situation - one 4th year was joined by 5 other 1 and 2 year old birds on the
Hunting Creek mudflats. A flyby pair of Wood Ducks brought a smile to our
faces as we moved on. We heard a couple of Juncos rattling in the island of
trees near the picnic area. Next, the familiar call of an American Pipit came
to our ears as it flew over our heads near ramp road.
Haul Road was pretty much silent. Few birds called or sang. Some Common
Grackles and Blue Jays were about and we heard a short alarm call quickly
followed by a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying through the woods - chased briefly by
one of the Tourquoise-blue Robbers. We eventually came across the most
activity along the dogleg with several Swamp Sparrows posing for the group
providing good opportunities to constrast plumage with nearby Songs. A few
feet overhead, a HY (female?) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher played hide and seek in
some vines. We continued down the dogleg, viewing many of the White-throated
Sparrows. Beyond the phrag patch, the American Bittern appeared, head low to
the ground as it deftly moved across the path. We looked about but could not
find it afterwards (although we did not disturb the brushy area we saw it move
into).
Cedar Waxwings worked the berry patch along the trail and single American Coot
was mixed in with the Mallards in the small bay along the Little Gut. As we
turned and retraced our steps, we chanced upon a group of White-crowned
Sparrows (two HY and one adult) foraging along the trails edges.
After sunset, yours truly visited the Stone Bridge to count roosting Great
Egrets (29) and noted a Cattle Egret on a wooden piling. One piling over, an
adult Lesser Black-backed Gull sat. A fine way to end a day of birding!
Kurt Gaskill
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