VA BIRDers,
The regular Sunday Dyke Marsh Field Trip (free to all every Sunday morning at
0800, sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh) was well attended - perhaps
because it was not raining! (Geez, imagine that!). Our highlight was everyone
in the group getting an outstanding look at a Least Bittern flying from the
west side of the north marsh to the east side. This lady flew several hundred
yards over the cattails and all of us were treated to a fine flight display.
Excellent!
We were also treated to a Least Tern foraging over the marsh south of Haul
Rd. Given the number of Dyke Marsh and Huntley Meadows Least Tern sightings
over the last 2 weeks, it's clear these birds are in the area and are probably
attempting to breed. Just today, I saw one adult fly about the marina and
often
land next to another adult with a small fish in its bill - enticing her (?)
to do something?
We also encountered a pair of Black & White Warblers - a female being chased
by an apparent young Black & White. An amazing observation of a species that
is a rare breeder in Fairfax County.
Other fine sightings Sunday were Turkey Vulture over the woods south of the
marsh, Wood Duck in the marsh, Red-tailed Hawk over the woods south of the
marsh, two American Coot still hanging on (I do wish we could tell if they are
a
female-male pair!), Yellow-billed Cuckoo near Dead Beaver Beach, Acadian
Flycatcher on the hike-bike trail on north of the bridge, a pair of Great
Crested
Flycatchers posing in the picnic area, many E. Kingbirds, Warbling Vireos,
Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, White-breasted Nuthatches (unusual for Dyke!),
Marsh
Wrens ('natch), a Brown Thrasher north of Dead Beaver Beach (another unusual
June visitor), a couple of Cedar Waxwings, and a female Scarlet Tanager in the
marina.
Kurt Gaskill
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
