VA BIRDers,
The regular Sunday Field Trip at Dyke Marsh (sponsored by the Friends of Dyke
Marsh and free to all) met with only a few early drops of water (and even
less participants!). A cold front is moving through the area and significant
changes are occuring. Highlights of the morning were an increase to 5 Lesser
Scaup (magnetic?) off the picnic area, a few HY Osprey flying about (first
flight
noted last week), and an excellent Orchard Oriole display with about 18 HY
birds in a single flock along Haul Rd - two other adults were noted in other
places. Other highlights were YB Cuckoo near Ramp Rd, Pileated WP along Haul
Rd,
E. Phoebe in what is left of the phrags along the dogleg, juvie Warbling
Vireos following mom as dad sang nearby, Marsh Wrens, Yellow Warblers still
singing, LA Waterthrush on the trail (HY plumage, seen along Haul Rd well north
of
the other report), Common Yellowthroat juvenile plumage - later a male was
singing at this spot, Song Sparrow with juvenile plumage along Haul Rd north of
Dead Beaver Beach - adult was singing nearby, and a few Baltimore Orioles to
add
to the oriole antics.
Late in the afternoon I visited the mudflats of Hunting Creek. Highlight was
a Peregrine Falcon perched on a snag on the riverside surveying his domain,
increased numbers of shorebirds with 4 Spotteds, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 11
Lesser Yellowlegs and 6 Least Sandpipers noted, the first HY Laughing Gulls,
Ring-billed Gulls nosed up to 450 birds, the first HY Forster's Terns (total=3
plus
6 adults), and 2 Caspian Terns. The tally for the day was 61 species.
Kurt Gaskill
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