Greetings VAbirders,
Lucky me, I was able to do a bit o birding at Lake Brittle this
afternoon! Haven't been out there since I was on buddy Larry Cartwright's
CBC team a few years ago. Was there from about 1:15 to 2:30 and gosh, I
sure enjoyed the birds and the quiet. For the most part, the only sounds I
heard were the birds. In particular, a very vocal Winter Wren checked me
out, scolded me, and than bounced into a hole in a fallen log. I could
still hear it chattering at me as I walked on. What a cute little boss!
The best spot was at the parking area. I stood there quietly and waited
for the birds to come to me. It was wonderful! Yellow-rumped Warblers
were hawking a cloud of bugs. Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds, and a male Purple
Finch(!) were eating juniper berries. Dees and Mice (C. Chickadee and T.
Titmice) never stopped yakking as they foraged, and Goldfinches probed
Sweet Gumballs. Wishful thinking pulled in a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and
a Brown Creeper and that made me grin, but the
so-far-for-me-this-season-absent Red-breasted Nuthatch disappointed me as a
no-show.
Right before I left I walked several hundred feet counter-clockwise around
the lake to try and get a view of the far end to see if there were any more
ducks. I was handicapped without my scope, but saw what looked to be 11 or
so Buffleheads. They kept diving under so it was difficult to count them.
The birding was a nice break from errands. It was so enjoyable, I didn't
want to leave. Do we ever?
I totaled 28 species, the list is below.
Best wishes to all for a happy and safe holiday. Me? I'm mighty thankful
for the birds! Enjoy!
Lori Markoff
Vienna
Fairfax County
canyon.eagle@xxxxxxxxxxx
Great Blue Heron - 1
Turkey Vulture - 1
Mallard - 6
Bufflehead - 11
Bald Eagle - 1 juv.
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2+
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Flicker - 5
American Crow - 4
Fish Crow - 3
Carolina Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 5
White-breasted Nuthatch - 6
Brown Creeper - 1
Carolina Wren - 2
Winter Wren - 1
E. Bluebird - 7
Cedar Waxwing - 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8
Song Sparrow - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 25
N. Cardinal - 5
Purple Finch - 1 male
A. Goldfinch - 15
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