VA BIRDers,
After the showers ended, I visited the Dairy Barn area of Laurel Hill Park,
in the Lorton area of Fairfax Co. One of the few remaining piedmont
parkland parcels (but for how long?). It was overcast with some low clouds -
not the best day for raptors as the totals show (no buteos at Laurel Hill
for me today). I started at 1030, put in 4 hrs and 3.25 miles of hiking
mainly on the bike trails (no bikes today, a few hikers and dog walkers).
The habitat has only one small wooded section so don't expect the woodland
species - instead, open country types of birds dominate. I found 39 species
which actually compares quite well with the DC CBC No. Alexandria Route for
the first 4 hrs last Saturday (40 for that latter) - after I strip the
waterfowl from that latter total to make a good comparison. The highlights
of the Dairy Barn area trip were Gray Catbird (1), Savannah Sparrow (3), Fox
Sparrow (9), and White-crowned Sparrow (1). To compare to the No. Alexandria
route segment from the Dyke Marsh picnic area to Jones Pt (taking 4 hrs and
about 4 miles) - which also lacks significant forest and yet is mostly marsh
edge habitat - there are significant similarities and differences:
Laurel Hills vs No. Alex (Dyke to Jones Pt)
Red-bellied WP 6 vs 3
YB Sapsucker 0 vs 1
Downy WP 12 vs 3
Hairy WP 3 vs 2
No. Flicker 4 vs 9
C. Chickadee 7 vs 13
T. Titmouse 2 vs 3
C. Wren 8 vs 16
W. Wren 1 vs 0
RC Kinglet 1 vs 7
Am. Robin 50 vs 5
Gray Catbird 1 vs 0
No. Mocker 10 vs 9
E. Starling 12 vs 22
Cedar Waxing 71 vs 1
Orange-crowned 0 vs 1
Yellow-rumped 7 vs 35
E. Towhee 6 vs 1
Field Sp 10 vs 0
Savannah Sp 3 vs 0
Fox Sp 9 vs 0
Song Sp 35 vs 37
Swamp Sp 0 vs 7
White-thr Sp 54 vs 56
White-crn Sp 1 vs 0
Junco 2 vs 21
No. Cardinal 23 vs 22
Red-winged BB 0 vs 73
The comparison tells us that the common birds are in about the same
concentration for the two locations. The winter specialties of the piedmont
- Waxwings, Robins, Towhees, Savannah Sp, Field Sp and White-crn Sparrows -
are more abundant. The Potomac River route has an abundance of (besides
waterfowl and associates) Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Yellow-rumped
Warblers, Swamp Sparrows and Red-winged BBs. The difference for the junco
numbers is probably related to the lack of conifers on the Dairy Loop, as
juncos require conifers for night roosts.
Kurt Gaskill
