VA BIRDers,
Rich Rieger and I visited a few locations near the Potomac River starting
from Pohick Bay in Fairfax Co, through Prince William to Stafford County.
The highlight was 4 Lesser Yellowlegs at Veterans Park, Pr Wm Co (nr Occ.
Bay NWR). We also picked up a single of this species at Chompawamsic Creek
(Marine Corp Base Quantico, Stafford).
The other notable was an obvious push of Red-breasted Mergansers into the
region (on-time I should add) with a large group of 165 noted on Belmont Bay
and a few recorded elsewhere. Below I record the day's totals of species
that may be of some interest.
Kurt Gaskill
C. Goose 110
Mute Swan 2, at a small marsh north of Aquia Cr, Stafford
Tundra Swan 31 - all on Chompawamsic Cr, Stafford
Wood Duck 21 - 18 were on Neabsco Cr, Pr William
Am. Black Duck 104
Mallard 46
Green-winged Teal 36
Ring-necked Duck 1
Lesser Scaup 507
Bufflehead 20
Hooded Merganser 2, Veteran's Park, Pr William
Common Merganser 81
Red-breasted Merganser 202
Ruddy Duck 80
Common Loon 1, close by islands nr OBNWR, Pr William
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 2, one in breeding plumage Pohick Bay, Fairfax
DC Cormorant 19
Osprey 24
Bald Eagle 10
American Coot 160, Accotink Bay
Killdeer 17
Lesser Yellowlegs 4
E. Phoebe 4
Tree Swallow 5
Pine Warbler 5
E. Towhee 6
Chipping Sparrow 6, sm. flock north of Aquia Cr., Stafford
PS: Yesterday (3/18) 21 Boneparte's Gulls flew over the pond at Huntley
Meadows in the morning and there was a Forster's Tern outside the Great
Marsh of Mason Neck in mid-afternoon.
