The Northern Virginia Bird Club visited Blandy Farm in Boyce, VA this morning,
led by John Drummond and myself. Highlights were a very cooperative loggerhead
shrike, horned larks, red-breasted nuthatch, purple finch, and sparrows. The
shrike was seen in a field on the north side of the stretch of Rt. 628 that is
part of the Loop Drive. The field is overgrown, with a path and hedgerow along
one side. The bird was on a power line that runs over the hedgerow about 100
yards in from the road. We were able to get pretty close, and everyone got
great looks. This field also had lots of sparrows, including numerous
white-crowns, many of which were singing. We found 47 species in all. The
complete list is presented below.
Canada goose - 36
black bulture - 2
turkey vulture - 15
sharp-shinned hawk - 1
Cooper's hawk - 1
red-tailed hawk - 3
American kestrel - 2
killdeer - 1
rock pigeon - 40
mourning dove - 25
red-bellied woodpecker - 8
yellow-bellied sapsucker - 4
downy woodpecker - 12
hair woodpecker - 1
northern flicker - 10
pileated woodpecker - 2
horned lark - 21
golden-crowned kinglet - 10
cedar waxwing - 3
carolina wren - 4
northern mockingbird - 8
eastern bluebird - 35
hermit thrush - 2
American robin - 35
carolina chickadee - 8
tufted titmouse - 2
red-breasted nuthatch - 8
white-breasted nuthatch - 5
brown creeper - 4
loggerhead shrike - 1
blue jay - 10
American crow - 15
eu. starling - 25
yellow-rumped warbler - 2
eastern towhee - 1
field sparrow - 2
savannah sparrow - 2
fox sparrow - 1
song sparrow - 18
swamp sparrow - 1
white-crowned sparrow - 12
white-throated sparrow - 25
dark-eyed junco - 20
northern cardinal - 18
purple finch - 3
house finch - 2
American goldfinch - 25
Marc Ribaudo
Woodbridge, VA
