Scooted down to the upper northern neck yesterday
after the snow (Sunday Feb 12) where there was
only about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Did
not stop at some of my regular stops like KG
Ponds or Washington's Birthplace. Visited Toby's
Point RRVNWR in King George, Westmoreland State
Park, and Mothershead tract of RRVNWR in
Leedstown.
Here are the highlights:
Toby's Point RRVNWR
Immature peregrine falcon preening itself across
the river in the top of a sycamore. Great views
in the scope for 15 minutes.
4 yellow-bellied sapsuckers
pair of bald eagles
signs of where turkeys were scratching through
the snow and leaves
Westmoreland State Park
250 lesser scaup
30 surf scoter
2 black scoter
several fossilized shark's teeth
4 bald eagles
Mothershead RRVNWR at dusk
1 short-eared owl circled over my head
2 woodcocks, 1 flying silent, and the other
peenting and launching into flight display at
three very different locations (It may have been
three different birds but I don't think so since
there was no overlap in the peenting times, and
since the new location, though perhaps 100 yards
from the previous location, always followed a
flight display)
Bob-white tracks in the snow
Roadsides:
Horned larks (~55)were very visible on the
snow-covered fields but I could not find a pipit,
longspur or bunting
Flocks of sparrows and robins could be found on
many road-edges where the plow or snow-melt had
exposed some bare soil. Highlight of these birds
was a fox sparrow, 3 chipping sparrows, and 8
towhees
Rappahannock River from 3 view-points
15-20 ruddy ducks
about 30 or so red-breasted mergansers, mostly
males.
All the best
Fred
Frederick D. Atwood fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
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