Greetings, all
Yesterday I headed up to a few spots in Northern Virginia to look for some
previously reported birds. As shorebird migration has just begun as a
trickle, I drove by the Woodward Turf Farms, and kept a keen eye out, but
saw nothing. Nothing on the Savannah Branch Road mudflats either, except a
couple kind folks who asked if my car was broken down and if I needed help.
Next stop was Smithfield Farm in Clarke County. On the way, two fawns
crossed the road on Mt. Weather. Once at the farm, I quickly found a
dickcissel, which posed for views. There were a few other typical field
birds around, but the only other really good bird was my life loggerhead
shrike, which I got a poor back-end of view of before it flew off to
somewhere else--I don't know where, and scanning all of the surrounding
fields to the horizon didn't turn it up.
My third stop was the Discover Blvd. pond. I couldn't find the continuing
ruddy duck there, but I did see a female hooded merganser.
My last stop was Bull Run Regional Park. I saw barn swallows multiple times
entering nests under all areas of the bridge, but no swallows flying around
without a long forked tail. Maybe mid-afternoon is just the wrong time for
the cliff swallows?
Good birding,
Shea
