VA-Birders,
Made-to-order fall weather pleased the 19 birders from the Northern
Virginia Bird Club who spent about 4 hours exploring the trails of the
Occoquan Bay NWR this morning. The birds were pretty good too. The now
famous LeConte's Sparrow didn't make an appearance, although there has
been a report of a sighting as recently as last Wednesday. No standout
stars, but it was nice to see building numbers of waterfowl on Belmont
Bay. Everyone got nice scope views of both adult and immature
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and a nice assortment of other sparrows,
raptors, and common winter residents were found. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were
spotted mixed with redwings in the swamp forest area along Easy Rd.
Unfortunately, the NORTHERN HARRIER and the EASTERN MEADOWLARKS made
their appearances in the meadow adjacent to the parking lot before 8
AM, and so most of the group missed them. A couple of photos are at
http://www.pbase.com/paulasullivan/image/52149493 and
http://www.pbase.com/paulasullivan/image/52149516 Thanks to co-leader
Bob Klarquist.
Paula Sullivan
Alexandria
DC Cormorant 100+
GB Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 1
Canada Goose 75+
American Black Duck 4 (in flight)
Mallard 2
Lesser Scaup 2000 (very rough est. of enormous raft near Mason Neck)
Bufflehead 12
Ruddy Duck 300
Bald Eagle 2 (immatures. Two adults soared over Rt. 1 and Dawson Beach
as I drove out)
No Harrier 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
RS Hawk 1
RT Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
King Rail 1 (heard)
American Coot 4
Laughing Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 70
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Mourning Dove 6
Belted Kingfisher 2
RB Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 1
No Flicker 3
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 30
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 45
C. Chickadee 3
Brown Creeper 1
C. Wren 15
GC Kinglet 2
RC Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 10
American Robin 1
No Mockingbird 5
Euro Starling 1000+
Cedar Waxwing 35
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Eastern Towhee 2 (heard)
Field Sparrow 10
Savannah Sparrow 16
Song Sparrow 30
Swamp Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 50
White-crowned Sparrow 3
No Cardinal 6
RW Blackbird 40
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Rusty Blackbird 12
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 15
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