Hello VA-Birders,
(2nd try to post - this time without lists. This is the only listserv to
which I ever have problems posting...)
As my previous post from the field explained, I was fortunate to observe for
more than 20 minutes two adult KING RAILS with at least 8 young in tow off the
Charlie Road bridge at Occoquan Bay NWR. I have seen KIRAs many times at the
refuge, but never for such an extended period of time and never with young.
Despite being about 20 feet away from me, they seemed not to care about my
presence and went about foraging with their young. Occasionally one of the
adults would 'kek' at them and they would "peet" in reply. More on OBNWR below.
I started my day not too early in the Remington area, making my pilgrimmage
out there for UPLAND SANDPIPERS and DICKCISSEL. Both were found in their
previously-reported locations. The Uppies were calling and one burst into
their amazing song which was the first indications of their presence. I
searched for some time before I finally found one head continually poking up
and back down out of some taller grasses amid the shortgrass field of the sod
farm. The owners of the farm do not mow a small area around a piece of
equipment (long, tube-like thing) and this is where one of the birds stayed. I
wonder if there is a nest in there? After this I visited Grassdale Road where
I found 3 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, two were adults and the other I did not get on.
There was no evidence of feeding, but I suspect this was a family group. Two
KESTRELS are there as well. Two DICKCISSELS are best viewed with a scope along
Savannah Branch Road, which parallels Grassdale. I also made a
quick walk around the Phelps Hogue Tract and added some passerines including a
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH by the Rappahannock. After this I crossed over into
Culpeper County where nothing exceptional was found. See the list below.
On the way to OBNWR from here (quite a long trip!!), I stopped by the
normally productive power station along Aden Road and picked up PINE WARBLER
and YELLOW-THROATED VIREO for the morning.
I arrived at OBNWR and it was already pushing 80 degrees. As I drove along
the entrance road I came to a 4-foot long Black Rat Snake stretched out across
the road. Fearing that it might get hurt if someone did not notice it, I
attempted to coax it off the road, but it refused, just coiling up into a ball.
After I got it to uncoil a little, I was able to carefully secure the head in
my hand and carry it off without incident to the grass where it slithered off.
Driving farther, my car flushed a covey of 7 NORTHERN BOBWHITE which flew to a
pile of wood chips near the road and stood atop, offering me excellent views of
a couple of them. Later on I heard at least 3 more making the days total 10 or
more. Nice to have them around, as in the recent past there have been much
fewer at the refuge. I walked out to the gazebo and found a CASPIAN TERN
flying over the Bay, and deciding that it was a little warm I walked along the
water toward Easy Road where the breezes made
things a little more comfortable. At the junction of Easy Rd, things really
heated up bird-wise. This is a cooler area as the tree canopy offers some
shade to the birds and this tended to collect them here. I watched 8 YELLOW
WARBLERS, two WILLOW FLYCATCHERS (one vocalizing), and an amazing eleven
PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS in this little patch of trees. Most of the birds were
not singing of course, so there were probably many more that I walked past
without noticing them. A little later as I sat on the bench at this spot, a
KING RAIL bellowed from the marsh. Wallking this way, I noticed movement along
the edge of the marsh and saw that it was a foraging VIRGINIA RAIL, which froze
when it realized I was there. After a minute, we made eye contact and it
decided to fly off slowly toward the back of the marsh. These were my best
views ever of a Virginia Rail. Finally, at the junction of Easy Rd and Bayview
Trail, I got great looks at a well-colored CHAT which flew off and
started "singing." It was a nice day to be there and the refuge held a lot of
birds. I was really hoping for a vagrant such as a White Ibis, which have a
history of showing up in the area at this time of year, though rarely. There
may be one nearby, but if nobody looks... Other than a couple of bikers, I had
the refuge to myself today. After the crazy work week, this was a very nice
diversion.
88 species for the morning. Please e-mail me if there are any questions.
Jay Keller
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