The weekly walk sponsored by The Friends of Dyke Marsh was held along the
hike-bike trail at Huntley Meadows Park this morning because the Capital
Classic running event made access to Dyke Marsh WP difficult. The regular
weekly walk at Dyke Marsh WP starts at 8 a.m. each Sunday morning at the
south end of the parking lot for the Belle Haven picnic area and is open to
all. Highlights of today¹s walk started early when several participants saw
five COMMON LOONS fly over the parking lot at the beginning of the trail.
Boreal migrants included a continuing lone RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and a flock
of PURPLE FINCHES. Neotropic migrants included a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
at a feeder, a couple of singing WOOD THRUSH, newly-arrived GRAY CATBIRDS,
seven species of well-seen warblers and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, which were
seemingly everywhere, as were EASTERN TOWHEES. Raptors included two OSPREYS,
several BALD EAGLES, RED-TAILED, RED-SHOULDERED and COOPER¹S HAWKS and a
distant NORTHERN HARRIER. The return trip produced a couple of RED-HEADED
WOODPECKERS. For those interested, a complete list of the 61 species
encountered on the walk may be viewed at the following link:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36205175
<http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36205175>
Thanks to regular field trip leaders Larry Cartwright, Rich Rieger and Phil
Silas and all other persons who joined me for all or part of the field trip
today.
Gerry Hawkins
Arlington, VA
