VA BIRDers,
Jay Keller and I visited North Fork Wetland arriving near 0830 (access
kindly granted by the Boy Scouts of America; all data is compiled and
provided to BSA) and encountered a singing Sedge Wren. This bird sang for
many minutes; when we left it was still singing. Other highlights at this
location were several Green Heron, many Wood Duck, some Killdeer, a four
Grasshopper Sparrows, and a few Blue Grosbeaks.
We also made a pass down Harrison Road in Fauquier Co - highlight was a
juvenile plumaged Savannah Sparrow. A few more Grasshopper Sparrows were
encountered along the way.
We continued south to the Remington area. Here we found 4 Upland Sandpipers
on the sod farms bordered by Rt 651 (Summerduck Rd) and (Rt 654) Strodes
Mill Rd - viewing may be best from the latter due to light traffic. Please
pull over to the road edge but do not enter the sod farm area. As we
watched the Upland Sandpipers we noted about 4 Dickcissels at this location.
Nearby, on Grassdale Rd, we spotted another Savannah Sparrow plus about 7
American Kestrels plus a few more Grasshopper Sparrows.
Returning, we passed by the turf farms somewhat south of Manassas Airport,
off Bristow Rd. A few Killdeer and about 300 Laughing Gulls were present.
We got back into Fairfax Co a bit late and the tide was nearly high at the
Accotink Refuge in Ft Belvoir; we spotted only single Spotted Sandpiper and
Greater Yellowlegs plus many Great Egrets and Forster's Terns. We traveled
up to the Hunting Creek mudflats (west side) arriving at about 4 pm. Here
we noted 6 Killdeer, 5 Greater Yellowlegs, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Spotted
Sandpipers, 13 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 28 Least Sandpipers. A quick
visit up Eisenhower Valley produced an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron. We
tallied about 77 species for the day.
Kurt Gaskill
