Hello, birders.
On this mild day I birded woods and fields from the
entrance road pond to the contact station through the
woods and fields to the fishing and farm ponds on Rte.
17.
I only had 2 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS. I remember that
the No. Va. Bird Club posted that they only had 1 a
couple of months ago. I spoke to Ranger Tim and he
told me that Red-headed numbers have been way down
during the last few months.
I don't believe that the PHOEBE from late February
hung around for more than a few days but I did get 2
more PHOEBES today.
Saw my first TREE SWALLOWS of the year today, 1 along
the entrance road, perched on a phone wire, and 6 in
the fishing/farm ponds area, feeding over the ponds
and fields. I understand they they've been back to
Sky Meadows since at least a few days ago.
Lots of sparrows seemed to be on the move, mostly
SONG. There must have been 50 in the Walnut Grove.
Many were singing. All of a sudden a SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK zoomed through and the woods immediately became
silent. The silence lasted for several minutes. Only
1 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was observed today. Some
FIELD, a couple of SWAMP and many JUNCOS were around
as well.
I saw a GREAT-HORNED OWL in almost the same place that
I saw a pair of them a couple of months ago. It was
sometimes hard to see this bird, depending on where it
perched. I saw the remains of a dead Opposum nearby
and wondered if one of the owls killed it. All that
was left was the head and a lot of fur.
ROBINS, apparent migrants, were feeding in the soft
earth. BLUEBIRDS are paired up. One pair was
checking out nest boxes. A couple of HORNED LARKS
were in a large field. I heard a few GULLS overhead
again.
Garter or Ribbon Snakes were out, apparently mating.
I didn't see them and almost stepped on them. One
plopped into the stream and the other 2 were still,
side by side. They didn't leave as I watched them for
a couple of minutes. Water striders were doing their
thing on the streams ("striding?"), Painted Turtles
were sunning themselves on the banks of the ponds,
frogs were calling and birdsong was in the air. No
butterflies yet but hopefully they'll be out next
time.
Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va.
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