Greetings,
Near the dot on a map called Morrisville in Fauquier County, along US 17,
there's a small pond on the west side of the road. Working the edges today (9
April) was a Snowy Egret, seen around eleven-thirty AM, (and again near three
PM
by Sue Heath). With my typical caveat, this is the first I know of for
Fauquier.
Not more than a couple miles past this on US 17 was a dead, headless,
Ring-necked Pheasant cock. The head was a couple inches away from the rest of
the
bird.
Last night at my house in Culpeper County, I heard a flock of Bonaparte's
Gulls overhead at about ten-thirty. New yardbird, and new experience for me.
Never noted any gulls overhead at night on the piedmont. They seemed to be
flying WNW.
Common Loons have been widely reported on inland lakes in the region, the
bulk however being reported in Maryland. Liberty Lake in Carroll County, MD
had
about 235 seen on 3 April (but less than 20 a day later), and other lakes in
Maryland having up to 60 birds. Burke Lake in Fairfax County had fifty or more
birds present, however going just a bit further west hasn't produced many
birds. Lake Manassas, many times larger than Burke Lake and not terribly far
west hasn't had more than eight of them that I've seen. Lakes in Fauquier have
had as many as four (Germantown, near Midland). I've never seen Lunga
Reservoir nor Smith Reservoir on the base at Quantico, and didn't check Abel
Reservoir
in Stafford County, but these lakes could have held many birds. Lake Curtis
in Stafford had a lone Common Loon 6 April. All of these birds that I've seen
have been in striking alternate plumage, and a couple have been vocalizing.
A Red-necked Grebe continues at Airlie, and there's a few Horned Grebes
here-and-there in Fauquier, as well as Pied-billeds. Duck species that I'm
encountering almost daily out here, ranked by abundance, include Gadwall,
Ring-necked, Common Mergansers, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup,
Mallard,
Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, and Blue-winged Teal. Black Ducks and
Red-breasted Mergansers have been at Lake Manassas in Prince William, but
that's the lake
I visit least. Haven't seen but one Ruddy Duck in the last few weeks, which
is atypical as there's usually a few around, though they were scarce here this
winter.
Aside from last night's Bonaparte's Gulls, I've seen them several times over
the past week, with twenty-four at Germantown on 8 April, 21 at Airlie and 3
at Belvoir Road with a single Forster's Tern 7 April (the tern a hard bird in
Fauquier, and never this early in spring for me), and one 3 April at Airlie.
There were hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls flying over Fauquier seen from
Harrison Road on 3 April.
Two Yellow Palm Warblers and a dozen or more Barn Swallows were first-of-year
for me in Fauquier 8 April.
From the common-bird-but-unusual-encounter file, I had a brief scuffle with a
Turkey Vulture yesterday. While traveling along Meetze Road, an adult Turkey
Vulture was dining on a fairly fresh, though dead, Eastern Gray Squirrel.
They were both in the middle of the opposite lane. I slowed as I neared, and
was surprised that the vulture decided that it didn't need to take flight with
my vehicle creeping by at ten MPH. Times like these I usually change the venue
of the feast (much more enjoyable in cold weather). No traffic on this road,
so I parked, and got out to grab the squirrel. Seems the vulture wasn't
interested. Instead of flying away as they always do, it not only stood its
ground, but it took two hops in my direction, throwing his wings wide and
hissing
as it did. Life-sized visions of a stream of vomit went through my head as I
danced around with this bird. I showed him my thumbs, and he wasn't impressed.
I pressed on, extended my seventy-seven inch wingspan and told him to screw.
I won when he decided to saunter off to the far shoulder, but not without a
fair amount of sass. I wasn't back to my truck before the thing was heading
back to the dinner table. A bold bird indeed.
Cheers,
Todd
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Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
Culpeper County
Blkvulture@xxxxxxx
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