Sorry for reporting late. Sunday morning at sunrise(it was a flaming
beauty) I was at sparrow alley at Manassas Battlefield as I've found there are
usually lots of White-throated sparrows on the dam end of the alley and I had a
feeling there might be a Harris sparrow hanging out there. I was there 1 1/2
hrs
and went up and down the alley but mainly stood quite some time on the dam
looking down below and around it. No luck on the Harris sparrow but I did see a
group of three Tree Sparrows and a Fox Sparrow below the dam. While looking at
a brilliant adult Yellow-bellied woodpecker in a large autumn olive just west
of the dam, a bobcat ambled by, crossing the dam on the west side. It was
cold, so was I, and I don't think it even saw me(about 30' away), as it was
distracted by a couple of squirrels below the dam. This would have been about
7:30.
The last bobcat I've seen in this area was probably 7 yrs ago in the Buckhall
area east of Manassas. The Northern Harrier I've seen there the last couple of
times was making its rounds. The sparrows were Swamp (12), Field (8),
White-throated (30+), Chipping (3), Savanna (5), Tree (3), Fox (1), Song (21),
and
probably about 20+ Juncos. Also of interest were a kingfisher, about 30
Yellow-rump warblers, 2 Red-tailed hawks, an American Kestrel, and a single
Killdeer
flying over.
From there I went by the catchment ponds at the junction of Hwy 28 and 234
which were quiet with only 2 Hooded Mergansers and 6 Mallards.
From there on to Nokesville Community Park. Almost at the very back end of
the park is a gravel road to the rt., that is a good walk for Red breasted
nuthatches(2), White breasted nuthatch(2), Pine Siskins(6), and a Brown
Creeper.
There is a large open area at the end of this lane with a low grassy area that
I've seen Grasshopper Sparrows at several times but not this day. The trail
goes left here into the woods to a creek. Here in a huge gnarley old cedar I
saw 5 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers all in probably a 5' diameter circle-2 adults
and 3 juveniles-probably a family cell still together. I've never seen this
before.
From there I swung out to see the Brewer's Blackbirds on Fleetwood Drive
and at about 10:00 saw and heard 17, 14 males and 3 females. While observing
two
redtailed hawks in the trees to the left, I accidentally focused on a Barred
owl sitting in the lower branches of a large tree-a neat sight. And then I
was out of time but a pretty productive morning of birding for a cool overcast
morning.
Dave White Zion Crossroads
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