VA Birders,
Pat Blyer, Betty Kilgore, and I went to the Woodward Turf Farm near
Remington, Fauquier Co., this morning to look for the UPLAND SANDPIPERS
reported
there. We took Rt. 29 south to Remington, where we turned left onto Rt. 651
(Sumerduck Road). We crossed the railroad tracks and continued south perhaps
2-3
miles on Rt. 651, until we reached the turf farm. We turned right onto Rt.
654 at the south end of the turf farm. Mike Bowen and Helen Patten from MD
arrived there just after we did. Mike spotted the UPLAND SANDPIPERS on the
other
side of the turf farm--we counted 5, or possibly even 6 birds, but they were
too far away to see really well, especially considering the heat shimmer. We
also saw an AMERICAN KESTREL, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and several EASTERN
MEADOWLARKS there. Then we continued south on Rt. 651 and took the next left
onto
Grassdale Road, most of which had recently been plowed and was now bare dirt.
We found EASTERN KINGBIRDS, a male BLUE GROSBEAK, and more meadowlarks, but not
much else there. Heading back north on Rt. 651, we turned right on another
segment of Rt. 654 (it has the name Strodes Mill Road), which is across Rt. 651
from the north end of the turf farm. We parked there and walked back across
Rt. 651, where we had closer and much better looks at the UPLAND SANDPIPERS.
NOTES: We passed a sign (which I don't remember seeing before) for Remington
Turf Farm just before reaching the Woodward Turf Farm, but I did not see any
public access road to that property. Also, as we were getting ready to head
home, Pat and Betty, who were both sitting on the passenger side of the car,
discovered some ticks crawling on them, so be sure to do a careful tick check
if
you go there.
Good birding,
Val Kitchens
Arlington, VA
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