Bart Hutchinson and I are planning on continuing the tradition of the Birding
Dads Fairfax County Big Day, with some help from Jim Mathews and good vibes
from Anders Price in Greece. I was planning on scouting the Great Falls and
Riverbend area today, but the rain put a real DAMPer on my activities. I was
going to explore the area for owls (never done any owling in this part of the
county), then do the morning chorus at Great Falls. Given the rain, I
decided to skip the owling. I should have skipped the whole morning. Jim
and I napped in our cars the the non-existant morning chorus. During the few
breaks in the rain, we walked on the carriage trail. Only noteworthy birds
were 2 LA H2Othrushes, 1 worm-eating, 1 black-throated green.
We drove up to Riverbend, hoping for better luck. We got heavier rain. Saw
bedraggled pileated and red-shouldered, heard a warbling vireo, and saw 6 or
so Forster's terns flying up and down the river. Highlight was a box turtle
crossing the road. We gave it some assistance.
At home around noon, I discovered I could have stayed home and still gotten
my first BTG of the year, over my feeders.
Yesterday I went out to Bull Run Post Office Road a little before dawn, and
was eventually rewarded by 3 whips, 1 peenting woodcock, 2 barred owls, and
the usual assortment of field sparrows, towhees, and numerous prairie
warblers. A walk of Wakefield Rec. Ctr. was pretty quiet. Highlights were
my first indigo buntings of the year, 2 LA H2Os, a baltimore oriole, and red,
white, and yellow vireos (no blue).
Finally, I stopped by Lake Accotink for the first time, and was presently
surprised by excellent muddy area for shorebirds (1 killdeer, 8 spotted, 6
solitary, 1 gr. yellowlegs). Also, 2 wood ducks, 3 red-tails soaring, 1
cormorant flyby, and another yellow-throated vireo.
Oh, and this afternoon I was walking in White Oaks Park with my daughter, and
heard a familiar, yet odd vocalization high overhead. I stood confused for a
few seconds, then realized it was a yoodling loon. I've heard it live a few
times before (never this far south, and never in broad daylight).
In case anyone is interested, the tentative plan for the Big Day is to make a
couple of early stops for owls/rails (Dyke, Huntley, Pohick Bay are the
current contenders), then BRPO Rd., then Great Falls/Riverbend for morning
chorus, a quick stop at Lake Accotink, Hunting Creek and Dyke Marsh,
Accotink, Belmont Bay, Lorton (thanks for confirming that the bobolinks are
back this year, Kurt), then evening at Huntley. We will probably send an
e-mail seeking last minute intelligence on key species late in the week.
And let's hope for better weather than today.
Ben Jesup
Alexandria, VA
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