A small group of birders from the Margaret Watson Bird Club in Farmville
visited James River State Park on the western edge of Buckingham County on
Saturday, June 16, to look for the Willow Flycatcher discovered by Thelma
Dalmas on June 7 and seen by others on June 10. One singing bird was found in
roughly the same location from which it had been previously reported: the north
end of the first wetland cell between Green Pond and the James River. This
time the bird was singing from the top of a dogwood tree upslope and across the
trail from the wetland. It was observed and photographed for about 30 minutes,
but we were not able to confirm evidence of breeding, nor were we able to find
more than one bird (as many as three had been reported by an earlier observer).
Here is a link to a few of the photos taken by Brent Slaughter with his 300 mm:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin2752/sets/72157600390102924/
Other highlights of the trip were at least six active Cliff Swallow nests
beneath the Rt. 60 bridge over the James at Bent Creek, and a Prothonotary
Warbler singing in clear view at the Canoe Landing picnic area (pretty far west
for this species, but well-documented in the Park). The two adult Bald Eagles
perched above the river seem hardly worthy of mention...
David Spears
Dillwyn
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