I probably haven't been to Dutch Gap since last summer. The new bridge sounded interesting and I needed to get out. I did not expect the number of species I found since I started late, it's late July, it was hot as blazes, and I was tired. Turned out to be a nice trip in spite of 2 rain episodes, and the new, improved version of the park ain't bad (ain't got a boardwalk, but it sounds like that still might happen. Someday.). Some regular residents were AWOL, but the list still totaled 56. I can think of at least 6 or 7 more that are probably around there somewhere. The bridge was nice, there are new or old-but-well-cleared trails (so many I did not have time or energy to follow them all), and I ran out of time to check out the bluff area or give the marsh a second look on the way out. I decided to post in what I think are correct banding codes. It is time consuming initially to look them up for every bird, but if we could all learn them it would simplify life. Typing is not that great for the upper extremity anyway! In parentheses you will see the corrections needed when I checked my guess at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/manual/sname.htm. After leaving Dutch Gap in the rain, I went north to Shockoe Bottom to see what the PUMAs at Dutch Gap were chattering about as they gathered and flew away. Got there in time to add a PEFA and a RTHA to my list for the day, but still no AMKE. The birds and the people seem to double every few days down there. It should be really festive on the 26th. DCCO GBHE GREG GRHE TUVU CAGO WODU OSPR BAEA-imm., low flyover in the cypress trees. COHA RSHA KILL MODO YBCU CHSW RTHU-many, perching, everywhere! Lovely! BEKI-likes the new bridge, I see. RBWP (RBWO) DOWP (DOWO) HAWP (HAWO) PIWP (PIWO) EWPE (EAWP) ACFL EAPH GCFL EAKI YTVI REVI BLJA AMCR FICR PUMA TRSW (TRES, really not to be confused with TRUS) NRSW (NRWS) BASW (it's BARS, not to be confused with BANS. Both would give BASW using the first 2 letters of each word.) CACH-there were some really BIG ones in a cypress tree with a DOWO.. TUTI (it's ETTI. Time to buy a new guide?) CAWR (it's CARW, not to be confused with CACW, though you wouldn't default to CACW in Richmond anyway if you were writing out CAWR) BGGN EABL AMRO NOMO BRTH-one with a huge green caterpillar in the trail. EUST YEWA (YWAR, not to be confused with YWAG. Seems they totally avoid any combination that could be accidentally concocted for more than one bird.) BWWA PRWA-duh! Beautiful and numerous thanks to "you know who". (It's actually PROW, not to be confused with PRAW) COYE SCTA-"chick perrr!" SOSP NOCA BLGR INBU RWBB (it's RWBL, who knew?) COGR AMGO Let's see-13 corrections out of 59 codes attempted. That wasn't so painful. The 4 WPs were wrong from hearing it so much and completely ignoring the rules. And I actually knew CARW from Julie K's banding posts, but left it incorrect to figure out why when I looked it up. Now if I can just get my brain to quit trying to pronounce all these acronyms! If you see any other errors please let me know. No complaints about using codes will be acknowledged-I TOLD you not to read it! :-) Al Warfield summarizes the coding rules in a post 5/18/08 (RE: WEVI nest destroyed). Most amusing sight was a CARW carrying food into a WODU box. There were more HAWOs than DOWOs compared to past visits-or maybe I am better at distinguishing the two these days? There was a rather placid rat snake between markers 29 and 30, and a Royal Walnut moth near the visitors center. Both are particular favorites of mine. If you haven't been to Dutch Gap lately, check it out! It was especially nice that mowing and trail clearing has been very well done lately--did not see any ticks at all. Don't forget the PUMA festival on the 26th! Jan