Despite a heavily overcast day with a period of mid morning rain our team of
John, Dave, Chystal and Dwyane,and many familiar and new visitors managed 53
species, our second lowest total in 14 years. We only had one sparrow(
song),one warbler ( 8 in 2017) and zero flycatchers and no easy common species
( ie Starling House finch, house sparrow,catbird, towhee) but we did mange a
respectable raptor count despite no real big flight, just individuals crossing
into Virginia etc). Also had a decent waterfowl representation despite a high
river and no big numbers in arrival yet. We had 4 adult bald eagles in our
view almost all day and had one or two perched across the river in our scope
continually to the amazement of none birders and young a few young potential
birders alike. One interesting observation was that twice we saw an Eagle
carrying large dead branches upriver to the Riverbend nest which has had
success the past two seasons. So I guess the Eagles are alreadyprepping for
2019. There is also an Eagles nest downriver atGreat Falls as well and their
hunting territory often overlaps. Also of note there were hundreds of Tree
Swallow continually streaming downriver with a few Northern rough-winged mixed
in. The number of Swallows could have exceeded 500 or more because there were
almost always in sight and moving. The dips (misses), challenges and new
successes make each Big Sit day unique,
Location: Riverbend Park, Great Falls, Virginia
- Canada Goose Branta canadensis
- Wood Duck Aix sponsa
- Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
- American Black Duck Anas rubripes
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
- American Wigeon Anas americana
- Northern Pintail Anas acuta
- Common Merganser Mergus merganser
- Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
- Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
- Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
- Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
- Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
- Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
- Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
- Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
- Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
- Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
- Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio
- Barred Owl Strix varia
- Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
- Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
- Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
- Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
- Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
- Merlin Falco columbarius
- Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
- Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
- American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
- Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis
- Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
- Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
- White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
- Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
- American Robin Turdus migratorius
- Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
- American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
- Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
- Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
- Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
- Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
- Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
- Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
— Lo
