Va Birders-
I spent the afternoon on the bay and the trails, the highlights were
1 Common Merganser, adult male nonbreeding, about 1:30 at the right end
of the island when you first get to the water. He had a clean line
between the brown head and gray body, and a single white patch on the
throat. He drifted behind the island before I could see the bill color
but what I saw matched up quite well with Sibley.
5 Bufflehead Ducks, to the right of the Island. 2 adults and 3
juveniles.
8-10 Golden Crowned Kinglets, total, along the Basin Trail, Loop Trail,
Beaver Pond Trail and Wetland Trail. I got several good looks at the
deep yellow crown stripe.
2 Red-breasted Mergansers, along with 4 other Mergansers, about 4:30
between the pier and the same island. Two males were very distinctive,
having black heads with messy merganser crests, white bands around the
neck except for a black line at the back of the neck, red bills and
medium dark breasts (one very kindly flapped his wings and raised up,
showing his front). I am pretty sure the other 4 were also Red-breasted
as one of them also flapped up and showed a dark breast, but there were
some uncertain looks. They all had thin long bills. I don't know if
Red-breasted and Common Mergansers hang out together or not so I don't
want to just call them all Red-breasted because they were together.
You have to go through the main gate to Fort Belvoir to get to the
Refuge. I had my car searched at the gate (I'm sure glad I left those
atom bombs at home :). There is a very mediocre map at the visitor's
center.
Good birding, and happy holidays to everyone.
John Fox
McLean Va
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