Hi all,
3 young birders and 2 parents from the Blue Ridge Young Birders Club joined 5
young birders and adult leader Fred Atwood from the Northern Virginia Teen Bird
Club on a day of birding around the Shenandoah Valley. We had quite a fun day
with a total of 68 species including 3 highlights and many more notable birds.
On Strickley Rd (Augusta) we found 3 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Fish Crows, 60 Horned
Larks, 2 American Pipits, 1 Fox Sparrow, and several other birders. While
getting out of the Flint Hill School minibus that Fred gets to use for NoVa
Teen Bird Club outings to view some of the Larks, one of the young birders
spotted a falcon off to the east flying toward us. It was soon apparent that
it was not a Kestrel and when it was overhead it was very apparent that it was
the FIRST HIGHLIGHT: an adult Peregrine Falcon! A while later, as we were
getting ready to leave Strickley Rd, Fred picked up on a large, dark raptor in
the distance to the southeast. It disappeared but not too long later, a large,
dark raptor appeared closer, but also to the southeast. I'm not sure if it was
the same bird or not, but the closer raptor was obviously the SECOND HIGHLIGHT:
an adult Golden Eagle. Although still somewhat distant, it was visible with
the naked eye and in the
scope looked great! It was a life bird for several.
Next, along Hwy 340 south of Merck (Rockingham) where Vic L & I found a
Longspur on Thursday, we found 3 Red-tailed Hawks and 7 Horned Larks. As we
were getting ready to pack up, one of the NoVa Young Birders spotted the THIRD
HIGHLIGHT fly in with several Horned Larks, the Lapland Longspur! It gave
great looks for all of us and was also a life bird for several.
Although our three top birds all showed up early, we still had quite a fun day
afterwards. At Lake Campbell we found 11 Ring-necked Ducks, 1 Great Blue
Heron, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 immature Bald Eagle, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 4 GC
Kinglets, and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler. Along the edge of the pine woods behind
the lake, one of the BRYBC young birders spooked a Great Horned Owl and it
proceeded to land ~40 yards into the woods and gave a nice look before flying
off.
At Lake Shenandoah we found 1 adult male Wood Duck (which flew off after a
while) and 1 adult male Red-breasted Merganser. At Old Quarry Pond (Augusta)
we found 3 Canvasbacks, 6 Redheads, 3 Lesser Scaups, 4 Ruddy Ducks, 1
Pied-billed & 1 Horned Grebes, 7 Coots, and 1 Phoebe.
At Hall School Rd thanks to some visiting birders from Fredericksburg we saw
the Rough-legged Hawk in addition to 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 3 Killdeer, 1 Kestrel,
12 Horned Larks, Bob Ake, and Vic Laubach. McCune's Pond had a lot of ducks
and we counted 61 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon, 4 Black Ducks, 11 Shovelers, 12 GW Teal, 4
RN Ducks, 3 Lesser Scaup, and 1 GB Heron.
Finally, along Long Meadow Rd we found 1 Belted Kingfisher and 1 Wilson's
Snipe. Thanks to the Northern Virginia Teen Bird Club, Blue Ridge Young
Birders Club, and Fred Atwood for a great day of birding, and good birding to
all,
Gabriel Mapel
New Hope, Va
