I've gone out early the last 3 mornings to catch up on some bird atlasing in
the third year of Loudoun Co.'s 5-year Bird Atlas. What a great time of
year--I wish I could take off the whole month from May 15 to June 15 and do
nothing else! I've seen some interesting sights:
- an American Bittern flying over a field--a rare sight in LoCo
- a Great Crested Flycatcher foraging low, then strafing a chipmunk each time
the little guy ventured across the dirt road
- 3 Cedar Waxwing males taking turns launching into a courtship dance out of a
small willow tree, dipping and darting this way and that, high and low, then
back to their perch
- the third time I've seen an Eastern Kingbird and an Orchard Oriole nesting in
the top of the same tree
- 18 Guinea Fowl tried to nudge their way onto my bird atlas report, crossing
the dirt road right in front of my car, clucking all the way up the opposite
bank
Good birding,
Mary Ann Good
