Dear VA-Birders
This morning Sep 28, on my almost-daily walk at Flint Hill/Oak Marr Park
(Fairfax County), I found a Marsh Wren (in a very tiny patch of cattails
on campus). Flying overhead before I had to head into the school from 7:35
to 7:55 were 520 Blue Jays. This is more than twice the previous county
high (230) in eBird, and is probably my highest count in VA. So there must
be a LOT of Blue Jays passing through today. Also present during my walk
were a raven, western palm warbler, 2 pine warblers, 2 blackpolls, a
black-throated blue, 3 Swainson's thrushes, 2 wood thrushes, and 4
red-breasted nuthatches (there are probably 6 still here, seen a couple
days ago). Marsh Wren is a rare bird at this location, having been seen
only on the following dates: Sep 29, 2005, Oct 15, 2007, Oct 17, 2008, Oct
20-22, 2009,
All the best
Fred Atwood
Oakton, Fairfax Co.
