VA BIRDers,
A lovely warm, short-sleave morning for the regular Sunday morning Dyke Marsh
Field Trip, sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh each Sunday at 8am and
free to all. Highlight bird of the trip was a sculking Gray Catbird buried in
vegetation and fallen trees along Haul Rd just north of Dead Beaver Beach.
Despite concerted pishing, the little bird would not show itself! Also notable
were 4 Bald Eagles for the day - November is Bald Eagle peak at Dyke and so
these numbers will be increasing soon! We pished up one Ruby-crowned Kinglet
who
danced in front of us on the decaying Giant Ragweed for several minutes. We
also tallied a couple of Juncos - not always found at Dyke - and a 3 Field
Sparrows so these species are clearly on the move along the river!
Participants
got great up close looks at various gulls hanging out in the marina. Kim
Peacock and Fred Bogar managed to find 3 Ruddy Ducks about a mile across the
river,
steaming near the Maryland shoreline.
The trip ended on a fine note at the end of Haul Rd on the peninsula
overlooking the marsh - some fishermen had disturbed the dabblers in the marsh
and up
they all flew! We noted 2 groups of Wood Ducks, totaling 20 birds, flying
overhead. Plus at least 60 Mallards and 8 American Black Ducks. A small group
of a dozen Green-winged Teal could be seen flying back and forth, low over the
Big Gut. A wonderful way to end the trip!
Kurt Gaskill
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