This morning I was all alone ... until Mary and Michelle joined me
for a portion of my return walk. It was a fabulous day all around. It
started with the usual group of Pine Warblers near the Visitors Center,
punctuated by calls from two Red-headed Woodpeckers. A Hooded Warbler
was singing near the beginning of the road. There seemed to be a nice
sprinkling of them along the way. Yellow-rumped Warblers and Common
Yellowthroats were the most numerous warblers encountered. A total of
14 warbler species was tallied, my high for the current year. Of the
six Swainson's Warblers heard, five of them were along Railroad Ditch
and two of them probably could have been seen by someone with the
patience to look hard for them. The first was on the north side of
Railroad Ditch just opposite the Underground Railroad exhibit. The
other close bird was about 1/2 mile further on the south side. Great
Crested Flycatchers were never out of earshot. On the other hand, I
didn't hear or see a Downy Woodpecker and I heard my only White-breasted
Nuthatch within sight of the Visitor's Center on my return. Obviously
nesting and the associated secrecy is underway.
Since the Dismal Swamp Birding Festival is this week (Thurs, Fri,
Sat) and I'll be leading trips all three mornings, I'm taking a break
from the swamp next week. I'll let you know the date of my next swamp
walk sometime next week.
The butterflies were pretty much as I reported for last Saturday's
trip with the Williamsburg Bird Club. I did see an otter cross the road
today, the only critter. Below I've annotated the bird list.
Dismal Swamp NWR Railroad Ditch, Suffolk, US-VA including travel by car
to Interior Ditch
Apr 21, 2015 7:06 AM - 12:23 PM
Protocol: Traveling
8.0 mile(s) total - 6 by foot, 2 by car
53 species
Great Blue Heron 2
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 10
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 calling above the intersection of Railroad and
West Ditches
Killdeer 2 on Interior Ditch near Lake Drummond
Spotted Sandpiper 3 on Interior Ditch
Wilson's Snipe 1 flew in along Interior Ditch
Laughing Gull 20 loafing and bathing on Lake Drummond
Mourning Dove 5 all but one on Interior Ditch
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 FOY
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 2 near the Visitor's Center
Red-bellied Woodpecker 7
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Pileated Woodpecker 4
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 FOY
Great Crested Flycatcher 16 everywhere
White-eyed Vireo 6
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Fish Crow 1 near the Visitor's Center
Tree Swallow 30 at Lake Drummond
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 14
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Hermit Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 1 calling near the Underground Railroad exhibit
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling 1
Ovenbird 6
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Northern Waterthrush 1 FOY
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Prothonotary Warbler 10 not as numerous as on Washington Ditch
Swainson's Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 26 lots, with numbers enhanced by those near the lake
Hooded Warbler 9
American Redstart 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 FOY
Pine Warbler 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 34
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 3
Eastern Towhee 6
White-throated Sparrow 13 singing their hearts out, a last gasp, so to
speak
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 1 FOY singing swee swee too too high up in a Red Maple
Red-winged Blackbird 17
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
American Goldfinch 8
Bob Ake
Norfolk VA
