Fellow birders,
Two persons joined me this morning for the weekly walk at
Dyke Marsh in Alexandria, which is sponsored by The Friends of Dyke Marsh
and starts at 8 each Sunday morning at the south end of the parking lot to
the Belle Haven picnic area. Highlights included seeing four raptors perched
at relatively close range: Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed
Hawk and Bald Eagle, including two adults perched next to each other on what
appeared to be a tire in the mud near Hunting Creek, Golden-crowned and
Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 12 Great Blue Herons perched close to each other
across from the platform viewing area at the end of Haul Road and two Great
Egrets (not counting another 7 seen by me in the marshy area across from
Hunting Creek on the way to the walk). Other highlights included 8 species
of waterfowl, many Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Gray Catbird that was heard
calling by all trip participants as we walked back along Haul Road. Gulls
included a relatively large number of Laughing and Great Black-backed Gulls.
A complete list of the 47 species encountered on the walk is
set forth below.
Canada Goose - 250
Tundra Swan - 1
American Black Duck - 6
Mallard - 100
Ring-necked Duck - 25
Lesser Scaup - 18
Bufflehead - 8
Ruddy Duck - 4
Pied-billed Grebe - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 10
Great Blue Heron - 14
Great Egret - 2
Bald Eagle - 3 (all adults)
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Laughing Gull - 50
Ring-billed Gull - 175
Herring Gull - 15
Great Black-backed Gull - 23
Mourning Dove - 8
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Northern Flicker - 2
Blue Jay - 8
American Crow - 6
Fish Crow - 8
Carolina Chickadee - 12
Tufted Titmouse - 10
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 (heard)
Carolina Wren - 15
Winter Wren - 1 (heard)
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3
American Robin - 30
Gray Catbird - 1 (heard)
Northern Mockingbird - 2
European Starling - 25
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 22
Song Sparrow - 25
Swamp Sparrow - 2
White-throated Sparrow - 35
Northern Cardinal - 14
Red-winged Blackbird - 30
House Finch - 2
American Goldfinch - 15
Gerry Hawkins
Arlington, VA
