Fellow birders,
Ten persons joined me for the regular Sunday walk at Dyke
Marsh in Alexandria, including regular trip leaders Rich Rieger, Larry
Cartwright and near the end of the walk Kurt Gaskill. The morning was
beautiful and the area quite active notwithstanding that winter waterfowl
were largely gone and spring migrants were few. Most prominent in the
latter category were Osprey, which were seen sitting on two nests and
prominently picking up nesting materials from the waterlogged picnic area,
and a handful of Tree Swallows. Bald Eagles also were prominent and included
one adult carrying what appeared to be nesting material as it flew south.
Song Sparrows were especially prominent and White-throated Sparrows continue
to be present in good numbers, but the highlight of the sparrow activity was
a Fox Sparrow which perched just above us for a long period a short distance
before the entrance to Haul Road. Highlights along Haul Road included a
Pine Warbler, a good sighting for this area given the absence of pine
habitat, and five woodpecker species. Waterfowl activity included a pair of
Wood Ducks and female Common and Red-breasted Mergansers perched on the same
log.
For those who are interested, set forth below is a full list of the 51
species encountered during the walk with approximate numbers.
The weekly Sunday walk at Dyke Marsh is sponsored by The
Friends of Dyke Marsh and free to all.
Gerry Hawkins
Arlington, VA
Canada Goose - 75
Wood Duck - 2
American Black Duck - 2
Mallard - 65
Northern Shoveler - 4
Lesser Scaup - 45
Common Merganser - 5
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Ruddy Duck - 7
Pied-billed Grebe - 9
Double-crested Cormorant - 25
Great Blue Heron - 5
Black Vulture - 4
Turkey Vulture - 4
Osprey -8
Bald Eagle - 4
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
American Coot - 65
Ring-billed Gull - 75
Herring Gull - 8
Great Black-backed Gull - 3
Mourning Dove - 12
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5
Downy Woodpecker - 5
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 3
Pileated Woodpecker - 2
Blue Jay - 8
American Crow - 5
Fish Crow - 12
Tree Swallow - 8
Carolina Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 8
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 6
Winter Wren - 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1
American Robin - 25
European Starling - 40
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
Fox Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 70+
Swamp Sparrow - 4
White-throated Sparrow - 25
Northern Cardinal - 12
Red-winged Blackbird - 130
American Goldfinch - 12
House Sparrow - 6
