VA BIRDers,
An interesting day at Dyke Marsh for the regular Sunday Field Trip sponsored
by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and free to all who attend. The first
interesting item was some sort of running or jogging event which completely
consumed all parking spots by 6AM! (This did not seem to be good planning.
It also changed my plans for early morning birding along the Hike-Bike Trail
- oh well!) The second item was the weather forecast the day before was
favorable for migrants and participants were not disappointed! Initially, I
put in an effort to find migrants for the first 2 hours before the Field
Trip. I concentrated on the marina and picnic area until the regular start
time of 8AM. Fortunately, a few people showed up despite the parking lot
snafu (about 10, down by a factor of 2-3X based upon historical reports) and
the field trip commenced more or less normally from that point on. After
the Field Trip, I walked the Hike-Bike Trail (the running event was over)
for the next 2 hrs and tallied those notables.
Highlight of the Field Trip was undoubtedly a pair of male Summer Tanagers
which flew over flew the trees near the beginning of Haul Rd - a great
surprise! Also, a fine selection of migrant warblers and orioles were found
that nearly all participants got on with great looks. The Orchard and
Baltimore Orioles - of various ages - were a delight to behold and we got
scope views of these. Ditto for the Eastern Kingbirds, many of which put on
a flight show over our heads. Hunting Creek Bay produced a pair of female
Red-breasted Mergansers. We could hear a House Wren and Prairie and Black &
White Warblers near the trees between us and the ramp road. We visited a
few of the traditional spots, such as the Osprey nest near the marina boat
ramp where mama was found sitting upon eggs. Yellow Warbler was nearby all
looked upon. Cedar Waxwings were high up in the trees adjacent to ramp road
and put on a good show in the morning - I estimated 50 all told.
Near the beginning of the Haul Rd we found cooperative Black-throated Blue
and American Redstart. Plus Red-eyed Vireo, a less than cooperative
Northern Parula, a couple of Gray Catbirds and some of the local residents.
The end of dogleg produced a Swamp Sparrow, more orioles and Yellow Warblers
and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Glimpses of a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers
and a Warbling Vireo were all we could manage. We were unable to find any
Marsh Wrens.
Before the Field Trip, the boat ramp road area and nearby picnic grounds
held a few other birds such as Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, and
Canada Warblers and a White-crowned Sparrow. My early afternoon stroll on
the Hike-Bike Trail produced several Prothonotary Warblers, more Warbling
Vireos and additional Northern Parulas and Red-eyed Vireos. Hunting Creek
mudflats added Greater Yellowlegs and Spotted Sandpiper. I put the whole
list of 73 species below so others can get a feel for what was present that
morning.
Kurt Gaskill
C. Goose 8
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 5
Red-breasted Merganser 2
DC Cormorant 12
Great Blue Heron 3
Osprey 12, nests on the barge and crane have been taken down, a shame as
eggs were likely present; also an apparent violation of the federal
migratory bird act
Bald Eagle 2, one adult
Killdeer 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 55, various groups flying over
Ring-billed Gull 110
Herring Gull 1
Caspian Tern 8
Rock Pigeon 6
Mourning Dove 8
Red-bellied WP 4
Downy WP 4
Hairy WP 1
No. Flicker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 11
Warbling Vireo 7
Red-eyed Vireo 12
Blue Jay 20
American Crow 2
Fish Crow 1
Tree Sw 8
No. Rough-winged Sw 2
Barn Sw 4
C. Chickadee 6
T. Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
C. Wren 8
H. Wren 1
RC Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 13
Am. Robin 7
Gray Catbird 2
No. Mockingbird 1
E. Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 50
Nashville 1
No. Parula 11
Yellow 7
Chestnut-sided 1
Black-thr Blue 3
Yellow-rumped 5
Prairie 1
Bay-breasted 1
Black & White 1
Am. Redstart 1
Prothonotary 5, easiest spot is the Big Bridge over the gut on the Hike-Bike
Trail
Common Yellowthroat 6
Canada 1
Summer Tanager 2
Scarlet Tanager 1
E. Towhee 1
Song Sp 4
Swamp Sp 1
White-thr Sp 7
White-crowned Sp 1
No. Cardinal 19
Indigo Bunting 3
Red-winged BB 34
Com Grackle 23
Brown-headed Cowbird 8
Orchard O 12
Baltimore O 10
House Finch 4
Am. Goldfinch 15
House Sp 4
