VA BIRDers,
Three hardy birders met at Dyke Marsh today for the regular Sunday morning
Field Trip sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and free to all. We hoped
to answer the question "what kind of birds are as crazed as ourselves to be
exposed in this Chicago wind? The answer: 41 species! It was surprisingly
birdy, at least once we got out of the direct frontal assault that Illinois
sent our way. The wind had blown about 65% of the Potomac River to Virginia
Beach as the mudflats were very extensive - in Hunting Creek Bay the flats
extended about 500 yards east. It was populated by the 3 typical mid-winter
gulls plus Canada Geese in Hunting Creek channel as it coursed into the
muddy bottom that was once a bay.
We were scanning the gulls looking for Bald Eagles (three today) when I
spotted a raptor make a quick tern and then had something on its talons. We
never figured out what the Peregrine grabbed in mid-air (Mourning Dove or
Starling are the best guesses), but we watched it fly back to Jones Point
carrying its answer to the wind's chill - and then up and over the bridge to
the north and then out of sight. We were amazed!
We also spotted an adult Cooper's Hawk perched on a tree limb just across
from the marina; it was out of the main blast; something must have gotten
its attention as it noticed us after nearly a minute. Later, we watched as
it coursed through the woods and across the path we walked on Haul Rd. Very
nice. Haul Rd was a less windy and produced Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy
WPs. Also 4 Eastern Towhees - This seems fairly unusual in mid-January.
The trail also produced a Gray Catbird and both kinglets plus 5 Winter Wrens
- including one fellow who erupted into song. Now, that makes a cold day
seem warmer! The dogleg portion of the trail produced Swamp Sparrows and a
single immature White-crowned Sparrow; the wind was much worse out here.
The marsh edges held Red-winged Blackbirds and a single Common Grackle -
perhaps a waif blown in with the blustery weather? Lesser Scaup,
Bufflehead and Common Mergansers swam in the nearby deep waters to our
south. At the very end of the new boardwalk we noted 9 Great Blue Herons
huddled in the lee of the wind that the nearby island offered.
Kurt Gaskill
