VA BIRDers,
The regular Sunday morning (8am) Field Trip to Dyke Marsh, sponsored by the
Friends of Dyke Marsh for the last 18 yrs or so and open to all participants
met today at the picnic area to a breeze in slightly cool weather, and over
cast skies. It was a not as active today bird-wise as last Sunday, perhaps
due to the weather or the impending weather front coming upon us. Highlight
was a Common Goldeneye, spotted near the end of the trip from the boardwalk;
42 species were recorded.
We started off at the Potomac River's edge and scanned through the ca. 700
Canada Geese. We found American Black Ducks, a small group of Buffleheads,
many Mallards, 2 Pied-billed Grebes a Double-crested Cormorant and a large
group of American Coots (whose numbers today were about 400, reduced from
last week). Two adult Bald Eagles flew about and the typical 4 gull species
were easily noted. On the mudflats of Hunting Creek, 5 Great Egrets were
spotted.
The picnic area produced not one but 2 Brown Creepers giving all fine views
as they climbed tree trunks near the water's edge. In the marina area we
spotted a single Lesser Scaup - or at least it seemed like a Lesser Scaup!
This bird appeared to have faded adult male plumage of Lesser Scaup but with
a white band near the nail of the bill. Unfortunately, we did not have a
scope with us at this time, so this observation is suspect. Otherwise, the
bird had a flattish head - although not peaked over the eye - and had the
aforementioned male character. It did not hold its head up like a
Ring-necked Duck, nor have any Ring-necked plumage characteristics (or
characteristics similar to hybrids, see Mullarney et al, "Birds of Europe"
for some paintings of hybrid divers and text), and so it is thought to be a
Lesser Scaup with a slightly out of character bill coloration.
The trip down Haul Rd produced not one but 2 very shy Winter Wrens which
were quite vocal with their "telegraph-like" call notes yet maintaining
strict avoidance of visibility to the observers. Oh well!
We spotted a dozen Hooded Mergansers and then 6 Ruddy Duck in the marina
lagoon. The sparrows were thickest along the dogleg with at least 10 Swamp
Sparrows noted and even more Song and White-throated Sparrows were present.
On the boardwalk we spotted the previously mentioned Common Goldeneye,
female, off the nearby island. On our way back to the car, we got a few
drops of drizzling rain upon us, but nothing too significant.
Next week Larry Cartwright leads the last official Field Trip of the year -
Christmas Bird Counts start after that. (Of course if you visit Dyke please
send your field list to this author for addition to the FODM database.) All
are welcome to join in the upcoming CBCs - contact me if you have interest
in Dyke Marsh for Saturday, Dec 15 or helping out in the Fort Belvoir CBC
Sunday Dec 30. Thanks much!
Kurt Gaskill
