VA BIRDers,
About 10 participants met a tough day at Dyke with virtually no migrants.
We had to content ourselves with 2 Merlins flying out from Jones Point south
over the Potomac. After spotting the first, I went to where it emanated and
noted a second. This Merlin was about 200 yds over the river and made an
abrupt U-Turn - AND THEN DIVED ON A FORSTER'S TERN! The tern (mistakenly)
went west towards Jones Point as the Merlin continued to dive upon it.
Finally, the Merlin snagged it and carried it into the woods.
The remainder of the trip was somewhat dull - we spotted 4 Northern Pintail
as they set down in Hunting Creek Bay - and then quickly taking to the air;
plus Caspian and Forster's Terns (some of the latter are still flying!).
Three Bald Eagles. Also found a Magnolia Warbler which everyone got on, a
few Gray Catbirds and some sneaky Cedar Waxwings. A couple of us managed a
brief look at a Peregrine flying towards the nearby island.
Before the Field Trip I noted 8 Greater Yellowlegs on Hunting Creek
mudflats, a Wood Duck and 1400 Laughing Gulls.
Kurt Gaskill
