Fellow birders,
Fourteen persons joined me for the weekly walk at Dyke Marsh Wildlife
Preserve sponsored by The Friends of Dyke Marsh, which starts at 8 a.m. on
Sunday mornings at the south end of the parking lot to the Belle Haven
picnic area and is open to everyone. Highlights were mostly provided by
breeding residents and included active CEDAR WAXWING, BALTIMORE ORIOLE and
ORCHARD ORIOLE nests along Haul Road, a pair of PURPLE MARTINS interacting
at the marina, several other swallow species, consisting of BARN, TREE and
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, a pair of GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERS
interacting near the entrance to Haul Road, EASTERN KINGBIRDS that were
conspicuous in sight and sound at several locations, singing WARBLING VIREOS
at several locations, a male INDIGO BUNTING near a known nesting location
along Haul Road, YELLOW WARBLERS at a couple of locations along the latter
part of Haul Road, numerous BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, and for one fortunate
participant a LEAST BITTERN in flight near the bridge along Haul Road. We
also saw three BALD EAGLES, including an adult flying into a known nesting
location across the marshes at the end of Haul Road, and several active
OSPREY nests. There was nothing unexpected on the water other than a single
male LESSER SCAUP at the beginning of the field trip. Notable misses
included the very vocal HOUSE WREN encountered at the marina as recently as
this past Friday and MARSH WREN, a declining but still regular breeder at
this location that does not appear to have returned to the marshes along
Haul Road this spring. Non-avian highlights included a couple of BLACK RAT
SNAKES, the largest snake in Virginia, along Haul Road, and a SNAPPING
TURTLE that appeared to be laying eggs in a dirt depression on the edge of
Haul Road and was standing in the middle of Haul Road on our return trip.
For those who are interested, a complete list of the birds encountered
during the field trip may be viewed at the following link:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?svabID=S23720044
<http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23720044>
Thanks to regular field trip leaders Larry, Larry and Ed and all other
persons who joined me for all or part of this beautiful morning.
Gerry Hawkins
Arlington, VA
