The weekly walk at Dyke Marsh this morning enjoyed spectacular weather and some
good birds. Highlights were a dunlin at long range off Hunting Creek (black
belly patch clearly seen), 5 semipalmated plover, 5 late red-breasted
mergansers, a singing marsh wren, a cooperative Canada warbler, numerous
blackpoll warblers, and a bank swallow. We saw quite a few spotted sandpipers
along the shore of the river and in the marsh. I also saw a Swainson's thrush
before the walk started at the edge of the picnic area.
A kingbird has a nest in a sycamore in the picnic area, and we saw several
species collecting nesting material (great-crested flycatcher, cedar waxwing,
yellow warbler, mourning dove).
For those interested, here is the list.
double crested cormorant - 5
great blue heron - 12
Canada goose - 8
mallard - 20
red-breasted merganser - 5
turkey vulture - 1
osprey - 10
semipalmated plover - 5
spotted sandpiper - 7
dunlin - 1
ring-billed gull - 9
mourning dove - 7
yellow-billed cuckoo - 1
chimney swift - 3
red-bellied woodpecker - 4
downy woodpecker - 3
northern flicker - 1
eastern wood pewee - 2
great-crested flycatcher - 4
eastern kingbird - 4
tree swallow - 4
northern rough-winged swallow - 2
bank swallow - 1
barn swallow - 8
cedar waxwing - 18
carolina wren - 8
marsh wren - 1
gray catbird - 1
northern mockingbird - 2
swainson's thrush - 1
American robin - 12
blue-gray gnatcatcher - 6
Carolina chickadee - 2
tufted titmouse - 4
blue jay - 4
American crow - 2
fish crow - 1
European starling
house sparrow - 10
warbling vireo - 3
red-eyed vireo - 6
house finch - 3
American goldfinch - 14
northern parula - 3
yellow warbler - 3
blackpoll warbler - 8
American redstart - 1
prothonotary warbler - 3
common yellowthroat - 3
Canada warbler - 1
eastern towhee - 1
song sparrow - 2
northern cardinal - 10
red-winged blackbird - 16
common grackle - 12
brown-headed cowbird - 8
Baltimore oriole - 4
orchard oriole - 2
Marc Ribaudo
Woodbridge, VA
