This morning 25 people, including 17 enrolled in the Virginia Master
Naturalist program, joined me for the final birding tour of the season
at George Washington's Ferry Farm in Stafford County. A nice diversity
of birds were observed, totaling 37 species. Unquestionably, the best
bird of the walk was a DICKCISSEL found along the edge of the native
grasses and wildflower meadow. A number of participants and myself got
solid, but brief views of the bird. This sighting is a first-time record
of this species on the property! Other notables were Chimney Swift,
Nashville and Palm Warbler, Swamp and White-throated Sparrow, and
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. A compete list follows:
Canada Goose
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift - 1
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3+
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Cray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6+
Palm Warbler -3+
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow -2
Song Sparrow- 4+
White-throated Sparrow -1
Northern Cardinal
DICKCISSEL -1
House Finch
Best,
Paul Nasca
Fredericksburg, VA
nasca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
