Apparently I sent this to the old VA-Bird address on Sunday night. Sorry about
that
It contains a few other sightings besides the post sent by Sherman Suter for
Susan Steele.
Frederick D. Atwood fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
--- On Sun, 9/14/08, Frederick Atwood <fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Frederick Atwood <fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: western kingbird, westmoreland co, sun sept 14
To: "Virginia Bird" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: smok5y@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 10:47 PM
I joined Fawn Palmer in the bird-team of the Bio-Blitz at George Washington's
Birthplace National Monument this morning. Warblers were surprisingly scarce
except pine and yellowthroat. We saw many bald eagles and 5 ospreys. A
red-headed woodpecker was between the visitor center and the historical house,
the first time I have seen one here. We also found a few wood-pewees, red-eyed
vireos, white-eyed vireos, a yellow-billed cuckoo, several indigo buntings, and
a yellow warbler. Sandy Spencer covered a different trail and found a wood
thrush, an acadian flycatcher, and both tanagers.
At the beach Susan Steele, a Californian birder, came up to us and asked what
we were seeing. While Fawn and I were looking out over the river, her sharp
eyes spotted a bird on the dead branchlet at the top of a tree behind us. She
said there is "some kind of kingbird up there". I immediately got my scope on
it, and zoomed in until a dapper western kingbird nearly filled the field of
view. This is the first I have seen in Virginia. The bird disappeared into the
trees for awhile but came out again and perched on the same branches so we all
got great views. It flew out a few times to get insects and returned to the
same perch. I shot a few photos but have not downloaded or looked at them yet.
In the afternoon I went to Leedstown. The heat and humidity drained me of all
my energy but I was rejuvenated by a wonderfully refreshing breeze at sunset
while I listened to 3 soras in the marsh along the Rappahannock. The only
sandpiper was a solitary solitary. I heard 5 bobolinks and 1 acadian
flycatcher. A kestrel was perched on a wire and a Cooper's hawk repeatedly
flushed a flock of 250 starlings which wheeled and split, scattered, and
clumped. The hawk seemed to have a full crop and did not seem to make any
serious effort at catching a starling. I was surprised to see no swallows all
day. As I headed home into another spectacular sunset, I saw no swifts in the
Oak Grove chimney-roost.
I hope you have a great week!
Fred
Frederick D. Atwood fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
