Oh, and a couple of flyover Purple Finches at Sky
Meadows.
Scott
--- Scott Baron <brnpelican@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:20:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Scott Baron <brnpelican@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Clarke and Fauquier counties, Nov. 11
To: Virginia Birding <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Hello, birders.
I thought I'd combine a trip to Bear's Den Trail
Center to look for winter finches and then head to
Sky
Meadows SP for my bird survey. Because I got home
so
late last night, I decided to get by on no sleep and
go owling beforehand.
With lots of winter finches to our north and reports
of Pine Siskins and Purple Finches from all over
Va.,
I had hoped for winter finches today but I kept my
expectations low.
Highlights: owls, all 7 woodpeckers, Loggerhead
Shrike, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Purple Finch.
It was 29 degrees and the wind was almost calm when
I
arrived at Sky Meadows at 4:30am and hung around the
entrance gate at the contact station. I immediately
heard a pair of spooky GREAT HORNED OWLS hooting
from
way off to the NW. Soon after, a BARRED OWL called
from the direction of Rte. 17 - my first definite
Barred in the park area after years of birding
there.
A Canada Goose and mammals rounded out the species
there before dawn. A check of the fishing pond area
produced a calling sparrow.
Next a visit to Bear's Den, located in Clarke Co.
near
the Loudoun Co. line just S of Snickers Gap,
produced
a calling Eastern Screech-owl at dawn. No tapes
were
used for any of the owls that I heard. I was hoping
for Saw-whets, though. Later, PURPLE FINCHES and
lots
of AM. ROBINS flew overhead. One of two mixed
songbird flocks held a male RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH,
who
was feeding in pines at the overlook.
Back to Sky Meadows at 8:30. I quickly found a
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE perched near the fishing pond. It
alternated perches in between the W shore of the
pond
and the N side of the house. Another Shrike was
perched in various trees in the Meadow Trail area.
Sparrows seen along this trail were mostly Song.
The
duck ponds are mostly dry.
All 7 woodpecker sp. were seen/heard at Sky Meadows.
I thought I heard a Pine Siskin calling overhead at
the fishing pond but I'm not certain.
Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va.
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