visited Occoquan NWR and the Prince William County landfill this morning for
some leisurely birding. Highlights at Occoquan were a singing fox sparrow, a
single tree tree sparrow, and good numbers of song, field, white-throated, and
swamp sparrows. I also saw a towhee, hermit thrush, all three mergansers,
tundra swans, Cooper's hawk, and 7 eagles in the air at once. The latter was
nearly matched at the landfill where there were 6 eagles in the air at once.
The glaucous gull was in 1st or 2nd winter plumage. When it flew it was like a
huge gull ghost. Also at the dump was an adult lesser black-backed gull. When
I got home there was a sharp-shinned hawk dining on a recent visitor to our
feeder.
Marc Ribaudo
Woodbridge, VA
