Half a dozen people joined me for today's Dyke Marsh bird walk, free and
open to all, and held every Sunday at 8:00 AM except during the Christmas
Bird Count season. It was grebe day at Dyke Marsh, with 6 Horned Grebes in
various stages of molt, 2 Red-necked Grebes, and a single Pied-billed Grebe.
Six of the birds representing all three species were seen simultaneously in
the little bay from Haul Road's Dead Beaver Beach vantage point. Signs of
spring are everywhere. The Bald Eagle breeding pair took time from the new
nest on the parkway side of the Little Gut to conduct courtship and
copulate. Ospreys have occupied 4 nests, including the one on the leaning
pole at the marina. We saw 4 Tree Swallows, including one bird that took
brief interest in a nest box on the south side of the marina. Waterfowl
numbers are down, but there is still some nice diversity, including a group
of 7 Redheads in the Potomac River channel. The walk ended with a Merlin
flying low over the boardwalk, causing some panic among the Song Sparrows
and Red-winged Blackbirds foraging in the remnants of last year's marsh
vegetation.
My congratulations to Snoopy, who completed his first bird walk in a
well-mannered and agreeable fashion.
Today's list
Canada Goose 90
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 26
Canvasback 4
Redhead 7
Lesser Scaup 14
Bufflehead 10
Common Merganser 2
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Ruddy Duck 22
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Horned Grebe 6 (from complete basis to almost
complete alternate plumage)
Red-necked Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 3
Osprey 7 (occupying 4 nest sites)
Bald Eagle 7 (including 1 nest site)
Merlin 1
Ring-billed Gull 250
Herring Gull 6
Great Black-backed Gull 4
Mourning dove 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 2
Fish Crow 12
Tree Swallow 4
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 5
American Robin 25
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 20
Song Sparrow 23
White-throated Sparrow 10
Northern Cardinal 12
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 2
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 5
Larry Cartwright
prowarbler@xxxxxxxxxxx
