Fellow birders,
I had an enjoyable mid-day walk in the above-captioned
areas, encountering several nice birds, including Orange-crowned Warbler,
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Phoebe and Chipping Sparrow. Because of the
upcoming CBC in this area, set forth below are the locations at which I
found these birds.
I parked in the northern-most parking lot to the Belle
Haven Picnic Area (the one closest to Old Town) and proceeded to walk north
toward Hunting Creek. Soon after entering the wooded/shrubby area north of
the picnic area I encountered a mixed-species flock which contained a
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Also included in this flock were a Brown Creeper and
both species of kinglets. All of these birds were heard as well as seen.
As I approached the open area shortly before mile post 8 two adult Bald
Eagles were prominently perched above the nest that was started last year on
the other side of the GW Highway, with the noticeably smaller male perched
on a lower branch than the female. As I approached the Hunting Creek bridge
I saw an Eastern Phoebe in vegetation which was close to the water on the
right side of Hunting Creek and in front of the base of the Route 1 bridge.
My spotting scope was helpful but not necessary to see and identify this
bird. As I walked toward Jones Point I found a single Chipping Sparrow
foraging in the walkway with many Song and White-throated Sparrows. This
bird was located about 20-25 yards after the walkway turns to the right to
parallel the Wilson Bridge and before the end of the wire fence on the right
side of this walkway. I then walked to the Lighthouse and on the path around
Jones Point which bears to the left of the Lighthouse. As I was exiting
this area on the other side of Jones Point I saw another mixed-species flock
which contained an Orange-crowned Warbler (the nominate celata) and both
species of kinglets, including three Ruby-crowned Kinglets which were all
displaying their bright red crown patch at the same time. These birds were
located in the tall vegetation on the right as one exits the wooded path
around the Point and undoubtedly were enjoying the warm early-afternoon sun
which was hitting this area. Waterfowl seen during the walk included a
male Common Merganser near the shore of Hunting Creek Bay near mile post 8,
a raft of about 75 Ring-necked Ducks which contained only three females,
along with a female Bufflehead and a few Lesser Scaup, close to shore on the
north end of the Belle Haven Picnic Area, several Redheads in with a raft of
Lesser Scaup which was much farther out in the Bay, and small numbers of
American Black Ducks and Ruddy Ducks. I also encountered several Killdeer
during the walk across Hunting Creek.
Gerry Hawkins
Arlington, VA
