Happy Independence Day folks,
I went out to Huntley Meadows this morning for some casual birding. There
was the expected birds singing. First a young cardinal and a couple of
robins. Nuthatches and wrens were calling. A Yellowthroat was heard singing
once we hit the boardwalk, along with a cuckoo. There were two adult
cardinals and about three catbirds, at least one was young, but I think two
were. We went to the part of the boardwalk were the fence was over-looling
the flats. The water level was quite low today. There were about three Great
Blues and two Egrets. I saw four Green Herons total in that area. I was
hoping for a sandpiper but as I figured there were none. There were several
turtles sunning themselves as well as a couple of the large snappers. We
also spotted a lone doe. Some young Barn Swallows and the adults were kind
enough to perch on the little snag near the boardwalk as I took photos. I
did scope out what I believe might be two Hooded Mergansers, but I am not
positive. I took a crummy photo of them and I didn't think much of the
sighting until after I left and saw in my field guide that the only possible
merganser we get was a Hooded.
We went moving along the boardwalk where we found two of the four green
herons on the left side of the boardwalk in a patch where the cattails were
absent. They were about five and say ten feet away. We up to the observation
deck and didn't see much. My mother spotted a deer far off, looking to the
left, and I spotted a Red-shoulder. I saw another Green Heron, marking
number four. After scanning and not seeing anything of too much interest we
walked back where we saw some bullfrogs, I believe, a snake, and some
muskrats. I went back to the flats saw a couple of phoebes and some Wood
Ducks, female with 4 young, and headed out.
It was good day and I will be going there tomorrow as well, and I shall look
for those mergansers again and make a positive identification.
Cheers,
Jacob Barkett,
Woodbridge, VA
