At one point on this morning's Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk it
seemed
as if we were in a blizzard of cattail fuzz. An odd sensation, to be sure.
There were 16 birders on this last Monday of summer, and we spotted 52 species.
Our highlights included an American Kestrel on one of the snags downstream from
the tower; two Wood Thrushes; 3 of the Sora contingent we saw last week; and
the
beginnings of the huge winter mixed flocks of blackbirds that occur each year.
The Cooper's Hawks seemed in a playful mood as they chased each other around as
if they were WWII fighters in a dogfight.
Canada Goose 13
Mallard 1
Green-winged Teal 2
Wild Turkey 1
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 19
Green Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 2
Cooper's Hawk 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 1
Sora 3
Killdeer 1
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Least Sandpiper 2
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 10
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Acadian Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 1
crow sp. 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Tree Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 15
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 1
Eastern Bluebird 8
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 17
Gray Catbird 5
Magnolia Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 2
American Redstart 1
Ovenbird 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Northern Cardinal 6
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Common Grackle 150
American Goldfinch 12
The Monday Morning birdwalk has been a weekly event at Huntley Meadows since
1985. It takes place every week, rain or shine, at 7AM, is free of charge,
requires no reservation, and is open to all. Birders meet in the parking lot
at
the Park's entrance at 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA. Questions should
be
directed to Park staff during normal business hours at (703) 768-2525.
Harry Glasgow
Friends of Huntley Meadows Park
