Up through June Bobolinks tried to nest near my home in western Loudoun Co.
Unfort. the fields were mowed before they could successfully nest & I couldn't
find them in the fields that were not being mowed. Apparently a few of them
did nest in the neighborhood as I observed six juvenile Bobolinks this morning
in a black willow w/about a dozen immature & female Red-winged Blackbirds. Two
of the juvenile Bobolinks were very awkward in their flight and movements; the
rest were not. When I approached the willow (got w/in about 30 feet) all but
three of the Bobolinks flew. The ones that remained were the awkward ones -
being so close I got great views of them where it was easy to tell they were
juveniles and not adult females though I thought there might have been at least
one adult female in the group that flew. There was also a female Yellow
Warbler in the black willow.
The birds were on Legacy Farm in a black willow on the edge of the small pond
which borders Ebenezer Church Rd, Rt. 779.
Earlier in the morning I heard an Eastern Screech Owl calling very weakly in
the woodlot I live in - this is the first I have heard in several months -
maybe a young bird trying out its calls?
While I was not able to find out, earlier in the summer, where the Bobolinks
had moved to when the field they were trying to nest in was mowed, Grasshopper
Sparrows seemed to nest very successfully in that field and other nearby fields
that were being mowed. In July I observed several juvenile Grasshopper
Sparrows in those fields leading me to guess that their nests were in areas
(fence rows, patches of brambles, etc) that were not mowed.
Willow Flycatchers also successfully nested in the area in wooded scrub (mostly
black willow) along the stream across the road from Legacy Farm - last week I
observed fledglings begging & being fed on the Legacy Farm paddock fence next
to the road & near the small pond mentioned above. Earlier this week I watched
the juveniles awkwardly hunt for their own food.
As an aside the Loudoun County (Waterford)Butterfly Count is taking place this
Sat. - just contact me if you think you might be int'd & want to join one of
our teams.
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont VA
jandkcoleman@xxxxxxxxx or 540-554-2542
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