Today (Sunday) I visited Leesylvania State Park and Occoquan Bay NWR, and two
other nearby locations (Metz Wetlands, near LSP; and Veterans Park, near
OBNWR). I found a huge difference in "birdiness", either due to the time of
day, and/or the locations (only a few miles apart from each other).
Metz was teeming with birds, singing, calling, foraging, flying, etc. I don't
recall ever hearing so much singing and calling in September, as I heard there
today from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM. There were a lot of very soggy, bedraggled
birds there. I literally could not identify any of the sparrows.
On the other hand, my next stop, nearby Leesylvania State Park, was very quiet
from 9:00 to 9:45. Visiting the bridge over the wetland, and the ridge on the
Lee Historic Trail, I saw and/or heard exactly 6 birds from 5 species in 45
minutes. Veteran's Park and OBNWR were also pretty quiet, although I was able
to add one warbler at Veteran's.
- Steve Johnson
Fairfax, VA
*** Metz Wetlands ***
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Canada Goose
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo (3-4, several singing continously)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (dozens, perched)
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Magnolia Warbler (3+)
American Redstart (1 juv/female)
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
*** Leesylvania State Park
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Turkey Vulture
Belted Kingfisher
Carolina Wren
*** Veteran's Park
Eastern Bluebird (1 adult & 1 very juvenile)
Yellow-throated Warbler
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
