VA BIRDers,
Highlight of the Northern Virginia Bird Club Field Trip to Sky Meadows were
likely the Lincoln's Sparrows. At least one was well seen by all
participants for several minutes. A real treat. Two others were
encountered later on the trip, which traversed the Bridle Trail and nearby
locations. Other good sightings were Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Eastern
Phoebes, Blue-headed Vireo, Common Ravens, House Wrens, Winter Wrens, Hermit
Thrush, Gray Catbird, many Cedar Waxwings, Black-throated Green Warblers,
Palm Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Grasshopper Sparrow, several
White-crowned Sparrows (10 sparrows species were seen by nearly everyone),
and Indigo Bunting. The blue Blue Sky made it very tough to find hawks.
The list is below. I believe the NVBC plans another trip to this location
next Saturday.
Kurt Gaskill
C. Goose 15
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 17
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Killdeer 1
Rock Pigeon 30
Mourning Dove 12
YB Cuckoo 1, some controversy on this one
Red-headed WP 5
Red-bellied WP 10
YB Sapsucker 6
Downy WP 6
Hairy WP 1
No. Flicker 6
PIleated WP 2
E. Phoebe 12
Blue-headed V 1
Blue Jay 20
Am. Crow 12
Com. Raven 2
C. Chickadee 6
T. Titmouse 6
White-br Nuthatch 2
C. Wren 7
H. Wren 2
W. Wren 2
RC Kinglet 5
E. Bluebird 20
Hermit Thrush 4
Am. Robin 5
Gray Catbird 1
No. Mocker 15
E. Starling 25
Cedar Waxwing 75
Yellow-rumped Warbler 24
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 3
E. Towhee 12
Chipping Sp 3
Field Sp 20
Savannah Sp 12
Grasshopper Sp 1
Song Sp 125 (OK, maybe this is a bit large, perhaps 80? Sparrow numbers are
not yet big)
Lincoln's Sp 3
Swamp Sp 16
White-thr Sp 24
White-crn Sp 5
No. Cardinal 6
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged BB 12
E. Meadowlark 16
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Purple Finch 1; wish we could have seen this calling bird..
House Finch 4
Am. Goldfinch 10
House Sp 6
