Merlins are rare at the hawkwatch (average about 3 per season) and
elsewhere in VA in late winter and spring, so the first one of the season here
today was exciting. Many birds were moving on today's warm air, including our
first American Kestrel, our first Rough-winged Swallows, 2 Great Egrets, 9
Great Blue Herons in a flock, hundreds of gulls and Tree Swallows, both
scaup species, many Red-breasted Mergansers, several Horned Grebes, a
Pied-billed Grebe, several Brown Pelicans and 1120 Ruddy Ducks. We even saw
Variegated Frittilaries and Clouded Sulphur butterflies. We're off to an
above-average start at the hawkwatch (51 today)...daily results can be seen at
the
Hawkcount.org website.
Brian Taber
College Creek Hawkwatch is a program of Coastal VA Wildlife Observatory and
is located 3 miles southeast of Williamsburg, on the James River, along
the Colonial Parkway.
