VA BIRDers,
Peter Ross and I lead today's field trip to Accotink Wildlife Refuge,
located along Accotink Creek in Fort Belvoir. Similar to today's reports in
MD and DC, migrants were few today most likely due to the south-ish winds
for the last few days. (In contrast, tonight is looking very good!
Occoquan Bay NWR anyone?) The main portion of the trip covered a few trails
from the parking lot to and along the creek. Afterwards, some of us spent
20 minutes at the waterfront of Pohick Bay which quickly yielded 15 more
species. Good numbers of Chimney Swifts, Northern Rough-winged Swallows,
Gray Catbirds and Brown Thrashers were encountered. The list is below.
Kurt Gaskill
Wood Duck 3
Am. Black Duck 2
Pied-billed Grebe 10
DC Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 12
Turkey Vulture 2
No. Harrier 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Lesser Yellowlegs 8
L. Gull 36
RB Gull 15
Forster's Tern 10
Mourning Dove 3
YB Cuckoo 2, great looks at the bay in a small island of trees
C. Swift 36
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied WP 7
YB Sapsucker 1 (along the trail before the trip officially started)
Downy WP 2
Hairy WP 2
No. Flicker 4
PIleated WP 3
E. Wood Pewee 1
Trails Flycatcher 1, great looks at the bay
E. Phoebe 4
Red-eyed V 6
Blue Jay 20
Am. Crow 6
Fish Crow 1
No. Rough-winged Sw 50
C. Chickadee 7
T. Titmouse 10
White-br Nuthatch 4
C. Wren 2
BG Gnatcatcher 1
Swainson's Thrush 2 (plus an 2 early birds)
Am. Robin 30
Gray Catbird 12
No. Mocker 2
Brown Thrasher 9
No. Parula 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1, uh-oh!
Blackpoll Warbler 1, great looks at the bay
No. Waterthrush 3 (plus an early bird, seems like a good fall migration for
this species in No. Va.)
Common Yellowthroat 3
No. Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 5
Red-winged BB 225
Com. Grackle 30
House Finch 2
Am. Goldfinch
please note, no E. Starlings or House Sparrows!
