Thirteens birders joined the Northern Virginia Bird Club walk at Riverbend Park
this morning. We started at the Visitor Center and walked up river because the
trails going the other way were apparently closed for high water and excessive
mud. We hoping for a good showing of waterfowl, but it was not to be,
unfortunately. We only saw three species of ducks (Bufflehead, RIng-necked and
Common Merganser), although there were over 100 Bufflehead present. There were
no grebes or coots. We were not seeing many land birds either as we walked
along the river, though we did enjoy watching a couple of Bald Eagles visiting
their nest. We decided to walk up the slope and eventually to the meadow near
the Nature Center where we hoped for better luck. On the way we saw a couple of
Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Once at the meadow, our fortunes
did indeed improve. We watched a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Fox Sparrow
perch in good light. There was also a Savannah Sparrow, Red-tailed Hawk and a
Pileated Woodpecker. Overall, we managed to tally 36 bird species on the day.
Larry MeadeMerrifield, VA
