Many thanks to Lisa Deaton, Lynda Blair, Barbara Houston, members of
Richmond Audubon and Williamsburg Bird Club, Colonial Nature Photography
Club, members of the Historic Rivers and Riverine Va. Master Naturalist
chapters and others whose names I did not get for contributing to a
wonderful day of birding and learning about our Virginia forests. It was my
first trip to NKFC and I really enjoyed it. The highlight for me was the 10
hens and 1 tom turkey I flushed at the end of George Dean Hwy. while I was
quickly looking around at the habitat before the 7am start of the birding
trip. I had never seen them fly and land high in a tree before, but I never
intended that I would be the only one to see them today (sorry!). Rachel
Echols and I had to leave a little early, then I came back later, and
Shirley Devan also kept a list. The total number of species from all lists
was 62. The birds I and/or Rachel saw before we left were as follows, with
** indicating new species seen from 1pm to 4pm after I returned:
Canada goose
Wood duck
Wild turkey 11
DC cormorant
GB heron
Black vulture
Turkey vulture
Osprey
Bald eagle adult**
Northern harrier 2 flying north in am, one hunting a field near the highway
in the pm
Red shouldered hawk**
Red tailed hawk
American kestrel
Killdeer
Mourning dove
Belted kingfisher
Red bellied woodpecker
Downy WP
Hairy WP
Northern flicker
Pileated WP**
Eastern phoebe
Blue jay**
American crow
Fish crow**
Purple martin a gorgeous male
Tree swallows
Carolina chickadee
Red breasted nuthatch** heard on the guided nature trail, reviewed tapes
White breasted nuthatch**
Brown headed nuthatch Rachel's bird right before she left
Brown creeper** guided nature trail
Carolina wren
Ruby crowned kinglet**
Blue gray gnatcatcher
Eastern bluebird
Hermit thrush**
American robin
Brown thrasher
European starling
Yellow warbler
Yellow throated warbler** up close and personal in the cypress swamp on the
guided nature trail
Pine warbler
Eastern towhee
Chipping sparrow
Field sparrow
Song sparrow
Swamp sparrow
White throated sparrow
Dark eyed junco
Northern cardinal
Red-winged blackbird
Eastern meadowlark the most I have ever seen and heard in one place!
Rusty blackbird female**
Common grackle
Brown headed cowbird
House finch
American goldfinch
Barred owl pair seen by some, but flushed and gone just like the turkeys
Shirley Devan's additional species before leaving at noon (from e-bird
report):
Sharp-shinned hawk
Common yellowthroat
Yellow bellied sapsucker
Sorry for the late post. This property is restricted access. Until a
regular field trip schedule can be developed, trips can be scheduled by
contacting Lisa Deaton @ 804-328-3031. It is well worth the trip. Have a
great day!
Jan
Richmond