VA BIRDers,
A few additions to what has been reported. I started off at The Point
(Possum Pt and Cockpit Pt Rds outside of Dumfries, VA and bordering Quantico
Creek) at 0830. Two hours produced 56 species. Highlights were Wood Duck,
100's of No. Pintails and Ring-necked Ducks, and several groups of Hooded
Mergansers (38 total), the Bald Eagle is ON at the at the Dominion nest site
overlooking the viewable ashpond, large numbers of Ring-billed and Herring
Gulls suggesting they are staging, Hairy WPs were very vocal, a couple of
Hermit Thrush and Yellow-rumped Warblers, indications of sparrow movement
with Field Sparrows mixed in with Song Sparrows on road edge, Fox Sparrows
along a creek, and several groups of Juncos, plus two Rusty Blackbirds.
Neabsco Creek produced the hope-for Tree Swallow, some itinerant Tundra
Swans were noted (60), and more Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. My next stop
was Veteran's Park which produced the only Northern Shovelers of the day.
Looking out from Belmont Marina produced an Osprey and various groups of
ducks and grebes.
Pohick Park in Fairfax Co. had the Eurasian Wigeon as Larry recently
reported. Nearby Mt Vernon Estates produced my only Greater Scaup of the
day resulting in a tally of 19 duck species (mid-March is a great time to go
"ducking" in No. VA). A nearby feeder had a few Pine Siskin. I then looked
over the Great Marsh of Mason Neck and noted 12 Greater Yellowlegs; nearby
were two large rafts of scaup and I only include the Virginia birds in the
totals below.
Kurt Gaskill
waterfowl totals for the day:
C. Goose 148
Tundra Swan 475
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 92
E. Wigeon 1
Am. Wigeon 44
Am. Black Duck 70
Mallard 75
No. Shoveler 4
No. Pintail 118
Green-winged Teal 16
Canvasback 21
Redhead 70
Ring-necked Duck 348
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 4757
Bufflehead 18
Hooded Merganser 40
Common Merganser 40
Red-breasted Merganser 93
Ruddy Duck 145
Pied-billed Grebe 21
Horned Grebe 7
DC Cormorant 84
Am. Coot 760
