VA BIRDers,
Rich Rieger and I visited a few places to look for waterfowl and perhaps an
uncommon species or two. It was tough going. Highlights were Great Egret in
Roach's Run, Greater Scaup off Occoquan Marina and the Great Marsh of Mason
Neck, Common Loon and Horned Grebes off Occoquan Marina, Greater Yellowlegs
in Neabsco Cr and the Great Marsh, and Fox Sparrow at Dangerfield Is.
We visited Dyke Marsh, Riverside Park, Quantico Creek, Neabsco Creek,
Veteran's Park, Occoquan Marina, the Great Marsh of Mason Neck, a pond in
Lorton, Burke Lake and Roach's Run, in that order. Except for the large
raft of Lesser Scaup off the Great Marsh (ca. 4000), there were no large
groups of waterfowl. Below are the numbers we tallied of waterfowl and a few
other notable species.
C. Goose 30
Tundra Swan 1, the long continuing bird visible nr the Stone Bridge from the
Dyke Marsh picnic area
Wood Duck 14
Gadwall 17
Am. Black Duck 110
Mallard 31
Green-winged Teal 65
Canvasback 1, in Quantico Creek mixed in with Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck 23
Greater Scaup 5
Lesser Scaup 4217
Bufflehead 21
Hooded Merganser 18
Common Merganser 44
Red-breasted Merganser 31
Ruddy Duck 139
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 26
Horned Grebe 2
DC Cormorant 66
Great Egret 1
Osprey 15
Bald Eagle 26
Am. Coot 865
Killdeer 3
Greater Yellowlegs 9
Tree Swallow 3, surprisingly thin numbers
Kurt Gaskill
