The Nokesville CBC on Sunday, December 27 was lots of fun and turned up
some interesting birds. Despite some morning fog, flooded creeks and
frozen ponds, it was a beautiful day and the weather was more
cooperative than what could have been, especially considering the recent
snow.
Twenty-two people participated and together recorded 84 species and
36,709 individuals. Last year, December 14 2008, we recorded 87 species
and 10,720 individuals. The previous year, January 4 2008, there were 82
species and 15,873 individuals recorded.
Thanks to Todd Day, the count benefited from considerably better
coverage in the Fauquier portions than previous years, which added three
species to the list - Wilson's Snipe, Purple Finch and Loggerhead Shrike.
We saw Red-headed Woodpeckers at four locations - Merrimac Farm WMA,
Cedar Run Wetland Bank, Foggy Bottom Wetland Bank and in a narrow tree
line along Deepwood Lane. Other notable species include a variety of
owls - Saw-whet, Screech, Barn, Barred and Great-horned - as well as a
Merlin, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Horned Larks, and American Pipit.
The Cedar Run Wetland Bank produced the count's only Northern Bobwhite
and a lone Coot was spotted among a large flock of Mallards in a pond
off Wright Lane in Nokesville. Despite the many Wild Turkey tracks in
the snow at Merrimac Farm, no actual birds were seen and the only one
recorded was near Manassas Airport.
Many thanks to the intrepid birders who made this count a success:
Jeanette Baldwin, Marlis Baldwin, Bob Blakney, Todd Day, Alton Dick,
Rick Flaherty, Jan Frye, Kurt Gaskill, Harry Glasgow, Eli Hosen, Jake
Hosen, Greg Justice, Larry Kline, Gary Myer, Matt Myer, Tim Stamp, Russ
Taylor, Larry Underwood, Nancy Vehrs, Jim Waggener, Kelly Westermyer.
