VA BIRDers,
I spent the morning doing the big loop at Occoquan Bay NWR - parking lot
east to the river, then along the river with a short detour up to the
bittern/rail overlook, then back to the river and then to the gazebo, then
north with a quick look into Painted Turtle Pond and back to the parking
lot; about 3.5 hrs. Temps were mild but it got windy where Occ. Bay opens
up to the Potomac - maybe 55F back at the parking lot when I returned to the
car. Highlights were American Pipits flying over early, Common Yellowthroat
on the Wildlife Drive along the section you cannot walk, and a Brown
Thrasher at the autogate onto Dawson's Beach Rd. Lots of American Robins
today, I probably under counted. Afterwards a stop at Belmont Marina to
scan for ducks. The totals for the 60 species found combine both locations.
Kurt Gaskill
C. Goose 133
Gadwall 282
Am. Black Duck 13
Mallard 62
Lesser Scaup 30
Bufflehead 22
Hooded Merganser 8
Ruddy Duck 26
Pied-billed Grebe 66, strong numbers for the second half of November
Horned Grebe 9
DC Cormorant 4
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 2
Black Vulture 15
Turkey Vulture 25
Bald Eagle 4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered 2
Red-tailed 1
Am. Coot 1025
RB Gull 74
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 14
Mourning Dove 8
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied WP 10
Downy WP 3
No. Flicker 8
Pileated WP 2
Blue Jay 12
Am. Crow 7
Fish Crow 85
C. Chickadee 9
T. Titmouse 2
C. Wren 17
W. Wren 4
RC Kinglet 2
E. Bluebird 10
Am. Robin 255
No. Mocker 4
Brown Thrasher 1
E. Starling 70
Am. Pipit 6
Cedar Waxwing 42
Yellow-rumped Warbler 13
Common Yellowthroat 1
E. Towhee 3
Field Sp 5
Savannah Sp 4
Fox Sp 2
Song Sp 61
Swamp Sp 21
White-thr Sp 76
Junco 1
No. Cardinal 24
Red-winged BB 212
Rusty BB 1, by itself, nearest blackbird group was a quarter mile away, a
bit sad
Common Grackle 2
House Finch 1
Am. Goldfinch 4