I missed the red-necked grebe reported by Kurt, but had a nice mix of birds at
Occoquan NWR with morning. Along Easy Rd. I noted song, white-throated, tree,
and swamp sparrows and a very trim sharp-shinned hawk. A flock of rusty
blackbirds was hanging out at the end of Easy Road. Good numbers of wood
ducks, black ducks, and green-winged teal were noted around the marsh. At
Deephole Pt. a large flock of ducks contained ring-necked ducks, redhead,
lesser scaup, gadwall, American widgeon, and bufflehead. At the marsh along
Deephole Pt. Road a king rail called incessantly. Also noted at various points
along the shore were both pied-billed and horned grebes, tundra swans, ruddy
duck, greater scaup, and a flock of 7 male red-breasted mergansers. Along
Charlie Road were a flock a 6 savannah sparrows, a singling meadowlark, a
flyover American pipit, yellow-rumped warbler, a number of Wilson's snipe in
the field, and calling turkey. I tallied 67 species in all.
Marc Ribaudo
Woodbridge
