Hi -
After visiting Huntley Meadows and seeing one Virginia Rail, plus hearing
another, as well as the two Soras and the Bittern Kurt has already reported,
Barry and I decided to drive down to Occoquan in hopes of seeing the Brewer's
Sparrow. I had seen it a couple of months ago but Barry dipped so this would be
his third attempt. When we arrived at the intersection of Delta Rd. and
Deephole Point Rd., there was no obvious sparrow activity. We turned up onto
Deephole Pt and immediately saw a mixed flock of sparrows flying down onto the
grassy track -- mostly Whitethroats, Songs and a couple of Fields with others
at the verge of dropping out of the brush -- were we actually going to be
lucky? Alas, no -- at just this moment a speeding power boat roared by, too
close and too fast -- and at the noise all the sparrows flew off into the thick
undergrowth. We waited about an hour to no avail. Barry says this is his last
try...
Otherwise the refuge was fairly birdy -- in our walks out and back we observed
eight Ospreys, several already occupying nesting platforms and several others
apparently competing for a desired tower; a lovely male Northern Harrier, 14
Wild Turkeys near the intersection of Bravo and Charlie Rds., a single Fox
Sparrow, and good numbers of other sparrow species.
Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD
