I was over at Riverbend Park and on the river trail there twice today. This
morning I heard my FOS Yellow-throated warbler in a sycamore in front of
the visitors center about 10 a.m.
I followed it up river for awhile, it was singing loudly but I never was
able to see it. I looked around a bit more and left early as three buses
of school children arrived to drown out all possible bird song. Went back
about 4p .m.with a friend and we walked down the path from the nature
center and all the way along the river trail to almost Great Falls park.
Still no Yellow-throated warbler. But saw lots more. In addition to the
soaring eagle, osprey, numerous cormorants, some remaining coots and
ring-neck ducks, we saw a neat adult green heron along the river bank right
at Riverbend; a lot of Blue-grey Gnatcatchers all along the trail; seven
wood ducks in the river down by Conn island, a couple of Red-breasted
Mergansers, and a very loud and close-by Ruby-crowned kinglet. The bluebells
continue to be breathtaking. This morning I noticed a big bunch of pure
white Virginia bluebells, amongst the thousand of blue ones, which I had
never seen before. Any flower folk who know anything about how they come to
be white? Very interesting.
Going back in the morning, hoping to get the Yellow-throated.
--
Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Va.
