Hello VA birders,
Following Dave Young's advice on this list from 10 days ago, my wife
and I walked the Cross County Trail through Difficult Run Stream
Valley Park (Brown's Mill Rd to Rt. 7, plus a half mile down the Rails
to River Trail), hoping to see some Rusty Blackbirds. We were not
disappointed, finding a small flock of 8 which we saw at a distance on
the walk out and somewhat closer on the way back. eBird checklist with
some RUBL photos here:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17551519
Of interest were two Pileated Woodpeckers, a male and a female,
working on separate holes about 100 yards apart. Perhaps they are just
dating. Swamp Sparrows were about, looking quite colorful. And a crow
was cleverly gathering loose bark strips for a nest from branches in
the pathway that bikes had ridden over.
Nice to have spring here, for a day anyway.
Cheers,
Russ
