Greetings to all:
With bad weather in the forecast for then next four days I decided that
Saturday would be a day to go out and do some birding.
I first went to the Banister River WMA hoping to hear an American Bittern
and maybe even a Yellowthroated Warbler but found neither. I did find a
flow of about 250 Rusty Blackbirds.
On to Staunton River Battlefield State Park and first stopping at the Clover
Power Plant cooling pond and saw the five RN Grebes that Paul Glass saw
there last week. I had an adult Bald Eagle to fly over head and a few DC
Cormorants in the pond. As I was about to get into my car to leave I saw a
large bird shot by and went up and over the fence around the pond. It was a
female Northern Harrier.
At the park, I found a pair of Mallard and three RN Ducks in the marsh
behind the visitor center. I then walked down to the duck impoundment area
behind the park and found a pair of Gadwalls, Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks
and four Lesser Scaup. I also found two Horned Grebes one in winter plumage
and the other in breeding plumage. I walked almost all the way to the end
of the trail hoping to find an American Bittern but didn't. Upon returning
to my car when I got to the area where I found all the ducks that has a
great deal of cattails in it, I was thinking that this would be a great
place to find a Common Gallinule which I didn't find but I did find an
American Coot. Close but no cigar. As I was looking at the coot another
this time a juvenile Northern Harrier flew by and during the walk through
the impoundments I had a pair of RS Hawks and a RT Hawk back at the park
when I returned to my car.
Not a bad day at all for being out and about.
May the LORD Bless and Keep you
Jeffrey Blalock
103 Elizabeth Court
South Boston, VA 24592
434-572-8619 Home
434-470-4352 Cell
jcbabirder@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
