VA BIRDers,
Linda Millington and I birded the bridle trail at Sky Meadows from about 9
to noon on Saturday. Light breeze, a bit cool early warming nicely under
blue skies. Highlight was a Vesper Sparrow mixed in with some Savannah
Sparrows in the horse meadow you cross to get back to the parking lot. Also
notable were many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Eastern Phoebe by the ranger
house, Winter Wren, Fox Sparrows and a flyby Rusty Blackbird. Total sparrow
numbers were down by about 50% from 22 Oct. Notable misses were many - no
creeper, no kinglets, no warblers and no Purple Finch or Pine Siskins.
Totals for the 42 species along the trail follow. After Sky Meadows we
briefly visited Blandy Arboretum and the highlight was a nice mixed flock of
blackbirds opposite the farm with the fans - Starlings, Red-winged BB,
Common Grackles, Rusty Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds were all perched
in a single tree for easy viewing.
Kurt Gaskill
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 3
Bald Eagle 2
No. Harrier 1
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Mourning Dove 38
Red-headed WP 1
Red-bellied WP 2
YB Sapsucker 5
Downy WP 6
Hairy WP 1
No. Flicker 3
Pileated WP 2
E. Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 9
Am. Crow 12
Com. Raven 1
C. Chickadee 2
White-br Nuthatch 7
C. Wren 4
W. Wren 1
E. Bluebird 10
Am. Robin 2
No. Mocker 5
E. Starling 20
Cedar Waxwing 24
E. Towhee 3
Field Sp 23
Vesper Sp 1
Savannah Sp 16
Fox Sp 2
Song Sp 69
Swamp Sp 13
White-thr Sp 19
White-crn Sp 1
DE Junco 8
No. Cardinal 1
Red-winged BB 123
E. Meadowlark 2
Rusty BB 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Am. Goldfinch 14
