Dear VA-Birders
I was able to walk to and from work at Flint Hill School three days this week
and also spent a little time outside with my Field Natural History and
Ornithology class on the campus and Oak Marr Park. I also visited Waples Mill
Park for a couple hours this morning after doing a 1 hour stationary count at
Flint Hill and did some birding while checking out the bluebird nest box trail
at FHS. Today there was a notable movement of kestrels, loons, and
broad-winged hawks.
Here are the highlights of the week. Monday Apr 6, Walk through Oak Marr to and
from FHS
1 sapsucker, 3 phoebe, 7 purple martin, 7 tree swallow, 1 FOY blue-gray
gnatcatcher, 1 singing FOY brown thrasher, 2 singing towhees, 5 singing
chipping sparrows, 2 pine siskin feeding on red maple flowers, chickadee
excavating nest cavity.
Tuesday Apr 7, Walk through Oak Marr to and from FHS
1 Eastern Meadowlark on the east campus softball field at the corner of 123 and
jermantown, this is only my 4th sighting at Flint Hill since 2003. I think I
saw it a couple other times before that but did not keep good records.2 FOY
Blue-headed Vireos and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches in a mixed species flock
working through the pine-oak boundary.
15 white-throated sparrows and 7 juncos still around
Thursday April 9: Canada Goose sitting on nest at FHS.
Saturday Apr 11, Stationary count at FHS from about 7-8 AM, these birds were
flying north and appeared to be migrating
18 common loon,
12 dc cormorant,
1 osprey,
1 FOY broad-winged hawk,
7 ring-billed gull,7 kestrel
Saturday Apr 11, Waples Mill Park, about 2 hours starting around 9.
5 common loon,1 osprey (local bird? hovering and circling over the park),1 bald
eagle carrying food, probably to the Fox Mill Rd nest,4 red-shouldered hawk,
lots of screaming, diving-displays,territorial;2 red-tailed hawks, probably
residents,5 broad-winged hawks,1 kestrel,rough-winged, barn, and tree swallows,
and martin,2 ruby-crowned kinglet,
2 blue gray gnatcatcher,
2 Louisiana Waterthrush FOY, 5 Yellow Palm Warblers,
6 Yellow-rumped Warblers,5 swamp sparrows still hanging around,1 FOY singing
Purple Finch,
singing american toads and pickerel frogs,
6 green darner dragonflies including a mating pair,47 sunning turtles: 38
painted, 9 red-eared sliders;
Saturday April 11, afternoon at FHS while checking bluebird trail
Canada Goose nest has been attacked by predator, no eggs, down feathers
scattered about. This has always been the case here.
1 osprey,
1 cooper's hawk display flight over woods,
7 broad-winged hawks,
3 red-tailed hawks, probably two of these were residents,
2 ruby-crowned kinglets,
warblers: 5 pine, 5 yellow palm, 5 yellow-rumped1 purple finch flyover calling2
savannah sparrow FOY
Good BirdingAll the bestFred Atwood
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
