Seven persons joined me for all or part of the weekly walk at Dyke Marsh WP
sponsored by The Friends of Dyke Marsh, which starts at 8 a.m. each Sunday
morning at the south end of the parking lot for the Belle Haven picnic area
and is open to all. Waterfowl highlights included several REDHEADS in a raft
of LESSER SCAUP, several COMMON MERGANSERS, two female RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERS and a small number of lingering BUFFLEHEAD. Waterbirds also
included 12 HORNED GREBES, including a group of eight individuals, and six
PIED-BILLED GREBES. Raptor highlights included a COOPER¹S HAWK, seven BALD
EAGLES, six OSPREY and a distant resident PEREGRINE FALCON perched on the
Woodrow Wilson Bridge. An apparent pair of PILEATED WOODPECKERS was well
seen near the beginning of Haul Road. Songbird highlights included two FOX
SPARROWS seen and heard along Haul Road and an additional five FOX SPARROWS
at the edge of the picnic area seen by several of us at the end of the walk.
Songbird highlights also included a BROWN CREEPER, WINTER WRENS and RUSTY
BLACKBIRDS in a mixed species flock of blackbirds. For those interested, a
complete list of the 48 species encountered on the walk may be viewed at the
following link: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S35277306
Thanks to regular field trip leaders Larry Cartwright, Phil Silas and Ed
Eder and all other persons who were not deterred by the cold, rainy, snowy
weather early this morning and joined me for all or part of the field trip.
Gerry Hawkins
Arlington, VA
