VA BIRDers,
The highlight at The Point was a singing Black-billed Cuckoo early in the
morning at about 715am, in the trees just west of the large earthen dam as
seen from Possum Pt Rd. It sang for a couple of minutes. Later, a
Black-billed Cuckoo flew down Cockpit Pt Rd about midway between the pull
off at the first LA Waterthrush spot and the opening. A fine bird for the
season. For comparison, I did not encounter Yellow-billed Cuckoo today.
The other highlights and new arrivals (per my records) were: 25 Wood Duck
near the spadderdock on Quantico Cr where it goes to marsh on the western
end (all were adults, young could have been hidden from view), two young
Bald Eagle still in nest, 3 Least Sandpipers, at least 5 Eastern Wood
Pewees, many American Redstarts, Blackpoll Warblers, Wilson's Warbler, and a
plethora of orioles. I tallied 91 species (which have been covered
previously) and Ted Vawter told me of missing 3 others - Nashville, Magnolia
and Black-thr Green. Biggest miss was probably White-throated Sparrow!
I joined up with Linda Millington and Sharif baha El Din mid-morning and we
went to Leesylvania SP where we encountered several Prothonotary Warblers,
Hooded Warbler, Cape Warbler, more Yellow-rumps and Blackpolls and
Swainson's Thrush. A quick visit to Belmont Marina produced Caspian Terns
and American Coots and, next to a distant male Lesser Scaup was (surprise!)
a male Redhead. The latter is most unusual in this area with no prior May
records.
Kurt Gaskill
