VA BIRDers,
Marc Ribaudo and I visited The Point early this morning. A few birds were
noted but nothing too unusual or new to No. Virginia. Highlights were
Blue-winged Teal, Hooded Mergansers (8 females), an apparent second Bald
Eagle nest on an electric power support near the ash pond, American Kestrel,
Northern Bobwhite, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper,
Cedar Waxwings, six species of warblers including Palm, 4 Rusty Blackbirds
and 3 Pine Siskins; 70 species noted.
I then visited the Neabsco Creek area and found 2 Forster's Terns and a few
swallows. Next up was Veteran's Park (which is adjacent to Occ. Bay NWR)
and found a white-phase Little Blue Heron (FOS up here) plus Great Egret,
more Blue-winged Teal plus the green variety, more yellowlegs and 2 Wilson's
Snipe. I continued onto the Occoquan Marina overlooks and then viewed from
Mason Neck Visitor Center to round out the picture and noted a large number
of Boneparte's Gulls (135) and swallows (300+) over the bay plus Pied-billed
and Horned Grebe, Common Loon, and many Gadwall with one American Wigeon
mixed in. On land was a Yellow-throated Warbler singing near the fence line
with OBNWR. On the way home I stopped at Riverside Park and added a few
more swallows and Boneys and then Dyke Marsh for the Red-throated Loon as
noted earlier today. Totals of the interesting species follow.
Top birds in terms of numbers observed were Tree Swallow, Boneparte's Gulls,
DC Cormorant, Gadwall and Lesser Scaup.
Kurt Gaskill
Canada Goose 58
Tundra Swan 1
Wood Duck 6
Gadwall 139
Am. Wigeon 1
Mallard 7
Blue-winged Teal 4
Green-winged Teal 20
Lesser Scaup 105
Bufflehead 23
Hooded Merganser 8
Red-breasted Merganser 23
Ruddy Duck 60
No. Bobwhite 1
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 1
DC Cormorant 126
Great Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 10
Turkey Vulture 8
Osprey 34
Bald Eagle 8
Coopers 1
Red-shouldered 1
Red-tailed 2
Am. Kestrel 1
Am. Coot 100
Killdeer 4
Greater Yellowlegs 14
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Wilson's Snipe 2
Boneparte's Gull 138
Caspian Tern 19
Forster's Tern 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
E. Phoebe 2
Purple Martin 4
Tree Sw 420
No. Rough-winged Sw 16
Barn Sw 27
RC Kinglet 8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 18
Brown Thrasher 2
Cedar Waxwing 7
No. Parula 1
Yellow-rumped 10
Yellow-throated 7
Pine 2
Palm 1
LA Waterthrush 2
E. Towhee 3
Chipping Sp 5
Field Sp 3
Swamp Sp 1
White-thr Sp 14
Junco 2
Rusty BB 4
Pine Siskin 4
