I apologize for the late posting - I wasn't at a computer all weekend (great to
enforce some non-computer time!).
I started off the morning in Alexandria listening to BLACK THROATED GREEN
WARBLERs doing their zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee calls (perhaps the last of season?)
and BLACKPOLL WARBLERs doing their thing outside of our house.
Many thanks Ben Jessup for helping guide me via email on my first ever visit to
Thompson WMA - it was great that extra confidence with extra information. For
anyone who has never been out there, I'd encourage a visit if for no other
reason than to enjoy a wonderful mix of nature! Only after my visit there did
I realize that I was too comfortable always birding comfortable, local suburban
parks. Being out where there are more animals than people was simply
invigorating.
I too ran into the incredible traffic pouring into Sky Meadows on Saturday, and
skipped a visit to there all together. I first visited the Lower Ted Lake path
- it was quite overgrown, but still plenty of room for single file walking.
There were so many moths and butterflies that they were actually running into
me! Saw INDIGO BUNTINGs and RED-EYED VIREOs, but nothing else of too much
note, and I didn't spend too much time there.
I made my way around to the western side of the area and stopped and walked for
a bit at the Upper Ted Lake trail. AMERICAN REDSTARTs were omni-present and
SCARLET TANAGERs were easy to come by (including a dead one hit in the entrance
to the parking lot - very sad). At one point in the trail, two TURKEY VULTUREs
were circling very low above me and a HAWK sp. (red shouldered was my guess)
was harassing them so vehemently that I could hear the hawk swooping at the
vultures and sound of the vultures wings flapping hard to get away. It was an
exciting 30 seconds or so!
After a short time, I finally made it to the Trillium Trail and headed down the
road/path. Again, scarlet tanagers and redstarts wouldn't stop - they were
simply everywhere. Hard to look for ceruleans when beautiful male redstarts
keep showing up in the binoculars (I'm an easily distracted birder, I guess).
Pass the switchback and under the falled tree on the path, I heard a CERULEAN
WARBLER singing and was eventually able to find him, see his black-lined belly,
and watch him sing again (an exciting life bird for me!). I never did get to
see his beautiful cerulean back, but I suppose that's for next time. I watched
it for a good 10 minutes before it moved on. Close by, a female BLACK THROATED
BLUE WARBLER and WOOD THRUSH visited as well.
On my way back up the Trilliam Trail, a little all-yellow bird landed on the
path only several feet in front of me and pecked around. I aborbed all of the
markings I could before it flew away and I wasn't able to relocate it. Judging
from what I saw, I believe it was a female WILSON'S WARBLER. As I waited for
it to return (in vain), a TUFTED TITMOUSE flew in and landed almost next to me
on a tree branch and went into its nest cavity to feed now-chirping babies!
When I realized I was near the nest, I moved on.
I did a little tour of the remaining parking areas (there are so many!) and
made it all the way up to the Orchard Parking Area - what a road! Along the
way, I saved what I think was a baby RING NECKED SNAKE from being crushed on
the road - fun!
Again, anyone who hasn't been out this way, I'd recommend it as a wonderful day
trip from Northern VA - it's a great escape from the city!
-Renee Grebe
Alexandria, VA
