This morning, Donna, Spring, and I birded I several blocks (Point of Rocks
5, 6 and Waterford 2) as part of the VSO Foray. Although the main objective
is to collect additional information regarding breeding birds in Loudoun
County, we tailed our birds too. We had a great time walking along the creek
and through the fields in the cool morning whilst enjoying the birds and
butterflies.
At 5 am my day started off with being woken up by a pair of very noisy Great
Crested Flycatchers in the front yard shortly followed by a American Robin.
Half an hour later, with a large cup of coffee in my hand, I was walking
down the road listening to Field Sparrow, Wild Turkey, Indigo Bunting and
Bluebirds. A little later Spring joined me and we walked along Catoctin
Creek. Our biggest surprise was a fledging Northern Rough-winged Swallow
that had crept of out the nesting cavity. One of the older birds was in the
grass too. Both birds looked afraid but healthy. So we left them alone.
Later I saw the fledging clinging to the rock wall.
Our next stop was the ecovillage north of Taylorstown. Last week I head a
single Prairie Warbler in that area and wanted to find it back again. We
were lucky, not only did we found it but we tallied 5 during our ecovillage
walk. That was a wonderful surprise. We also tripped over the Gray Catbirds.
I stopped counting them and the reported 54 is likely to a "slight" under
count. Brown Thrashers were active too. For one of them we came a bit too
close to the nesting area, and it started to distract us. Ah, ha, that is a
code DD for the BBA and confirmed breeder!
Leaving the ecovillage behind we headed towards the river. The boat launch
along Rte 15 is pretty the only section in the Point of Rock block 6 were
you can easily access the water front. We were not disappointed. With a
little luck we found 1 if not 2 Prothonotary Warblers and a Louisiana
Waterthrush. A squawk in the distance turned out to be a Green Heron. By now
it was 1010am and it was getting warm already. The birds were getting more
quiet too. So on to the final stop.
Our final stop, if you can call birding from out of your car a stop, was
the Waterford 2 block, specifically St Clair and Lucketts Rds. This stop
turned out to be wonderful. Not only did we confirm breeding Eastern
Kingbirds (seeing one leaving the nest makes it easy) we also found a Alder
Flycatcher singing it's heart out. The latter is a "non-breeder" as far as I
know in Loudoun County and, ah crap, requires a verification form for the
atlas. It was probably our best bird of the day. Next week, I'll need to
check this location again and see if the bird sticks around.
We tallied a total of 63 species and about a dozen were confirmed breeders.
Many more were possible breeders. I can't wait to see what surprise birds
can be found next weekend in Waterford 1, 2 and Point of Rocks 5.
Gerco
Leesburg, VA
Species: 63 - Subspecies: 0 - Forms: 63
Total Records: 63
NAME MAX CNT
Canada Goose 30
Wild Turkey 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Green Heron 2
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
Mourning Dove 10
Chimney Swift 9
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Acadian Flycatcher 2
Alder Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 5
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
Eastern Kingbird 8
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 16
Purple Martin 200
Tree Swallow 61
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 6
Carolina Chickadee 11
Tufted Titmouse 6
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 2
Eastern Bluebird 6
Wood Thrush 5
American Robin 10
Gray Catbird 61
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 13
European Starling 38
Cedar Waxwing 7
Northern Parula 3
Prairie Warbler 5
Prothonotary Warbler 2
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Eastern Towhee 20
Chipping Sparrow 14
Field Sparrow 13
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 17
Indigo Bunting 16
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 11
Baltimore Oriole 1
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 55
House Sparrow 7
Birder's Diary - www.BirdersDiary.com - 6/10/2012
