This morning, 8 people joined me for a Northern Virginia Bird Club walk at
Walker Nature Center. The mild temperature and calm winds made for a
pleasant hike, but the birds weren't as cooperative as we'd hoped. Still,
we managed a few highlights: 3 Purple Finches (2 males, 1 female), 1 Hermit
Thrush, 1 Eastern Phoebe, 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and 1 female
Wood Duck sunning herself on a dock.
After half the group split off, a few of us were treated to extended views
of a Cooper's Hawk building a nest while a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
chuffed disapprovingly just three branches down. As one currently dealing
with the misery of living in an apartment below noisy neighbors, I
particularly empathized with the Red-shouldered Hawk's frustration.
--Pete
Fairfax, VA
