This was a very busy last couple of days doing two USGS Breeding Bird Surveys
(Port Royal/King George on Sunday; and Truhart/Lower King and Queen this
morning), a nightjar survey this morning, and miscellaneous birding in some of
my favorite spots in the area Saturday afternoon through this afternoon. I
need to get to sleep now so this is just a quick report.
--two male dickcissels singing in King George Co, Sealston, Saturday
--1 semipalmated plover, 1 semipalmated sandpiper and 3 male ruddy ducks at
King George ponds, Sealston, Saturday
--a male blue-winged teal and a great egret in Leedstown, Westmoreland Co,
SUnday. This is also where I had my ONLY sighting of a kestrel (a male) all
weekend.
--an immature harrier was searching back-and-forth-and-back-and-forth for prey
in the overgrown fields of the Mothershead Section of Rappahannock River Valley
NWR in Leedstown on Sunday
--80 to 150 active nests of cliff swallows on the 301 bridge over the
Rappahannock on the border of Caroline and King George Counties SUnday. Very
difficult to determine the actual number of active nests in a short period of
time. 150 nests or so looked like they were in good enough shape to be used,
80 or so had birds going in and out or hanging on them as I watched.
--16 whip-poor-wills and 18 chuck-wills-widows on a 9 mile stretch of road in
the Ino and Exol area of lower King and Queen County starting at 3:14 this
morning. IN this survey protocol the observer stops every mile (10 stops) and
listens for 6 minutes at each stop. Nightjars were at 9 out of 10 sites, 4
sites had both species, 6 sites had whip-poor-wills, and 7 sites had
chuck-wills-widows. No owls were singing but several chats were heard. This is
the first 9 miles of the Truhart BBS route.
--Scattered bobwhites in all regions
--There was nothing surprising on either of the USGS BBS routes but I
absolutely love the Truhart route which runs through Dragon Run State Forest
and other rural land. Probably less than 20 cars passed me on the whole 25 mile
and 5 hour survey route. Lots of chats, prairie warblers, hooded warblers, blue
grosbeaks, etc. If I get a chance I will report on these routes later.
All the best
Good night
Fred
Frederick D. Atwood fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
