Marc Ribaudo has already posted on his sparrow sightings at Occoquan
Bay NWR, Prince William County today, 10/25. A group from the
Audubon Naturalist Society (Chevy Chase, MD) that I led arrived at
Occoquan shortly after Marc, and had lots of sparrows also. But we
missed the Lincoln's by the pool adjacent to the main parking lot, to
which Marc had alerted me. The White-crowned Sparrows he had seen
were still there. We later had many Song, Swamp and White-throated,
and a few Field and Savannah. Both races of Palm Warbler were seen
and many R-C Kinglets.
Our best birds of the morning were seen in the same bushes by the
small pond, where Marc had seen the first of his Lincoln's
Sparrows: an immature INDIGO BUNTING, an immature BLUE GROSBEAK,
and, best of all, a female DICKCISSEL that perched and preened in
full sun for many minutes, affording everyone some great scope
views. The Dickcissel was only my second for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
As sparrows were our main targets, we did not spend long looking for
water birds. We did briefly visit the observation deck at the end of
Deephole Point Rd. and spotted a PIED-BILLED GREBE and a few COOT and
RUDDY DUCK.
Mike Bowen
ANS and Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda, MD
D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom
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