Encouraged by Marc Ribaudo's report yesterday, I headed out to Mason Neck.
Arrived at Great Marsh about sunrise, low tide, till 8:30. Highlights here
were 140+ Am. Black Ducks with a smattering of Mallard, 150-200 Am. Coots, E.
Phoebe, E. Screech-owl (near viewing platform), 10 Pied-billed Grebe, and the
first 4 Hermit Thrushes.
Arrived at the SP visitor center @ 9:15,(stayed till 10:45) walked east along
the bay then back south to Bay View trail. Like yesterday, several thousand
ducks were spread out in Belmont bay, mostly the eastern end. I counted what I
could identify closer to Mason Neck, perhaps a fifth of the ducks viewable.
Most were Gadwall and Ruddy Ducks, a couple of dozen drake Am. Widgeon (didn't
try counting females), and more Pied-billed Grebe. A Ring-Necked Duck and two
Greater Scaup were in close to the bank. Many more Ring-Necked D. or Scaup were
well out in the bay. On the woodland side, highlights were a Brown Creeper
near the visitor center another four Hermit Thrush.
Scott D. Priebe
Springfield, VA
Canada Goose - 10
Gadwall – 250-500
American Wigeon – 20-30
American Black Duck - 140
Mallard - 20
Ring-Necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup – 2
Bufflehead - 3
Ruddy Duck – 170-300
Pied-Billed Grebe - 20
Great Blue Heron - 4
Turkey Vulture - 2
Bald Eagle - 1
American Coot – 150-200
Ring-Billed Gull - 8
Forster's Tern - 2
Mourning Dove - 10
Eastern Screech-Owl - 1
Red-Bellied Woodpecker - 4
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Blue Jay - 6
American Crow - X
Carolina Chickadee - 5
Tufted Titmouse - 6
White-Breasted Nuthatch - 2
Brown Creeper - 1
Carolina Wren - 8
Golden-Crowned Kinglet - 4
Eastern Bluebird - 5
Hermit Thrush - 8
American Robin - 5
Yellow-Rumped Warbler - 2
Song Sparrow - 3
Swamp Sparrow - 1
White-Throated Sparrow - 11
Northern Cardinal - 8
Red-Winged Blackbird - 16
American Goldfinch - 1