I birded Cockpit Pt and Possum Pt Roads in Dumfries this morning for a few
hours, with some quick stops at Leesylvania SP and Metz wetlands. I had my
first double-digit warbler day of the year, with black-and-white, prairie,
pine, palm, prothonotary, northern parula, yellow-throated, yellow-rumped,
common yellowthroat, ovenbird, and Louisiana waterthrush. Also seen were
yellow-throated and white-eyed vireos, rusty blackbird, indigo bunting, fox
sparrow, pine siskin, wild turkey, blue-winged teal, spotted sandpiper, and
barred owl. There were also large numbers of ruby-crowned kinglets about, many
of them singing. After I got home, I heard a house wren in the yard, and saw 3
broad-winged hawks and a northern harrier circling overhead.
Of particular interest is the new eagle nest at the top of Cockpit Pt. Road, on
top of a metal tower in an inactive (I think) power substation. The nest is
minimalist at best, looking like a single layer of sticks. However, there are
3 young in the nest, clearly seen as an adult handled a large fish. Another
interesting point is that there is another active eagles nest a few hundred
yards away, adjacent to the ash pond. I guess there is enough food around for
the two pairs to tolerate each other.
Marc Ribaudo
Woodbridge, VA
