A Hot Spot for Oporornis Warblers
Mike Collins (collins@ram.nrl.navy.mil)
Tue, 8 Sep 1998 19:03:20 -0400
Wakefield Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, seems to
be a relatively unknown hot-spot for birds. I saw four
Mourning Warblers there this spring, when the place
was overrun with Gray-cheeked Thrushes. In less than
a week of birding there this fall, I've seen another
Mourning Warbler (9/6), two Connecticut Warblers (9/2
and 9/8), and a Philadelphia Vireo (9/7). I've had much
better luck there than at well-known places in the area
such as the C&O Canal and Huntley Meadows.
To reach this park, exit the Beltway onto Braddock Rd.
and go outside the Beltway. Get in the right lane and
take the first right into the park. Go to the far parking
lot and take the trail that skirts the west side of the
tennis courts to the powerline cut. Follow the trail
north along the cut a short distance and take the trail
that crosses to the west edge of the cut. Take a left
on the trail that runs along the west edge of the cut
and walk south until the trail veers left from the edge
of the woods. This area has been a hot zone for Oporornis
warblers this fall. The habitat is perfect. It is somewhat
reminiscent of the fields at Higbee Beach in Cape May.
Please stay on the trail to preserve the habitat.
There are miles of trails that parallel the cut and the
creek that lies to the west of the cut. Rubber boots may
be required on some of the trails.
Mike Collins
Annandale, Virginia
collins@ram.nrl.navy.mil