Lake Manassas, PW County, VA - 8 Mar 99
BlkVulture@aol.com
Mon, 8 Mar 1999 16:33:30 EST
Hello all,
On my way into work today I noticed an adult bald eagle circling high above US
29 coming north into Gainesville. This was about noon. I figured since Lake
Manassas is just off of 29, I should check it out later today.
Birds found from the Glenkirk Road side (south) of Lake Manassas:
304 Common Mergansers
17 Ring-necked Ducks
1 Pied-billed Grebe
14 Canada Geese
6 Mallards
8 Ring-billed Gulls
1 Herring Gull
18 Eastern Bluebirds
22 Juncoes
4 Song sparrows "chimping"
9 White-throats
5 American Crows
1 Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle was an adult and it was on its nest. This is the third year
that I have seen Eagles on or around this nest in winter and spring. I have
no idea how long the nest had been there prior to 1997.
In 1997 I never saw an eagle on the nest. Just two birds hanging around,
interacting. 1998 saw the birds incubate for about three weeks. However they
never raised young. One day they were gone.
This is the second time this year one was seen around the nest. The first
time was mid-January. I have checked several times since, about once a week.
Today was the first time I have seen one. However I had not been there in
about 2 weeks. In the past the second bird is often easy to see, but that was
not the case today.
The bank of the lake that the bird is on is on private property. Virtually
all of the banks of the lake are private property. The only decent legal
viewing is from Glenkirk Road, looking over the dam. Glenkirk is off of VA
619 (Linton Hall Road), about 1.5 miles or so from US 29.
Yours,
Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
BlkVulture@aol.com