Hello Everyone,
My family and I visited Great Falls NP (Virginia side) this afternoon and walked
along the river trail between the dam and overlook #1 near the visitor center.
There was a report from a birder of a possible Red-necked Grebe in the area
where the birder did not have his scope and was not sure, so it offered a nice
excuse for me to pay the place a visit! Most of the interesting birds were
technically Maryland, though diversity was low and birds were relatively hard
to come by.
There were two RING-NECKED DUCKS and two non-drake COMMON
MERGANSERS swimming close to the Maryland shore by the dam. I kept
getting brief glimpses of the Mergs as they swam behind fallen trees and the
islands between me and them, but structurally they were correct for Common
vs Red-breasted, even though we would expect Red-breasted to appear
sooner. Their white chin patches were well defined as well. Perhaps these
are two of the local breeders? There were also two PIED-BILLED GREBES in
the area. Lists below.
Jay Keller,
Arlington, VA
MARYLAND SIDE
Canada Goose 30
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 10
Ring-necked Duck 2
Common Merganser 2
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 15
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Ring-billed Gull 2
Chimney Swift 35
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
VIRGINIA SIDE
Canada Goose 4
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 8
Mourning Dove 4
Chimney Swift 12
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 4
Carolina Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 4
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 5
European Starling 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 35
Song Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 8
Red-winged Blackbird 10
House Sparrow 12 |