MDOspreyers and VABIRDers,

 

The Fort Belvoir CBC took place yesterday, 31 Dec 2006; at this time a total
of 110 species have been tallied.  Top bird of the count was a White Pelican
on Pohick Creek (photo), between Fort Belvoir and Pohick Regional Park that
has been present for the month of December. This is the first inclusion of
White Pelican into the circle database, which now numbers 186 species.

 

Other unusual species were Great Egret in Little Hunting Creek (Fairfax Co),
Surf Scoter on Piscataway Cr (Prince Georges Co. & photo), Lesser
Black-backed Gull in Neabsco Cr (Prince William Co), Merlin in multiple
locations including 2 birds at Huntley Meadows (Fairfax Co, also Mason Neck
SP, Fairfax Co, Occoquan Bay NWR Prince William Co), Peregrine Falcon near
Belmont Bay (Fairfax Co), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher near Mason Neck NWR (Fairfax
Co), Yellow-throated Warbler coming to a feeder (Prince Georges Co.), and 2
Baltimore Orioles coming to a feeder (Prince Georges Co.) 

 

Interesting species that were found yesterday and are usually present on
CBCs in this region but in limited numbers were: Common Loon, Redhead,
Common Goldeneye, King Rail, American Woodcock, Laughing Gull, Eastern
Phoebe, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, American Pipit, Pine Warbler, Common
Yellowthroat, American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and
Rusty Blackbird.

 

Species that some consider as regular at the end of December in this region,
but missed for the count were Horned Grebe, Northern Bobwhite, Red-headed
WP, Horned Lark, House Wren, Palm Warbler, and Purple Finch.

 

More information will follow once all the data is compiled.

 

And..THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  To a tremendous group of volunteers who
came out, sometimes for just a few hours, to make the Fort Belvoir CBC one
of the best counts in the country.  My hat is off to you . let me start the
applause!

 

Wishing you ALL Great Birds in 2007!

 

Kurt Gaskill, 

compiler and clean up staff, Fort Belvoir CBC