Now that duck migration is winding down it is time to switch gears and
the Rusty Blackbird survey (www.ebird.org) was the perfect activity.
Although I keep track of rusties all the time I took the time today to
search for them in areas I haven't surveyed recently. As usual I checked
the impoundments first, then I walked along the south edge of the woods
after entering the fields to Sycamore Landing Rd, continued south to the
fields north of SL and walked west to Summit Hall Turf Farm and circled back
to Sycamore Landing where I looked over the Potomac. Then finished by
looping back on SL Rd and the fields west of the impoundments.
There were many people at the impoundments- people checking their duck
boxes and dog trainers, so I didn't see much here- a slightly early GREEN
HERON and 6 American Coots ( one swimming in the large impoundment and 5
skittish ones in the buttonbush swamp). It was too cold for any swallows,
although I did hear one tree briefly.
There were a small number of Rusty Blackbirds here this winter: I saw
them periodically on my counts with a maximum of 75. I also found them on
all my March surveys (6) with a high count of 150. Today I found a small
flock (75) in a swampy area about 1/2 way between the impoundments and
Sycamore Landing Rd.. They were mostly males and spend most of the time I
watched them singing in the tops of trees.
To cap off the day I found my ducks in ponds west of the main ones.
Here I found 7 Green-winged Teal, 7 Blue-winged Teal, 5 Mallards, 8
Ring-necked Ducks, and a male Hooded Merganser. It was interesting that the
ring-necks flew off when I approached unlike last month with the large
numbers when they were relatively tame.
Just to remind me winter wasn't over I had 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
and 3 Winter Wrens.
Paul Woodward
Fairfax City, VA
|