Evening Walk at Dulles Greenway Wetlands Was Fairly Quiet
Hooded Mergansers.
Photo by Michael Sciortino
A group of 13 participants, along with leaders Mary Ann Good and Jane Yocom, enjoyed a cool evening at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands on April 25. First we caught a look at one of the adult Bald Eagles near their occupied nest. While the walk to the back of the property was quiet except for the calls of many Red-winged Blackbirds across the marsh, things picked up after we reached the water and were even more tuneful on the return walk, as birds began their night-time preparations. A pair of White-eyed Vireos silently worked the pond-side willows, and an Orchard Oriole, first of season for many of us, sang his sweet song from a nearby treetop. A pair of Wood Ducks were briefly seen on the water before they exited the scene, but three Hooded Mergansers, a male and two females, were more cooperative, flying onto the pond as the light dimmed and swimming casually across our view. A Green Heron and a Belted Kingfisher were heard but unseen, as was a lone Spring Peeper as we left the water behind and the evening grew chilly.
The complete list can be viewed below or on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S135066602
Species List
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 4
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 4
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
crow sp. (Corvus sp. (crow sp.)) 3
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 10
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 5
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 3
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 2
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 3
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 8
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 5
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 1
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 18
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 6
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 6
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