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
The post Evening Walk at Dulles Greenway Wetlands Was Fairly Quiet appeared first on Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.
The post Evening Walk at Dulles Greenway Wetlands Was Fairly Quiet appeared first on Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.