Naturalist Adventure Virginia Rails & others
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Lisa Millbank
Jan 15, 2012, 5:55:56 PM1/15/12
to Mid-valley Nature
Can you believe 5 of us ventured out to see
Marys River Natural Area today? We'd considered cancelling the trip, due to
marginally unsafe driving/bicycling conditions. It turned out to be a
lovely, snowy landscape, but the bird activity started out slowly.
There were plenty of DARK-EYED JUNCOS, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and SONG
SPARROWS in brushy areas and the open spots in between. Other numerous birds
were NORTHERN FLICKERS, AMERICAN ROBINS and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES. We spotted
a few LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, a MARSH WREN, some RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and an
AMERICAN KESTREL too. Lisa walked parts of the field to flush any snipes
that might be there, but to no avail. On the SW side of the park, there were
some GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS.
We walked on the sidewalk along Brooklane to check out the ponds. There was one GREAT BLUE HERON in breeding plumage. A commotion in the vegetation at the pond's edge turned out to be two VIRGINIA RAILS squabbling. One of the rails swam through the slush-covered water at the edge of the pond. By playing a recording, we got one to come over to our side of the pond. It ran through the snow as it moved from one clump of grass to another, giving us some surprisingly good looks. A male NORTHERN HARRIER glided over the fields between snow showers.
On our way home we visited the duck pond at Starker Park. There were the usual MALLARDS, mallard/domestic hybrids, the goose, a couple AMERICAN WIGEON and a NORTHERN SHOVELER. In the nearby flooded forest, where the beaver family has dammed Dunawi Creek, there were a pair of WOOD DUCKS.
We finally saw a WILSON'S SNIPE while walking the boardwalk at Sunset Park. There was a "CASSIAR JUNCO" (a subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco that is an uncommon winter resident here).
We walked on the sidewalk along Brooklane to check out the ponds. There was one GREAT BLUE HERON in breeding plumage. A commotion in the vegetation at the pond's edge turned out to be two VIRGINIA RAILS squabbling. One of the rails swam through the slush-covered water at the edge of the pond. By playing a recording, we got one to come over to our side of the pond. It ran through the snow as it moved from one clump of grass to another, giving us some surprisingly good looks. A male NORTHERN HARRIER glided over the fields between snow showers.
On our way home we visited the duck pond at Starker Park. There were the usual MALLARDS, mallard/domestic hybrids, the goose, a couple AMERICAN WIGEON and a NORTHERN SHOVELER. In the nearby flooded forest, where the beaver family has dammed Dunawi Creek, there were a pair of WOOD DUCKS.
We finally saw a WILSON'S SNIPE while walking the boardwalk at Sunset Park. There was a "CASSIAR JUNCO" (a subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco that is an uncommon winter resident here).
Don Boucher & Lisa Millbank
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