Dan and Beth Go Birding In Luria Park: Early Spring Migration

Well, like the rest of the world, we are anxious for this "new normal" to end. However, no one knows exactly when that will happen. What Dan and I do know is that mid-April to Mid-May is a great time for birding in the Washington DC area. Parks are closed including many of the local birding hot spots. Many more people than usual are out and about and sometimes it makes social distancing a challenge. What we have learned that if we want to bird in Luria Park is to go into the woods. The appropriate footwear and longs pants are a must. Tick season coincides with spring migration, and the spring rains can make for a muddy trek.

Our local "pocket" park has a nice mixture of trees. Ironwood trees with their low canopy (about ten feet max) beneath the towering oaks and tulip poplars are a draw for different migratory songbirds.

Today we saw our first of year Black-and-white Warbler.  These migratory birds live up to their name with their distinctive striped plumage. Easy to spot as they hop along branches, gleaning insects and larvae from the undersides of leaves.

We also saw Palm Warblers, a nice little flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers, and White-eyed Vireo. The breezy conditions make for challenging birding, but we were delighted to see these other early spring migratory birds.

Another bird that is actually leaving our patch of woods to northern breeding grounds, is the Hermit Thrush.

This large-eyed cousin to the American Robin skulked along the forest floor, searching leaf litter and rotting logs for tasty treats. The bird gave us some great views as it perched on a log or mossy hillock.

Like the Hermit Thrush, the Swamp Sparrow prefers to breed a little farther north, and despite that we were delighted to see one picking at the muddy bank of the creek and fallen branches in the water.

These striking birds nest in wetlands. While not a threatened species, the decline of wetland habitat bears concern for the future of these sparrows.

Speaking of sparrows, we saw a flock of the tiny Chipping Sparrows picking up nearly microscopic bits of seeds from the asphalt path that rings the park's grassy field. Happy kids enjoying the sunshine and riding their bikes and scooters scared the flock into the river birches where I got this shot.

Today we continued to see the Eastern Phoebe, where about a week ago we observed it building a nest under the pedestrian bridge over the creek. Today one of the two birds we've counted gave us a very cute pose in the vicinity of the bridge. With all of the people walking over it, we hope the birds keep to their hidden nest and raise young there.

Once home, a shadow passing the bedroom window caught my eye. A male Pileated Woodpecker soared from the vicinity of the suet feeder to an oak in the backyard. He checked out a cavity in the tree before moving on. I managed to get a portrait close up of him before he soared away. I love to watch these big woodpeckers fly!

Happy Spring!

Hooded Mergansers at Fairview Park

If you drive along Fairview Park or Jaguar Trail and see the various ponds in the area you may see birds that are not Canada Geese on the water. These smaller waterfowl are most likely male and female Hooded Mergansers. They are small ducks with slender upward curving bills. The male has a bold black and white crest; the female has a crest that looks like a messy hair-do. Recently we saw a pair swimming in the pond on Fairview Park near the Marriott. The male raised his crest as we approached the edge of the pond. We stopped our approach and the crest was lowered. These are wonderful binds. Some find a place to breed here in eastern Virginia, and some continue migrating farther north.

Seven Years and Lots of Birds!

Hello!~~

For the past seven years, Dan and I have birded our wonderful neighborhoods of Raymondale and Holmes Run Acres and the surrounding woodlands: Luria Park, Providence Rec Center woods, and Fairview Park. These places have given us great views of over 100 different birds. Some are year round residents, some are summer or winter residents, and a great number are migratory birds passing through pausing long enough to take advantage of the green spaces, ponds and streams in and surrounding our neighborhoods. 

(Black-throated Blue Warbler (13 May, near Providence Rec, Center)

We have photographed and recorded the birds we have seen over seven years. Our photos of the local birds number in the hundreds to a thousand. We feel truly blessed to have so many birds residing or visiting our parklands/woods that only requires us to walk less than two miles to experience it from end to end.

(Brown Creeper, 21 March, in Luria Park woods)

Each outing during spring and fall migration season gives us heightened expectation to add yet another bird to the list posted below.  It is an incredible gift that our little parcel of green inside the Beltway is attractive to over 100 diverse bird species. 

(Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 3 May, Luria Park)

These green spaces are so valuable to birds. By a wide margin the greatest threat to birds, especially migratory birds, is habitat loss. Imagine you are a tiny warbler migrating northward in spring along the US east coast, the Atlantic flyway, and you look down and see rooftops, asphalt and concrete. You desperately need a rest, an insect buffet, and a drink of water. Then you see tree tops and the sun or full moon glinting off of a trickling stream or small pond. That is as welcome to a tired migratory songbird as a "Vacancy" sign is to a weary interstate traveler. Luria Park along Holmes Run to the Fairview Park ponds offers that critical respite to many a migratory bird along the Atlantic coast super migration highway.

(Spotted Sandpiper, 13 May, Fairview Park small pond)

 We encourage you to get out there with binoculars and see what is hiding in plan sight in our woods and backyards. Here is a checklist of what we've seen to get you started. And you may very well, and we hope you do, find one that is not on this list that we've taken seven years to compile. Let us know and happy birding!~~Dan and Beth Fedorko

(Red-winged Blackbird, 13 May, Fairview Park small pond)

 Checklist of Birds Observed in Raymondale, Holmes Run Acres, Luria Park, Providence Rec Center woods, and Fairview Park:

 

WOODPECKERS:

___Downy Woodpecker

___Hairy Woodpecker

___Red-bellied Woodpecker

___Red-headed Woodpecker

___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

___Pileated Woodpecker

___Northern Flicker

RAPTORS:

___Merlin

___Mississippi Kite

___Red-shouldered Hawk

___Red-tailed Hawk

___Cooper’s Hawk

___American Kestral

___Barred Owl

___Black Vulture

___Turkey Vulture

___Bald Eagle

WATERFOWL, FISHERS, AND WADERS:

___Mallard

___Wood Duck

___Great Blue Heron

___Green Heron

___Double-crested Cormorant

___Yellow-crowned Night Heron

___Black-crowned Night Heron
___Spotted Sandpiper

___Canada Goose

___Belted Kingfisher

WARBLERS AND THE LIKE:

___Black-throated Green Warbler

___Black and White Warbler

___Blackpoll Warbler

___Yellow-rumped Warbler

___Canada Warbler

___Prairie Warbler

___Yellow Warbler

___Black-throated Blue Warbler

___Blue-winged Warbler

___Cape May Warbler

___Common Yellowthroat

___White-eyed Vireo

___Red-eyed Vireo

___Blue-headed Vireo

___American Redstart

___Magnolia Warbler

___Pine Warbler

___Northern Parula

___Palm Warbler

___Blackburnian Warbler

___Bay-breasted Warbler

___Yellow-breasted Chat

JAYS AND THEIR KIN:

___Blue Jay

___American Crow

___Common Grackle

___European Starling

___Red-winged Blackbird

___Rusty Blackbird

___Northern Mockingbird

___Brown-headed Cowbird

___Gray Catbird

THRUSHES AND FOWL:

___American Robin

___Hermit Thrush

___Louisiana Waterthrush

___Northern Waterthrush

___Veery

___Brown Thrasher

___Wild Turkey

___Swainsons Thrush

___Wood Thrush

___Ovenbird

FINCHES AND GROSBEAKS:

___Northern Cardinal

___American Goldfinch

___Blue Grosbeak

___Rose-breasted Grosbeak

___Purple Finch

___House Finch

___Tufted Titmouse

___Cedar Waxwing

___Pine Siskin

SONG BIRDS AND INSECT EATERS:

___Carolina Chickadee

___Mourning Dove

___Carolina Wren

___Winter Wren

___House Wren

___White-breasted Nuthatch

___Red-breasted Nuthatch

___Eastern Bluebird

___Tree Swallow

___Eastern Phoebe

___Dark-eyed Junco

___Brown Creeper

___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

___Ruby-crowned Kinglet

___Golden-crowned Kinglet

___Great Crested Flycatcher

___Eastern Wood-pewee

___Chimney Swift

___Scarlet Tanager

___Indigo Bunting

___Baltimore Oriole

___Yellow-billed Cuckoo

SPARROWS:

___Swamp Sparrow

___Field Sparrow

___Song Sparrow

___House Sparrow

___Chipping Sparrow

HUMMINGBIRD:

___Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Early Spring Migrants

Hello and Happy Spring!~~

Raymondale and especially Luria Park near the main bridge and the chain link fence around the old baseball diamond has had a lovely assortment of early spring migratory songbirds. grab your binoculars and take a look!

You may find...

 This tiny active bird is the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  The bird was foraging for insects on bare branches over the smaller bridge.

 This yellow-hued bird with white wing bars is the Pine Warbler. Wintering in the US south it's one of our earliest warbler migrants.

 This yellow bird with the rusty patch on top of it's head is the Palm Warbler. Seen bobbing it's tail and flitting from the trees to the ground around the chain link fence.

This bird is the Eastern Phoebe. It's about the size of a Northern Cardinal and like the Palm Warbler it pumps its tail when perched and alert. Seen in the trees along the larger bridge and along the chain link fence. It flies out usually from the same branch/perch catching insects. And speaking of catching insects...

This Ruby-crowned Kinglet (the ruby crown in a few tiny feathers on top of the head rarely seen) was seen in low-growth around the creek catching a tasty insect. These birds are winter residents (like some of the migratory warblers and insect eaters) and are heading far north into Canada to breed.

Love and War Luria Park

Love and disputes were in the air in Luria Park!

Two male Hairy Woodpeckers vying for territory. Beaks raised, stalking each other, and fanned tail feathers signal territorial dispute.

A female Pileated Woodpecker foraging rotted logs with her mate close by.

One of two Mourning Doves resting after courtship. Spring is here for sure!

Pine Siskins

We have two tube shaped thistle seed feeders in our backyard and this week we have noticed flocks of Pine Siskins at the feeders. These sparrow-sized birds with a swath of bright yellow on their wings breed in Canada but spend their winters in our area. They do like to eat seeds from pine cones but will readily eat thistle seed from feeders.

We observed the siskins battling with House Finches and Goldfinches for the thistle seed we offered. At first glance you may think you are observing House Sparrows but looks closer for that swath of yellow on the males. Both male and female Pine Siskin have lots of stripes all over. The females don't have the yellow on their wings.

So hang up your thistle seed feeder and attract our wintering birds!

Winter Is Coming

It's been a while since I've posted on this bird blog but that doesn't mean the birds haven't been doing their birdy thing!
This last week in October, has Luria Park and our own backyard full of migratory birds heading to warmer winter climates and some birds arriving to stay here for the winter. We have several birds in Luria Park and Raymondale that leave their breeding grounds in Canada and seek refuge during the  fall and winter months here. Here are some birds we saw on October 31st.

The White-throated Sparrow is one of the most notable winter residents. The male has a distinctive white throat and bright yellow lores above the beak. You can hear his sweet song in the park, a high pitched song that sounds aptly enough like "Oh, Canada, Canada!"

The Chipping Sparrow, above, may breed in our area but this fellow is seeking a warmer place to spend the winter.

This bright bird, a little smaller than a Robin, is the Yellow-breasted Chat. He was spotted just off the boardwalk skulking through the low underbrush and occasionally flying to a higher perch. An uncommon bird and a loner, this bird will migrate to a more southerly location for the winter.

This tiny bird, the Golden-crowned Kinglet, will spend its winter in our area after spending an active summer breeding in Canada. They are quite tiny and active. With binoculars you can easily spot the bright yellow stripe between dark stripes on top of its head.

At our feeder today we saw a Pine Siskin. These sparrow-like birds with sharp beaks and lots of stripes, may spend their winter here or farther south. You will most commonly see them at your feeders.

So get those sunflower seeds, thistle seeds, and suet out. Who know what you may see this fall and winter?