Christmas Bird Count Included Dyke Marsh

Many FODMers participated in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in January 2016.  Larry Meade, president of the Northern Virginia Bird Club, gave this report in the club’s February newsletter, The Siskin:

“I kicked off the season with the DC count. My sector of this CBC circle is all in Virginia and my team birded Dyke Marsh and sections of the Mount Vernon Trail.  One of the first birds I recorded was a great-horned owl that could be heard hooting in the distance just before dawn.  The dearth of waterfowl has been a theme this winter and we only saw a few species of ducks.  However, there were bald eagles and red-shouldered hawks in the area. Winter wrens entertained us with their antics and yellow-rumped warblers were out in full force.”

Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), left, and Winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), right, photos courtesy of Larry Meade.