American Pipit
A rare visitor to Virgina, a Snowy Owl, has been seen in three locations in Rockingham County. Yesterday, it was perched at the same location all day long, but Walt Childs and I did not learn about this until it was too late in the day to make the hour plus drive there.
We headed out early this morning to yesterday's reported location. When we arrived, there were already two birders that we knew looking there for it without success, and they told us that two other birders we knew had already been there and were heading north to search for it.
Walt and I drove around the area looking for it, and met up with another birder we knew who was also unsuccessful in finding the owl. He said that he was meeting up with a birder coming from Richmond (about 150 miles away) and another birder coming from the north. We all had each other's cell phone numbers in case anyone located it, but it was nowhere to be found.
Walt and I searched all three previous locations where the owl had been sighted, as well as back farm roads between these locations. We did end up seeing 28 other avian species. There were several American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, and a huge flock of Common Grackles. At one point, a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk flew up and landed in a tree right in front of me, but quickly departed after seeing me.
Two other Snowy Owls have been reported in Northern Virginia, one at Dulles International Airport and one at the Manassas Airport. These owls like the large open grassy areas. We checked out the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport on the drive home, but did not see any owls there.
American Pipit
American Pipit
American Kestrel
American Kestrel
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Common Grackles
Great Blue Heron
Today's list:
American Goldfinch American Kestrel American Pipit American Robin Belted Kingfisher Blue Jay Carolina Chickadee Common Grackle Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Eastern Meadowlark European Starling House Sparrow Killdeer Mallard Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Rock Pigeon Tufted Titmouse Turkey Vulture |