Augusta County, VA 4/2/18

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It was a cloudy and raw day. Rain fell throughout the night and into mid-morning, and the temperature was in the mid-40s. I wanted to go over to Swoope and do some birding, because Bobby Whitescarver photographed a rare Upland Sandpiper on one of his pastures two days ago, but also reported that he hadn't seen it since then. I wanted to see if it might still be in the area, and in addition, Short-eared Owls might be out during the day under these darker skies. I waited for the rain to mostly stop, and arrived in Swoope around 11:00 a.m. My first stop was at Smith Lake where I have permission to do birding. One of the resident Bald Eagles was in its nest.

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Bald Eagle

A few Mallards and Green-winged Teals took to flight, and there were some Buffleheads and Ruddy Ducks at the east end of the lake.

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Mallards

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Green-winged Teals

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Buffleheads and Ruddy Duck

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Ruddy Duck

I surprised to see a Bonaparte's Gull flying over the lake. It was starting to get its dark breeding hood, and already had its reddish-orange breeding leg color.

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Bonaparte's Gull

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Bonaparte's Gull

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Bonaparte's Gull

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Bonaparte's Gull

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Bonaparte's Gull

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Bonaparte's Gull

I drove around Swoope and hiked where the Upland Sandpiper had been seen, but could not find this rare species.

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Red-tailed Hawk

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Red-tailed Hawk

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Eastern Meadowlarks

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American Kestrel

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows

Soon after turning onto Livik Road from Cattleman Road, I saw a distant Short-eared Owl flying over a ridge to the east. I got a few photos, but was unable to re-locate this owl as I drove around Swoope.

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Short-eared Owl

I drove by the lake at the Boy Scout camp, and saw Buffleheads, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, and two Horned Grebes in the lake.

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Horned Grebe, Bufflehead, and Lesser Scaups

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Horned Grebe and Lesser Scaup

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Horned Grebes and Lesser Scaups

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Horned Grebes

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Ring-necked Ducks

I ended up with 43 avian species in Swoope, and then took a detour on the way home to drive along Bell's Lane in Staunton where Short-eared Owls have been seen. I didn't see the owls, but saw some of the same species and added House Finch and Blue Jay to bring my day's trip list to 45 avian species.

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Red-tailed Hawk

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Eastern Meadowlark

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White-crowned Sparrow

Trip List:

Horned Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Bonaparte's Gull
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Short-eared Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Carolina Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Crow
Blue Jay
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


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