We do not usually have a car, living in the city makes it unnecessary. When by chance and the love of a good friend we do have a car and the weekend looms sweet and long and empty in front of us, we feel the need to do something we cannot usually do.
We keep hearing that it is at this time of year that one can see many and varied and beautiful warblers. So our expedition began. Diane read the birding blogs, I asked the birder at my work for the best birding spot and Keir polished up his camera lens. Early on Saturday morning we stirred ourselves and grumpily got through the shower, or rather, I grumpily got through the shower and Keir mostly did it in a fog of sleep. Diane, of course had been awake since sparrow fart, and was not in the least hungover from the previous night's margheritas at Haydee's. She was definitely perky, but as she had made coffee, Keir and I graciously forgave her. We made a quick stop at Heller's Bakery for donuts, brownies (I had a sudden craving) and more coffee and then we were on our way, after a brief spat over whether Keir knew where he was going or not.
We headed across the Potomac and into deep dark suburban Virginia and were much relieved when we started to see the first sign for Huntly Meadows, our destination de jour. When we pulled into the semi-filled parking lot the sole inhabitant was a dour faced man strapping a Bazuka to his back. On second look, it wasn't a bazuka, merely a spotting scope. The size of his lens made us certain that we had come to the right place to fullfill all our birding expedition dreams.
Huntly Meadows is a treasure trove of mixed ecosystems. They have a mature marshland surrounded by young, old and medium forest. The visitors center is a low and dark building and is well camouflaged in the trees. It is also closed until 9am, so make sure you don't drink two cups of coffee before you get there.
We headed into the forest, where the trunks of the trees were long and headed skywards to burst out of the canopy in spring greens, and within minutes I was rooting around in the backpack for my Binoculars. It was so wonderful to walk underneath and between those trees, feeling the cool breeze and looking up with my mouth slightly open in awe of the serenity up there. It is no wonder that we could hear a dozen different songs coming from all directions.
The mission was to find warblers and so we decided to try and focus on songs that we had not heard before, and then try and spot the bird itself. None of us have much experience, and even though we could hear the birds we had difficulty finding them. Luckily we were also completely content to just wonder along the pathway and enjoy the fact that we were outside without a coat, hat, scarf and gloves. Well, we had hats, but they were the sun kind, not the warm kind. We did see a few little birds we were unable to identify except as being lbj's or european starlings, but we were having no luck with the warblers.
I was looking at a nest in a dead tree about 8 trees diagonally away from me, when the nest moved. immediately the binoculars hit my face and I was trying to locate the bird, at the same time making wild gestures with my free hand for Keir and Diane to look too. It was a huge bird, easily 20 inches, flecked brown and puffed out, preening himself. The first bird that sprang to mind was that it was an eagle of some sort, but then he looked up sharply into the canopy and I saw the face. It was an owl! Owls are the most exciting bird for me to see. I think they are the bird of stories to me, the barn owl, keeping the farm clean of vermin, the scops owl, tiny and wonderful, and all owl calls, haunting and stirring. At that point I could have turned around and gone home and the day would have been seared in my memory. A couple of other birders came along the path to see what was fascinating us, and helped us identify it as a Barred Owl with liquid dark eyes looking out from a dark brown face.
Eventually we set off on the rest of our expedition, but it was the elation from seeing the owl that kept me going all day. The rest of the walk was also amazing. We met more wonderful, helpful experienced birders who indulged our excitement of seeing the common yellowthroat, carolina wren and a multitude of blackbirds. The best spot in Huntly Meadows, or at least, that part of Huntly Meadows that we explored, is a blind that has forest behind it and looks out over the Marsh. Sitting there, enjoying the sun we saw barn and tree swallows, an egret, canada geese, Mallards and the mighty Great Blue Heron, bird of Maryland, but hanging out in Virginia.
You can also walk out around the Marsh to the mudflats and see waders. We saw, with the aid of our new friends, greater and lesser yellowlegs, killdeer, semipalmated plover and baby chick Canada Geese.
For anyone who has a car, you should get into it, and head out there. My birder friend from work was so right when he said it is a wonderful place for new birders to go and become enraptured with birding. The birds are so close, and they live in happy concert with squirrels, turtles, snakes and the biggest toad I have ever seen. If you go next weekend, maybe we'll see you there, except this time, I will skip the margherita and get up earlier, maybe I can be perky too.
