Yellow crowned night heron, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co., VA. I hadn't seen the yellow crowned night herons that had been reported at Huntley until this morning when a pair flew right by me. I backtracked to see if they had roosted somewhere and got this pic of one of them. Never did see the second one. 

Red winged blackbird, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co., VA. I just love redwinged blackbirds. They're difficult to photograph because of the contrast between their very dark feathers and the background. 

Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co., VA. Just a beautiful place in the morning. Great blue and great egret in the distance. 

Green Heron in silhouette, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co., VA. I had just started out on a solo walk (no one else at all there at 7AM!) and looked up and saw this heron. 

Osprey, Dyke Marsh Marina, Alexandria, VA. This nest platform is very close to shore but they seem to like it. There are so many osprey in the area maybe they can't be too choosy in selecting nest sites. Picture taken May 21st, but I'm just getting around to posting it. I was on the Dyke Marsh birdwalk. 

Acadian flycather, Monticello Park, Alexandria, VA. Heard its distinctive, "Pizza, pizza" (does he work for Godfather's?) then tracked it down. One of the few birds I saw today in the normally very birdy (or so they tell me) Monticello Park. 

Great Egret, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax, VA. It's hard for me to get a good pic of the great egret as they are so white! They tend to be overexposed. I kept stepping this down. 

Mallard, my neighbor's yard. The duck made a beeline for the pool; he must have been very disappointed to find it was just a puddle. He left soon after this picture was taken. 

Huntley Meadows, Fairfax County, VA solo walk

Hooded Merganser, Female; Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co., VA. No ducklings visible around this female. There had been one with babies last week.

This was a great morning at Huntley. Soon after I arrived at the boardwalk, I saw some crows mobbing a tree--I ventured farther into the woods and discovered that it was a barred owl. I got quite a good look for a few seconds, including the sight of a crow flying right at the owl's face (it flinched!) before the owl had had enough and flew off.

Other birds seen, besides those pictured above and below:

Barred Owl
Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Barn Swallow

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

Eastern Bluebird

American Goldfinch

Common Yellowthroat

Northern Cardinal

Great Blue Heron, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax, VA. 

Green Heron, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax, VA. 

Great Egret, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax, VA.

Least Sandpiper, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax, VA. 

Territorial dispute. Solitary Sandpipers. The upper one looks to me like he's saying "that's all you got?" Maybe I've been watching too many Sopranos episodes. 

Solitary Sandpipers, Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA. Nice and close to the boardwalk. 

White breasted nuthatch, Fairfax Co., VA. There are at least two of these who are regulars to the feeder. 

Rose breasted grosbeak, female, Fairfax Co., VA.  

Rose breasted grosbeak, female, Fairfax Co., VA. 

Rose breasted grosbeak, female, Fairfax Co., VA. The grosbeak returned to the feeder so I changed the settings on my camera and got some better pics. 

Rosebreasted grosbeak, female, at my yard feeder. Fairfax Co., VA

Girl talk. Female rose-breasted grosbeak and cardinal in a standoff at the feeder. They achieved a wary truce.

Wood stork, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida. Found this old picture of a wood stork from about 20 years ago. They were breeding and the caucophony was incredible! Plus the alligators hung around at the base of trees looking for young'uns that had fallen out of the next. Corkscrew Swamp sanctuary is a wonderful place with a boardwalk and apparently a new Visitor's Center since we were there. 

Green Heron, Huntley Meadows, VA 

Common yellowthroat, Huntley Meadows, VA. This and the subsequent pic are the best I've ever taken of a yellowthroat. 

Common yellowthroat, Huntley Meadows, VA. The best pic yet of a yellowthroat.