HOME » Things to do » Birding
Birding
-
Birding @ Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck NWR
As an unstaffed refuge, there are plenty of opportunities for quiet bird watching at Mason Neck. A visit to the end of the Great Marsh trail will allow you a rest on the observation deck over the Great Marsh. From here, its possible to observe the 20 species of waterfowl, marsh wrens, herons/egrets, as well as bald eagles, the species for which the refuge was founded. The mature hardwood forests of the refuge play host to large numbers of neo tropical birds nesting or passing through the each year. Wood thrush, ovenbirds, scarlet tanagers, northern parula warblers and prothonotary warblers are a few of the many species readily heard and seen through the spring and summer seasons.
-
Bird banding station @ Occoquan Bay NWR
During the annual Spring bird migration (Mar - May), trained volunteers staff the bird banding station. Using protocols developed by the US Geological Survey, songbirds are trapped in a series of nets located near the banding station. Following procedures to ensure the safety of the birds, a small, uniquely numbered, metal band is attached to the leg of the bird and data is recorded to include species, age, sex, size, breeding status and weight. Birds that have been previously banded at Occoquan or elsewhere are also processed to include the same data. At the end of the banding season, the data is then transmitted to the Bird Banding Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, an organization tasked by the US Geological Survey to collect and maintain the data from all banding stations throughout the US. Data is also exchanged with similar organizations in Canada , Mexico and South America.
Station hours
The Station is open during Spring migration (Mar. 20 - May 23, 2010), during Refuge hours, on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and occasional Fridays, from 7am to approximately 11:30am, weather permitting. Updated dates of operations will be listed here as they become known. The station is also open during the Annual Fall Festival in mid-October. Visitors are encouraged to visit whenever the station is open.
Directions to the station in Occoquan Bay NWR
Drive in and park in the main parking lot in the center of the refuge. On foot, trace your entrance back down Dawnson Beach Road until you reach the first dirt road on your left. Turn left here onto Deephole Point Road. Walk approximately 5-10 minutes, and then look for the station off to your right. There will most likely be parked cars (banders only, please) - take the walking path to the small wooden pavillion.
Want to learn more about bird banding in the United States? Additional information can be found at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Bird Banding Laboratory website.
-
Bluebird boxes @ Occoquan Bay NWR
Visitors will find blue bird nest boxes scattered around Occoquan Bay NWR. These boxes act as subsitute nesting sites as natural caveties, such as old woodpecker holes in decaying trees, become scarce. Introduced species such as the European Starling and House Sparrow are direct competitors for nesting sites, and these boxes, monitored by volunteers throughout the year, are one way humans are striving to have a positive impact on bird populations. Other beneficial species of birds, such as the Tree Swallow, also sometimes use the blue bird boxes for nesting. Come visit the refuge to see these exicting birds!
-
Birding checklists for Occoquan Bay NWR (Dec. 2007)
| • |
Letter-sized birding checklist (182K, pdf) |
| • |
Legal-sized birding checklist (128K, pdf) |
|
| |
Note on Printing: The two bird lists are designed for legal and letter size paper in portrait mode. The legal size is designed to be printed two-sided to create a single 4-panel (tri-fold) brochure. The letter size can be printed either as 3 individual sheets, or with pages two and three printed two-sided, to form an abbreviated checklist. Printer settings to produce proper paper folds, margins and landscape orientation vary from printer to printer. These lists were designed for an Epson printer, but should print on most inkjet or laser printers with a narrow margin capability. A higher print quality (graphics/photo) will produce a clearer copy due to the small text font used. Paper quality is also important when double-siding to avoid bleed-through on inkjets. Please check with your own printer's manufacturer for assistance. |
| |
 |
These files require Adobe Acrobat. Click here to download. |
-
Cornell Lab of Ornithology links
|
