The Birds of Possum Point Road
Between Route 1 and the Potomac River, Quantico Creek and its associated tidal wetlands provide important habitats for migrating songbirds, waterfowl and a diversity of other birds. Easily viewed from Possum Point Road, this area is a Northern Virginia birding hotspot.
The chart below recaps the bird species viewed by Northern Virginia birder Jay Keller from Possum Point Road between March 30, 2005, and April 28, 2007.
With a total of 170 species, this list includes 17 species of
Geese/Ducks, 12 species of birds of prey, 9 species of gulls/terns, and 31 species of
warbler. Do you have species to add to the Possum Point Birdlist? Help make our list more complete, call us at 703.499.4954 or email alliance(at)pwconserve.org.
PR = Permanent Resident
WR = Winter Resident
SR = Summer Resident
T = Transient
V = Occasional Visitor |
Possum Point Road Birdlist
Species Viewed between
March 2005 & April 2007 |
|
LOONS |
x |
Common Loon (WR) |
|
GREBES |
x |
Pied-billed Grebe (WR) |
x |
Horned Grebe (T) |
|
CORMORANTS |
x |
Double-crested Cormorant (SR ) |
|
BITTERNS , EGRETS , HERONS |
|
American Bittern (T) |
|
Least Bittern (SR) |
x |
Great Blue Heron (PR) |
x |
Great Egret (SR) |
x |
Snowy Egret (T) |
|
Little Blue Heron, (T) |
x |
Cattle Egret (T) |
x |
Green Heron (SR) |
|
Black-crowned Night-Heron (SR) |
|
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (SR) |
|
IBISES |
|
Glossy Ibis (T) |
|
VULTURES |
x |
Black Vulture (PR) |
x |
Turkey Vulture (PR) |
|
GEESE , SWANS , DUCKS |
|
Snow Goose (T) |
x |
Canada Goose (PR) |
|
Mute Swan (PR) |
x |
Tundra Swan (WR) |
x |
Wood Duck (PR) |
x |
Gadwall (WR) |
|
American Wigeon (WR) |
x |
American Black Duck (WR) |
x |
Mallard (PR) |
x |
Blue-winged Teal (WR) |
|
Northern Shoveler (WR) |
x |
Northern Pintail (WR) |
x |
Green-winged Teal (WR) |
x |
Canvasback (WR) |
|
Redhead (WR) |
x |
Ring-necked Duck (WR) |
|
Greater Scaup (WR) |
x |
Lesser Scaup (WR) |
|
Long-tailed Duck (T) |
x |
Bufflehead (WR) |
|
Common Goldeneye (T) |
x |
Hooded Merganser (WR) |
x |
Common Merganser (WR) |
x |
Red-breasted Merganser (WR) |
x |
Ruddy Duck (WR) |
|
EAGLES , HAWKS |
x |
Osprey (SR) |
|
Mississippi Kite (V) |
x |
Bald Eagle (PR) |
x |
Northern Harrier (WR) |
x |
Sharp-shinned Hawk (WR) |
x |
Cooper's Hawk (WR) |
|
Northern Goshawk (T) |
x |
Red-shouldered Hawk (PR) |
|
Broad-winged Hawk (T) |
x |
Red-tailed Hawk (PR) |
|
Rough-legged Hawk (V) |
|
Golden Eagle (V) |
|
FALCONS |
x |
American Kestrel (PR) |
x |
Merlin (T) |
x |
Peregrine (T) |
|
GROUSE , TURKEY |
|
Ring-necked Pheasant (PR) |
|
Ruffed Grouse (PR) |
x |
Wild Turkey (PR) |
|
QUAIL |
|
Northern Bobwhite (PR) |
|
RAILS , COOTS |
x |
King Rail (SR) |
|
Virginia Rail (SR) |
|
Sora (SR) |
x |
American Coot (WR) |
|
PLOVERS |
|
Semipalmated Plover (T) |
x |
Killdeer (PR) |
|
SANDPIPERS |
x |
Greater Yellowlegs (T) |
x |
Lesser Yellowlegs (T) |
x |
Solitary Sandpiper (T) |
x |
Spotted Sandpiper (T) |
|
Upland Sandpiper (T) |
|
Semi-palmated Sandpiper (T) |
|
Western Sandpiper (T) |
|
Least Sandpiper (T) |
|
White-rumped Sandpiper (T) |
|
Pectoral Sandpiper (T) |
|
Dunlin (T) |
x |
Short-billed Dowitcher (T) |
x |
Wilson's Snipe (WR) |
|
American Woodcock (SR) |
|
GULLS , TERNS |
x |
Laughing Gull (SR) |
|
Bonaparte's Gull (T) |
x |
Ring-billed Gull (WR) |
x |
Herring Gull (WR) |
|
Lesser Black-backed Gull (V) |
x |
Great Black-backed Gull (WR) |
x |
Caspian Tern (T) |
x |
Royal Tern (V) |
x |
Common Tern (T) |
x |
Forster's Tern (T) |
x |
Black Tern (V) |
|
DOVES |
x |
Rock Pigeon (PR) |
x |
Mourning Dove (PR) |
|
CUCKOOS |
x |
Black-billed Cuckoo (T) |
x |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (SR) |
|
BARN OWLS |
|
Barn Owl (PR) |
|
TYPICAL OWLS |
|
Eastern Screech-Owl (PR) |
|
Great Horned Owl (PR) |
x |
Barred Owl (PR) |
|
Short-eared Owl (WR) |
|
Northern Saw-whet Owl (V) |
|
GOATSUCKERS |
|
Common Nighthawk (SR) |
|
Chuck-will's-widow (SR) |
|
Whip-poor-will (SR) |
|
SWIFTS |
x |
Chimney Swift (SR) |
|
HUMMINGBIRDS |
x |
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (SR) |
|
KINGFISHERS |
x |
Belted Kingfisher (PR) |
|
WOODPECKERS |
x |
Red-headed Woodpecker (PR) |
x |
Red-bellied Woodpecker (PR) |
x |
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (WR) |
x |
Downy Woodpecker (PR) |
x |
Hairy Woodpecker (PR) |
x |
Northern Flicker (PR) |
x |
Pileated Woodpecker (PR) |
|
FLYCATCHERS |
x |
Eastern Wood-Pewee (SR) |
x |
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (T) |
x |
Acadian Flycatcher (SR) |
|
Alder Flycatcher (T) |
x |
Willow Flycatcher (SR) |
|
Least Flycatcher (T) |
x |
Eastern Phoebe (SR) |
x |
Great-crested Flycatcher (SR) |
x |
Eastern Kingbird (SR) |
|
SHRIKES |
|
Loggerhead Shrike (V) |
|
VIREOS |
x |
White-eyed Vireo (SR) |
x |
Yellow-throated Vireo (SR) |
x |
Blue-headed Vireo (T) |
x |
Warbling Vireo (SR) |
|
Philadelphia Vireo (T) |
x |
Red-eyed Vireo (SR) |
|
CROWS |
x |
Blue Jay (PR) |
x |
American Crow (PR) |
x |
Fish Crow (PR) |
|
Common Raven (PR) |
|
LARKS |
|
Horned Lark (PR) |
|
SWALLOWS |
|
Purple Martin (SR) |
x |
Tree Swallow (SR) |
x |
N. Rough-winged Swallow (SR) |
x |
Bank Swallow (SR) |
|
Cliff Swallow (T) |
x |
Barn Swallow (SR) |
|
CHICKADEES , TITMICE |
x |
Carolina Chickadee (PR) |
|
Black-capped Chickadee (V) |
x |
Tufted Titmouse (PR) |
|
NUTHATCHES |
x |
Red-breasted Nuthatch (V) |
x |
White-breasted Nuthatch (PR) |
|
CREEPERS |
x |
Brown Creeper (WR) |
|
WRENS |
x |
Carolina Wren (PR) |
x |
House Wren (SR) |
x |
Winter Wren (WR) |
|
Sedge Wren (T) |
|
Marsh Wren (SR) |
|
KINGLETS |
x |
Golden-crowned Kinglet (WR) |
x |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (WR) |
|
GNATCATCHERS |
x |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (SR) |
|
THRUSHES |
x |
Eastern Bluebird (PR) |
x |
Veery (SR) |
|
Gray-cheeked Thrush (T) |
|
Bicknell's Thrush (T) |
x |
Swainson's Thrush (T) |
x |
Hermit Thrush (WR) |
x |
Wood Thrush (SR) |
x |
American Robin (SR) |
|
MIMIDS , THRASHERS |
x |
Gray Catbird (SR) |
x |
Northern Mockingbird (PR) |
x |
Brown Thrasher (SR) |
|
STARLINGS |
x |
European Starling (PR) |
|
PIPITS |
x |
American Pipit (WR) |
|
WAXWINGS |
x |
Cedar Waxwing (PR) |
|
WARBLERS |
x |
Blue-winged Warbler (T) |
|
Golden-winged Warbler (T) |
x |
Tennessee Warbler (T) |
x |
Nashville Warbler (T) |
x |
Northern Parula (SR) |
x |
Yellow Warbler (SR) |
x |
Chestnut-sided Warbler (T) |
x |
Magnolia Warbler (T) |
|
Cape May Warbler (T) |
x |
Black-throated Blue Warbler (T) |
x |
Yellow-rumped Warbler (WR) |
x |
Black-throated Green Warbler (T) |
x |
Blackburnian Warbler (T) |
x |
Yellow-throated Warbler (SR) |
x |
Pine Warbler (SR) |
x |
Prairie Warbler (SR) |
x |
Palm Warbler (T) |
|
Bay-breasted Warbler (T) |
x |
Blackpoll Warbler (T) |
x |
Cerulian Warbler (T) |
x |
Black-and-White Warbler (SR) |
x |
American Redstart (SR) |
x |
Phrothonotary Warbler (SR) |
x |
Worm-eating Warbler (SR) |
|
Swainson's Warbler (SR) |
x |
Ovenbird (SR) |
x |
Northern Waterthrush (T) |
x |
Louisiana Waterthrush (SR) |
|
Connecticut Warbler (T) |
x |
Mourning Warbler (T) |
x |
Kentucky Warbler (SR) |
x |
Common Yellow-throat (SR) |
x |
Hooded Warbler (SR) |
x |
Wilson's Warbler (T) |
x |
Canada Warbler (T) |
x |
Yellow-breasted Chat (SR) |
|
TANAGERS |
x |
Summer Tanager (T) |
x |
Scarlet Tanager (SR) |
|
SPARROWS |
x |
Eastern Towhee (PR) |
|
American Tree Sparrow (WR) |
x |
Chipping Sparrow (SR) |
x |
Field Sparrow (PR) |
|
Vesper Sparrow (T) |
x |
Savannah Sparrow (WR) |
|
Grasshopper Sparrow (SR) |
x |
Fox Sparrow (WR) |
x |
Song Sparrow (PR) |
|
Lincoln's Sparrow (T) |
x |
Swamp Sparrow (WR) |
x |
White-throated Sparrow (WR) |
|
Harris' Sparrow (V) |
|
White-crowned Sparrow (WR) |
x |
Dark-eyed Junco (WR) |
|
Snow Bunting (V) |
|
CARDINALS , GROSBEAKS , BUNTINGS |
x |
Northern Cardinal (PR) |
x |
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (T) |
x |
Blue Grosbeak (SR) |
x |
Indigo Bunting (SR) |
|
Dickcissel (T) |
|
BLACKBIRDS , ORIOLES |
x |
Bobolink (T) |
x |
Red-winged Blackbird (PR) |
|
Eastern Meadowlark (PR) |
x |
Rusty Blackbird (WR) |
|
Brewer's Blackbird (V) |
x |
Common Grackle (PR) |
x |
Brown-headed Cowbird (PR) |
x |
Orchard Oriole (SR) |
x |
Baltimore Oriole (SR) |
|
GROSBEAKS , FINCHES |
x |
Purple Finch (WR) |
x |
House Finch (PR) |
|
Pine Siskin (T) |
x |
American Goldfinch (PR) |
|
Evening Grosbeak (V) |
|
OLD WORLD SPARROWS |
x |
House Sparrow (PR) |
| The Northern Virginia species included on this list was based on the Fairfax Audubon Society's provisional list of the Birds of Northern Virginia. |
|
What's so Special about Possum Point Road?
Possum Point Road lies east of Route 1, along the southern border of the Cherry Hill Peninsula. Sandwiched between single family homes and tidal wetlands, the road traverses the north side of Quantico Creek from Route 1 to the Potomac River.
The tidal wetlands and significant floodplain that border Possum Point Road create prime habitat conditions for a diversity of birds and other wildlife. This area is reputed to be one of the premier birding sites in Northern Virginia.
Approximately 80% of the Quantico Creek watershed is protected within Prince William Forest Park. Within the Park, Quantico Creek is considered to be one of the highest quality streams remaining in Northern Virginia. This section of Quantico Creek was used as the reference stream for Fairfax County's Stream Protection Strategy Baseline Study.
Downstream from Prince William Forest Park, Quantico Creek flows through the Town of Dumfries. Here a combination of older development patterns and inadequate stormwater management have degraded Quantico Creek and cause significant flooding problems.
The Quantico Creek watershed area that lies outside Prince William Forest Park, the watershed is largely consumed with residential development. Currently Prince William has no programs in place to protect any portion of this area.
In fact, due to recently approved development in the Quantico Creek watershed and poor enforcement of environmental regulations, there currently appears to be little chance this area can maintain existing habitat conditions for much longer.
Read more about ongoing development and enforcement problems in the Quantico Creek watershed. Click here to read about Possum Point Road, here to read about the Cherry Hill Peninsula and here to read about the Stonewall Manor development. |
