Trip Day 18 Tuesday  May 11, 2021  To Spotsylvania  Battleground Park and Ni Reservoir

Well, today we made a bird count that was much better and that involved some new species for the trip. The cause of that was some very careful watching in the deep forests of the SBP (Spotsylvania Battleground Park).

The morning was sunny and a bit cool but warmed up to the mid 60’s by noon. We were on our way with our new tool the GPS . If only “she” (don’t have name for her yet) wouldn’t talk back. (When we backtracked to look at a pond where we saw something, she gets very confused). I need one for birders that do that much of the time. (I could turn it off I guess!).

The SBP is a 611 acre Park at the site of the battle for the ‘courthouse crossroads’ and involved  the troops  of Grant’s Union Army and Lee’s Confederate troops. Grant was trying to out flank Lee, but Lee did not allow that to happen. As a result  the battle was declared a stalemate although the Confederates (in this last year of the war, ) lost many lives, (37,000) ,equipment and supplies and it was not much later that the end of the war was at Appomattox Courthouse.
 

The roads in The Battleground Park

The general layout of the Battle sites

Heavily wooded areas

 All 

 

 

Along the roads (used to be the trails the troops used) there were remains of the Confederate trenches still visible,

This happened to be the same 4 days in May that the battles took place some 167 years ago. (May 10-11-12-13). Grant finally withdrew the next week.

The site was well laid out for auto travel with many places to pull out and walk or rest and view. Our main goal was to look for birds and we did do well in finding them there.

We found a quiet place to eat lunch while watching for some birds.

 

 

 

The birds today that were outstanding were ;  WOOD PEEWEE, SCARLET TANAGER, ALDER FLYCATCHER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, PALM WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART,  BLUE GROSBEAK, GREAT BLUE HERON, BALD EAGLE (way up high)  SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SHARP SHINNED HAWK, and  KENTUCKY WARBLER.. IT WAS A GOOD DAY.  24 SPECIES IN ALL.

Buttercup and Penstamon

 

    

 

 

 

 

         Evening Primrose  (right) 

 

Ruth was able to get a few flowers photos of course , and the “tundra like” fields did not slow her down. 

Yellow Spice Butterflies

The Ni Reservoir or Lake

Look closely for the Spotted Sandpiper

 We then drove to a nearby Reservoir that has the unforgettable name of NI Reservoir..  There was no fee for this CountyPark and we drove to the fishing road by the water after stopping at the Office and getting the “OK”from Dave the manager. They do a lot of boat rentals there as it is good fishing. There was not much bird life, but on the way back Ruth spotted a pond, and we did a reverse and stopped in an abandoned yard to see some  birds and right in the driveway was a Spotted Sandpiper. You never know!

A supper of Taco Salad was a fitting ending for the day and after that I had a Zoom meeting with the folks from First UMC in Grand Rapids, My reception was spotty so I was not much of  contributor.  It was good to see faces and hear voices, however, 

Confederate trenches

General battlelines (Confederates were 4 miles long)

A few cannons left

The day was a fine one, and I hope to finish “Braiding Sweetgrass” before our Book Club meeting tomorrow (Wed)  evening.

Maybe that National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow? (Occoquan)