[birding] Finley this morning

[Austin Booth]

I birded Finley this morning. I didn't see any of my target birds but I 
added a few others to my year list. I came in on Finley Refuge Rd and 
did the loop to Bruce Rd.

At Cabell Marsh I had a male LAZULI BUNTING near the observation gazebo 
structure at the top of the hill had good scope views of BAND-TAILED 
PIGEONS perched in the dead trees when you first get down to the marsh.

At the big grassy hillside on Finley Refuge Rd right after Cabell Marsh 
I saw what I believe was a DUSKY FLYCATCHER perched on a sign at the 
pull out. I'm not great at distinguishing empidonax flycatchers but 
based on the habitat (a grassy hillside with scattered shrubs and small 
trees) I'm thinking it was most likely a dusky.

There were lots of finches, goldfinches and black-headed grossbeaks at 
the feeders at refuge headquarters. One particular bird was very 
interesting, I believe it was a Yellow variant Purple Finch which I've 
never seen before, I've only seen it in house finches.

On Bruce Rd I heard two VIRGINIA RAILS calling as soon as I got to the 
scrape ponds and I also heard a SORA. In the same location toward the 
back of the scrape pond I saw an AMERICAN BITTERN sticking its long head 
and bill out of the grass. On the other end of the scrape ponds I saw 4 
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS where they had been seen before, 3 females and 
one male.

Austin Booth