Early December 2016 (1st-10th)

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Birding momentum continued into December on the heels of last period’s Lesser Goldfinch, and this time around Virginia Beach was graced with the presence of our first ever BULLOCK’S ORIOLE! While many other great birds were viewed this period in Virginia Beach, this will always be the headliner that late November 2016 will be remember for. Not only a first for the county, but for the entire state of Virginia (pending VARCOM acceptance, of course)! Other top finds this period included GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, ROSS’S GOOSE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, PAINTED BUNTING, LE CONTE’S SPARROW and a continuing LARK SPARROW. First-of-season arrivals this period included our first-of-fall Long-tailed Duck, Great Cormorant & Vesper Sparrow (3 Dec) and Common Goldeneye (10 Dec)!  Occurrences of late/lingering species this period included Barn Swallow (latest 3 Dec), Prairie Warbler & Yellow-breasted Chat (4 Dec), Nashville Warbler (5 Dec), Cattle Egret (7 Dec) and Ruby-throated Hummingbird (8 Dec). WEATHER: Early December brought on the demise of the fall colors, as most of the leaves hit the ground through this 10-day time frame, and the forests have again reached their barren, wintry appearance. Early December’s average daily high temperatures continued to fall, dropping considerably to 51.6 degrees F (-6.7 degrees from the late November period); average daytime lows also dropped, to 38.5 degrees F (-0.9 degrees). In fact, the 25 degree low temperature on 10 Dec was a new low mark for the season, and a fair amount of ice was present at Back Bay for the first time since last winter. The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the early December period were 56.1 & 39.0 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at -4.5 and -0.5 degrees when comparing to the 10-year averages. During the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 64.0 (2012) & 44.9 degrees F (2014). We had 4 days with measureable precipitation which amounted to a total of 1.30 inches, with 0.69 inches falling 6 Dec.

OBSERVATIONS: With all the excitement that occurred in late November due to the arrival (and swift departure) of the Lesser Goldfinch, how could we keep the momentum going in Virginia Beach? Well, for starters, a BULLOCK’S ORIOLE at Back Bay NWR on 2 Dec (Mike Collins) proved to be the perfect springboard into December! The Gold Book lists only 5 firm records of this species in the state of Virginia, with the most recent occurring in Fairfax County in 2002. None of the documented records are from Virginia Beach, so this was yet another first for the city! Unfortunately, this oriole (another western species far out of range) wasn’t as cordial as the Lesser Goldfinch, and despite the lightning paced spread of information among the local birding community, no one was able to relocate the bird throughout the day, and it was also not seen on successive days though efforts were certainly undertaken!

On one such “twitch” to Back Bay NWR on 2 Dec, observers were otherwise rewarded for their efforts with a flyover flock of 6 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS (Donna Jones, ph. Clyde Wilson, ph. Matt Anthony, ph. Andrew Elgin, Megan Massa & Nicholas Newberry). This species is most often noted in flight as they pass along the immediate coastline, but earlier in the year, a group of 30+ individuals spent a couple of days on the marshes off Pleasure House Point NA, so it is always possible to further sightings will occur for this difficult-to-pin-down species.

Also, the LARK SPARROW that has been present at Back Bay NWR since at least 23 Oct was sighted by many observers throughout the entirety of the period, including: 1 Dec (Karen & Tom Beatty), 2 Dec (Robert Ake, Mike Collins and Pamela Monahan), 3 Dec (Paul Glass, Karen & Tom Beatty and Adam D’Onofrio), 4 Dec (Theo Staengl, Phil Kenny, Ezra Staengl, Russell Taylor, Dixie Sommers, Clyde Wilson, Donna Jones, and Rexanne Bruno) and on 10 Dec (Michelle Payne, Lisa Rose, Rob Bielawski and Adam Sedgley. This individual seems content to stay in the septic field north of the visitor’s center, or in the scrubbier field just west of the building and it is readily obvious to be the same bird since it has a healed wound on the back of the right side of the head.

While out searching the southern impoundment of Princess Anne WMA’s Beasley Tract on 4 Dec, a LE CONTE’S SPARROW was found by Andrew Baldelli. Records for this species in Virginia Beach as far as eBird goes are limited, with the most recent being several sightings at Back Bay NWR. However, thanks to a post just a couple weeks back on the CVWO general blog, Anna Stunkel provided a link to this article regarding the distribution and status of the species in Virginia. I highly encourage anyone interested in the species to read through this paper as it pertains specifically to many sightings in Virginia Beach. Being a very secretive species, many observers leapt at the opportunity to attempt to observe this individual. It was first observed a couple of hours after the initial sighting by Mary Catherine Miguez, then by the group of Rexanne Bruno, Lisa Rose, Dixie Sommers & Tracy Tate, and lastly by Karen Beatty & Rob Bielawski (led by Mary Catherine Miguez to the spot). An added hurdle to this bird is the fact that the park is only open to birding on Sundays throughout the winter season, as per their official website details the rules & regulations. Please be mindful of these access regulations if you would like to venture out in search of the bird (it was reported again 11 Dec, just to keep you fully up to date).

Also on 4 Dec, a PAINTED BUNTING appeared in the backyard of a private residence (Davenport Ln. / Tommy Maloney), and it is possible that this is the same individual noted at this location a few weeks prior. We’ve had what appears to be at least three separate individuals reported over the last month or two in the city, though all have been either immatures/females. It seems only a matter of time before a vivid adult male shows up somewhere though, which is certainly a bird everyone would like to see.

Another exciting find from the same day (4 Dec) was that of a pair of geese on the northern body of water in Sherwood Lakes. Though they were mixed in with hundreds of Canada Geese, these two were quite different, being a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and a ROSS’S GOOSE (Julian Smith, et al.). On a typical day, the finding of a Ross’s Goose would be big news, though the species is likely annual in Virginia Beach, and just goes unnoticed since they often mix in with large flocks of Snow Geese. However, being in the same flock as a Greater White-fronted Goose makes it even more exciting. The latter species only has one other record listed here in eBird, that of a single individual observed in February 2014 near the Baybreeze Farms market stand on Sandbridge Road. The current flock of geese seems to be spending time on the water at Sherwood Lakes, as well as at a private borrow pit to the south. When foraging, the group moves from several nearby corn fields, and those adjacent to the HRSD wastewater treatment plant off Firefall Drive (and possibly elsewhere yet to be discovered). Throughout the period, these highly sought after rarities were also observed as follows: 6 Dec (Mary Catherine Miguez and Karen & Tom Beatty), 7 Dec (Andrew Baldelli and Mary Catherine Miguez), 8 Dec (James Marcum off Firefall Dr.), 9 Dec (Mike Collins, Ross’s Goose only at Sherwood Lakes) and 10 Dec (Karen & Tom Beatty, Greater White-fronted Goose only at Firefall Dr.). Hopefully they continue to be sighted, as this author personally knows full well how easy it is to miss them among the flock on any given day.

While out searching for the goose flock on 7 Dec at a privately owned tract of land (with permission) off Princess Anne Lane, an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, a first for the city this year, was observed and photographed (Andrew Baldelli & Mary Catherine Miguez). Unfortunately due to the nature of this location, outside parties weren’t able to attempt to re-find this bird, and it has not been seen anywhere on the surrounding public lands. While this is our first concrete record for the year, a Myiarchus flycatcher observed at Lake Windsor on 16 Nov (Lisa Rose) was likely also an Ash-throated Flycather since no Great Crested Flycatchers (our common summer Myiarchus) were observed north of Florida after 1 Nov.

First-of-season arrivals (all within normal expectations) this period included 1 Long-tailed Duck & 1 Great Cormorant (3 Dec / South Thimble Island / Teri Holland), a Vesper Sparrow (3 Dec / First Landing SP / Louis Rajnys) and a Common Goldeneye (10 Dec / Back Bay NWR / Adam Sedgley). In addition to the first arrivals, we had quite a number of observations of species lingering beyond their typical departure dates. These included: Barn Swallow (3 Dec / Back Bay NWR / Matt Anthony, Rob Bielawski, Paul Glass, Nicholas Newberry & Jason Strickland), Prairie Warbler (4 Dec / Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Andrew Baldelli), Yellow-breasted Chat (4 Dec / False Cape SP / Rexanne Bruno, Mary Foster, Donna Jones & Clyde Wilson), Nashville Warbler (5 Dec / Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / James Marcum) and Ruby-throated Hummingbird (3 & 8 Dec / Alanton / Michelle Payne). Also of interest, a group of late-occurring Cattle Egrets was spotted by several observers around southern Virginia Beach, including: a group of 12 (4 Dec / Morris Neck Rd. / Mary Catherine Miguez), 4 (4 Dec / Princess Anne Rd. / Rob Bielawski), 8 (4 Dec / Princess Anne Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty) and 22 (7 Dec / South Stowe Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty). Jaegers unidentifiable to species were noted 3 Dec (South Thimble Island / Rexanne Bruno) and also offshore of the Oceanfront 4 Dec (Virginia Aquarium Staff). American Bitterns continue to pop up at Back Bay NWR and Princess Anne WMA as well, being a favorite target of out-of-towners who come to coast during the winter. Lastly, the flock of Snow Buntings continues to be sighted at the border of Fort Story and First Landing SP, on the dune line immediately adjacent to a small freshwater puddle.

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 1 DEC – Baltimore Oriole (Laurel Cove Dr. / Loretta Silvia); Cooper’s Hawk & King Rail (Back Bay NWR / Mary Catherine Miguez); Cooper’s Hawk, Wilson’s Snipe, LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Royal Tern & Orange-crowned Warbler (First Landing SP / Mary Coker); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker & Baltimore Oriole (Kempsville / Una Davenhill). 2 DEC – BULLOCK’S ORIOLE (Back Bay NWR / Mike Collins); Northern Gannet, Sanderling, Ring-billed Gull & Great Black-backed Gull (South Thimble Island / Linda Greble); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Bow Creek Recreation Center / David Clark); Lesser Scaup, Double-crested Cormorant, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, American Coot, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Clyde Wilson); AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Back Bay NWR / Andrew Elgin); 3 DEC – LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Paul Glass); Snow Bunting & Vesper Sparrow (First Landing SP / Louis Rajnys); LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Adam D’Onofrio); Red-headed Woodpecker & Ruby-crowned Kinglet (First Landing SP / Loretta Silvia); Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Osprey, Northern Harrier & Northern Mockingbird (Pleasure House Point NA / Rob Bielawski); Red-billed Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Common Grackle & Baltimore Oriole (Prince Phillip Dr. / Ron Furnish): 4 DEC – King Rail, Black-bellied Plover, Eastern Screech-Owl, American Kestrel, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, LARK SPARROW & Red-winged Blackbird (Back Bay NWR / Phil Kenny); King Rail (Back Bay NWR / Ezra Staengl); Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Prairie Warbler & LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Andrew Baldelli); King Rail & Eastern Screech-Owl (False Cape SP / Dixie Sommers); King Rail (False Cape SP / Kim Harrell); King Rail (False Cape SP / Steve Myers); Marsh Wren & LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Mary Catherine Miguez); Ring-billed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Royal Tern & Savannah Sparrow (First Landing SP / Rob Bielawski); Red-headed Woodpecker (First Landing SP / Bill Fiero); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Dixie Sommers); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Lisa Rose); Orange-crowned Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Kim Harrell); Jaeger sp. (Offshore / Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center); Cattle Egret (Princess Anne Rd. / Rob Bielawski); Nelson’s Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Ezra Staengl); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Rob Bielawski); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Karen Beatty); Snow Bunting (First Landing SP / Ezra Staengl); Orange-crowned Warbler (Prince Phillip Dr. / Ron Furnish). 5 DEC – Lesser Black-backed Gull (Oceanfront / Bill Fiero). 6 DEC – GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & ROSS’S GOOSE (Princess Anne Ln. / Mary Catherine Miguez). 7 DEC – GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & ROSS’S GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Andrew Baldelli); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & ROSS’S GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Mary Catherine Miguez); ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (Princess Anne Ln. / Mary Catherine Miguez); ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (Princess Anne Ln. / Andrew Baldelli); Common Grackle (Sherwood Lakes / Rob Bielawski); Cattle Egret (Princess Anne Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty); 10 DEC - LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Lisa Rose); Tundra Swans, American Bittern, Northern Mockingbird, LARK SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (Firefall Dr. / Karen & Tom Beatty).

LOOKAHEAD: With the leaves now essentially off the trees, some birds will become more visible to eyes in the forested portions of the city. The goose flock moving around southern Virginia Beach is worth tracking, as other unusual species could pop up (CACKLING GOOSE already has as of this writing on 11 Dec). A large flock of mixed blackbirds has been noted around Sherwood Lakes as well, and observers should focus on picking out YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD if present among the 10,000 birds contained in the group.  Mid-December could also afford seawatchers with our first documented Razorbills, GLAUCOUS GULLS or ICELAND GULLS of the season, and rare ducks like KING & COMMON EIDERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS are always a possibility this time of year as well. With the drop in temperatures comes the potential for northerly species making their way into our region, but make sure to dress for the cooler temperatures as it can be quite miserable on exposed beaches if not wearing the proper attire! 

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For more information on this thrice-monthly Birding Blog, please check out the Journal Overview Page on the website. It provides background information as to what sightings are considered for the blog, details about the format of the blog, and it will likely answer many other questions that readers might be wondering about as well! As always, thank you for reading, and please leave me a comment below (you may use your Facebook, Gmail or other accounts to easily do so), or just click the Heart icon to the lower right of this post to let me know you stopped in!

Late November 2016 (21st-30th)

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LESSER GOLDFINCH! While many other great birds were viewed this period in Virginia Beach, this will always be the headliner that late November 2016 will be remember for. Not only a first for the county, but for the entire state of Virginia (pending VARCOM acceptance, of course)! Other top finds this period included AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, PARASITIC JAEGER, CAVE SWALLOW, SNOW BUNTING, PAINTED BUNTING and a continuing LARK SPARROW. First-of-season arrivals this period included our first-of-fall Fox Sparrow & Canvasback (23 Nov), American Pipit (25 Nov) and White-winged Scoter (27 Nov)!  Occurrences of late/lingering species were limited to a few reports of Ruby-throated Hummingbird (latest 29 Nov). We continue to see White-crowned Sparrow reports from Back Bay NWR and some cryptic species, including American Bittern, Virginia Rail, Sedge Wren, and Horned Lark were also observed during this period. WEATHER: Fall leaf color appeared to be in full peak during this period throughout Virginia Beach, and by the end of November, winds had started to bring down many of the beautifully colored leaves. Late November’s average daily high temperatures continued to (expectedly) fall, dropping to 58.3 degrees F (-2.5 degrees from the mid-November period); after a whopping 7.9 degree drop in the average daytime lows between early & mid-November, we experienced a slight rebound this period, rising to 39.4 degrees F (+1.6 degrees). The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the mid-November period were 58.8 & 40.3 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at -0.5 and -0.9 degrees (very near average) when comparing to the 10-year averages. During the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 62.9 (2006) & 47.4 degrees F (2011). Though we had 4 days with measureable precipitation, a daily maximum of 0.17 inches occurred 24 Nov, and our total for the period was still relatively low at 0.34 inches.

"I chose this one because THIS IS what I saw as I was on my deck refilling my feeders, this is the first of maybe 5 shots to document it forever in case it didn’t come back…I think that is why this shot is super cool... This is the one that started the story." -Mary Catherine Miguez

OBSERVATIONS (PART I):  On Saturday, 26 Nov, a highly unexpected, and very out-of-range, LESSER GOLDFINCH was observed in the backyard of a residence located in the Lago Mar subdivision of Virginia Beach, just north of Sandbridge Road by the homeowner, Mary Catherine Miguez. Identification was made quickly, and a photograph was initially sent via text message at 12:31 PM to a couple of folks to spread the word, which was closely followed by an uproar of excitement and an afternoon of hoping the bird would again be sighted. A little after 3 PM, it reappeared and was again photographically documented (Mary Catherine Miguez) with video also taken this time (Karen & Tom Beatty). In the evening hours, information had been leaked to a few folks from the immediate area with the hopes that the bird would stay overnight in the area, and by the following morning (Sunday, 27 Nov), around 9 AM, it was observed again (Matt Anthony, Edward Brinkley, James Fox & Jason Strickland). Throughout the remainder of Sunday, the goldfinch made back-and-forth trips between a Crepe Myrtle tree and a water feature. By the end of the day it had been seen by quite a number of folks, including: Andrew Baldelli, Mike Collins, Karen & Tom Beatty, Tommy Maloney & Jason Schatti, Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins, Rob Bielawski & Ruth Bielawski, Kim Harrell, James Marcum, Beth Oristian & Ellison Orcutt and Michelle Payne & Lisa Rose. At this point, it was assumed that the bird would stick around, and eBird reports were initialized to let the general populace know about the find. After which, came a flurry of excitement as folks around the state realized that a first-ever-record was potentially within reach. On Monday, 28 Nov, the bird showed itself early, but remained elusive throughout the day, much to the dismay of many travelers. Just before 4 PM, it showed itself to Robert Ake, Jeffrey Blalock, Adam D’Onofrio, Mike Stinson & Clyde Wilson. Unfortunately, the last sighting (as of this writing) occurred early on the morning of Tuesday, 29 Nov, by the initial finder, Mary Catherine Miguez. Though, this seems a fitting end to the tale of the Lesser Goldfinch in Virginia Beach, pending no one else does re-find the bird.

A report has already been submitted to VARCOM, and with all the documentation that the bird provided during its 4-day stint, hopefully it will be accepted by the committee as our 474th (or 475th species, pending the Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird ruling). The most recent addition to the Official State List for Virginia was a Dusky Flycatcher observed and mist netted in 2013 for DNA analysis to confirm species identification. However, chronologically speaking, the last species to be added was the Zone-tailed Hawk observed over the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch (after a speedy same-day flight south from Cape May, New Jersey!) and surrounding area in the fall of 2015, with the Smith’s Longspur of winter/spring 2015 the next-most-recent add. Interestingly, this is the first new state bird found in Virginia Beach since the 20 Nov 2012 occurrence of a single Northern Lapwing was discovered by an ODU field ornithology class at Back Bay NWR. A list of other recent additions to the list can be found Here on the Virginia Society of Ornithology’s website. Lesser Goldfinch is a species for there are very few records on the East Coast. In fact, so far during 2016, the closest report to this one occurred 5-6 Jan at Reelfoot Lake SP in Lake County, Tennessee, a remarkable 742 miles from Lago Mar! In the past, Lesser Goldfinch has occurred east of the Mississippi River only in these states & counties: Delaware (3 Aug 2008 in New Castle), Florida (19-26 Jul 2014 in Brevard), Kentucky (5-7 Dec 1980 in Hardin), Maine (17 Dec 1992 in Sagadahoc and 5 Aug 2015 in Piscataquis), Mississippi (15 Jan 2005 in Warren), North Carolina (2 Mar 2009 in Carteret and 27 Sep 1985 in Forsyth), Ontario (10 Aug 1982 in Toronto) and Wisconsin (11-13 Nov 1984 in Douglas). It should be mentioned that these records are based solely on eBird reporting, and there could be others out there that just haven’t made it into the system. But, given that this species does have a documented pattern of naturally occurring vagrancy in the East, it should be of benefit while the record is being reviewed by VARCOM and hopefully we will see it added to the state list soon. All of the individuals who were fortunate enough to observe (or even try to observe) this bird certainly owe a debt of gratitude to Mary Catherine Miguez for her kindness in opening up her property for observation! I highly encourage anyone who reads this to please check out Mary Catherine's professional photography page. There are very few people who have high level capability in both birding & photography, but "MC" is one of them. Frankly, she is one of, if not the best, bird photographers in Virginia Beach & we are very fortunate that this Lesser Goldfinch decided to set up a temporary residence in the yard of someone capable of properly documenting it! Of all the yards on the East Coast, it is mathematically absurd that this combination occurred.

OBSERVATIONS (PART II): Now of course, there were plenty of other great sightings during late November in addition to the one listed above! Thanks in part to all the folks who made the attempt at seeing the Lesser Goldfinch (and made other stops to-and-from) and also just the fact that the Thanksgiving holiday occurred during this period, Virginia Beach was utterly inundated with eBird reports, well in excess of 200 checklists in total over the 10-day time frame! In addition, and primarily due to the Lesser Goldfinch, a flock of 13 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS was recorded, which otherwise would likely have gone unnoticed within Virginia Beach. The flock was viewed 28 Nov overhead of Lago Mar, around 12:51 PM (ph. Jeffrey Blalock, Adam D’Onofrio, Mike Stinson & Clyde Wilson. Interestingly, the Kiptopeke Hawkwatcher, Anna Stunkel reported having seen a group of 14 American White Pelicans over the platform travelling in the same direction (northeastward) around 2 PM, so it seems highly likely that this was the same group. Perhaps the flock picked up a straggler, or the 14th individual was out of sight over Lago Mar?

Another noteworthy flock of birds continued this period in Virginia Beach, this being the SNOW BUNTINGS found initially 19 Nov by Andrew Baldelli at First Landing SP’s beach-border with Fort Story. Many folks were in town over the holidays to seek them out since the species is very rare throughout most of Virginia, with the coast being the easiest region to pick them up. In fact, this species may be annually occurring in decent numbers along the dune-line of Virginia Beach, but eBird reports thus far don't necessarily support this. Over time, this species will likely become removed from the rarity listing though, as more folks are out searching for them in locations like First Landing SP, Fort Story, North Beach, Camp Pendleton, and Back Bay NWR. Sightings of this particular flock though, which varied from 1 to 8 individuals, occurred on 21 Nov (6, Tommy Maloney & Jason Schatti), 23 Nov (5,Kim Harrell), 24 Nov (5, Richard Korpi), 25 Nov (8, Kim Harrell & Lewis Barnett, Karen & Tom Beatty and Steve Myers), 26 Nov (2, Rexanne Bruno, 4, Janice Frye, 1, Ander Buckley / Tucker Beamer / Baxter Beamer and 7, Tracy Tate), 27 Nov (7, Logan Anderson & George Burruss and 8, Beth Oristian & Ellison Orcutt), 28 Nov (8, Mike Collins, Derek Hudgins, Natalie & WS Barbour, and 7, Loretta Silvia) and 29 Nov (6, James Marcum). Please note that only reports showing photographs have been linked in the previous discussion so anyone interested in viewing the Snow Buntings can quickly load these links.

Along the coastline of Virginia Beach, several reports surfaced of CAVE SWALLOWS during this period, with 5-7 sighted at Pleasure House Point (21 Nov / Bob Swiader), 2 at First Landing State Park (25 Nov / Kim Harrell & Lewis Barnett) and 1 at Back Bay NWR (29 Nov / Karen & Tom Beatty). Cave Swallows seem to almost be reliable finds now in coastal Virginia, with highest numbers being encountered last Fall around the Taylor Pond at Kiptopeke SP across the bay in Northampton County. These should continue to be watched for as we move into December, as last year individuals lingered all the way into the new year.

Also observed along the coast, PARASITIC JAEGERS popped up in several locations this period. With a high count of 5 observed off Back Bay NWR (28 Nov / Robert Ake), 3 were also observed from Little Island Park (25 Nov / Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate), and individuals were observed at Fort Story (25 Nov / Karen & Tom Beatty) and First Landing SP (26 Nov / Rexanne Bruno).

Possibly a third individual for Virginia Beach this fall, yet another female PAINTED BUNTING was found 21 Nov (Camp Pendleton / Mary Catherine Miguez) and observed later in the day (Karen & Tom Beatty) as well as again 22 Nov by the same observers. Please note that this facility is limited to military ID access only, so this one is not something ‘chaseable’.

Lastly, as far as the rarities went, the LARK SPARROW which has been present at Back Bay NWR since at least 23 Oct continued through this period in the same area, being noted 27 Nov by both David Clark and Logan Anderson. This sparrow was found initially with a large wound on the back of the right side of its head, which has thankfully healed considerably, but has also provided something unique to this individual to look for in confirming that the same bird has been present.

First-of-season arrivals (all within normal expectations) this period included 1 Fox Sparrow (23 Nov / Back Bay NWR / Mike Collins), a Canvasback (23 Nov / Back Bay NWR / Bruce Beck), 2 American Pipit (25 Nov / Little Island Park / Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate) and a single White-winged Scoter (27 Nov / Back Bay NWR / Baxter Beamer, Tucker Beamer & Paul Buckley). In addition to the first arrivals, we had several reports of lingering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, which at this point in the year need to be scrutinized to ensure a Black-chinned Hummingbird or other species doesn’t slip by us. A lively discussion was produced on Facebook when some excellent photographs were posted of 1 of 2 hummingbirds observed at Camp Pendleton (21-22 Nov / Mary Catherine Miguez and Karen & Tom Beatty). Nothing definitive in the photographs (beyond behavioral traits such as bobbing of the tail) could be linked to Black-chinned unfortunately, and the primary flight feather shape favored Ruby-throated per this document. Another hummingbird, presumed Ruby-throated was at an Alanton residence’s feeder 29 Nov (Michelle Payne). The Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory also began their seawatch program during this period, with a couple of highlights being very high counts of Common Loons (758 on 25 Nov / Tracy Tate) and Black Scoter (1163 during one hour, same day, Tracy Tate)!

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 21 NOV – Sanderling, Dunlin & Savannah Sparrow (First Landing SP / Mike Collins); Red-tailed Hawk, Hummingbird sp. & PAINTED BUNTING (Camp Pendleton / Mary Catherine Miguez); Hummingbird sp. & PAINTED BUNTING (Camp Pendleton / Karen & Tom Beatty); 22 NOV – Ruby-throated Hummingbird & Orange-crowned Warbler (Camp Pendleton / Mary Catherine Miguez); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Camp Pendleton / Karen & Tom Beatty). 23 NOV – SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Kim Harrell); Ring-necked Duck, Common Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler & Field Sparrow (Little Island Park / Mary Catherine Miguez); 24 NOV – Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Egret, Northern Harrier & American Coot (Back Bay NWR / Carlton Noll); Ring-billed Gull (Lake Windsor / Lisa Rose); Baltimore Oriole (Lago Mar / Mary Catherine Miguez). 25 NOV – Tundra Swan, Black Scoter, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, Northern Gannet, Double-crested Cormorant, Sanderling & Great Black-backed Gull (Back Bay NWR / Carlton Noll); CAVE SWALLOW (First Landing SP / Kim Harrell); CAVE SWALLOW & SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Lewis Barnett); Hooded Merganser (Heritage Park / Carlton Noll); Fox Sparrow (Kempsville / Una Davenhill); Black Scoter, Red-throated Loon & American Kestrel (Fort Story / Karen & Tom Beatty); Merlin (West Gibbs Rd. / David Clark); Northern Harrier (Baum Rd. / David Clark); Black-bellied Plover & SNOW BUNTING (Fort Story / Steve Myers); Brown Creeper, Carolina Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, Baltimore Oriole, Pine Siskin & American Goldfinch (Lago Mar / Mary Catherine Miguez); Brown Creeper (Prince Phillip Dr. / Ron Furnish); Merlin (Camp Pendleton / Karen & Tom Beatty); Brown Pelican (Sandfiddler Rd. / Carlton Noll). 26 NOV – Sanderling (Back Bay NWR / Logan Anderson); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Mary Catherine Miguez); SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Baxter Beamer); Carolina Wren, Pine Warbler & Northern Cardinal (Laurel Cove Dr. / Loretta Silvia); Nelson’s Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Baxter Beamer). 27 NOV – LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / James Fox); Red-breasted Nuthatch, Baltimore Oriole & LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Matt Anthony); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Jason Strickland); Black-bellied Plover, Sanderling, Lesser Black-backed Gull & SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Logan Anderson); Bufflehead & LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / David Clark); Black-bellied Plover & Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) (First Landing SP / George Burruss); Orange-crowned Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Logan Anderson); Mallard & Red-tailed Hawk (Back Bay NWR / David Clark); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Mike Collins); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Karen & Tom Beatty); Bald Eagle, Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch & LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Ron Furnish); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Rob Bielawski); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Kim Harrell); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Ellison Orcutt); Black Scoter & Ruddy Turnstone (South Thimble Island / Logan Anderson); SNOW BUNTING & Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) (First Landing SP / Ellison Orcutt); Clapper Rail (Pleasure House Point NA / Logan Anderson). 28 NOV – American Black Duck, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher & Nelson’s Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Jeffrey Blalock); SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Mike Collins); Red-tailed Hawk (London Bridge Rd. & Dam Neck Rd. / Jeffrey Blalock); SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / WS Barbour); AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN & LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Jeffrey Blalock); LESSER GOLDFINCH (Lago Mar / Adam D’Onofrio); SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Loretta Silvia); Tundra Swan (Back Bay NWR / Jeffrey Blalock). 29 NOV – Hooded Merganser (Fort Story / Loretta Silvia); Bufflehead & Ring-billed Gull (Pleasure House Point NA / Loretta Silvia). 30 NOV – Muscovy Duck (Domestic type), Mallard & Double-crested Cormorant (Lake Windsor / Loretta Silvia); Hooded Merganser, Great Blue Heron & Black Vulture (Elizabeth River at Princess Anne Rd. / Loretta Silvia); Black Skimmer (First Landing SP / Nancy Barnhart); Common Loon & Pileated Woodpecker (First Landing SP / Loretta Silvia).

LOOKAHEAD: The early December period commences with the first day of ‘ornithologic Winter’, as most journals of bird observations treat Fall migration as Aug-Nov, and the winter season as Dec-Feb. December tends to continue the vagrant season here on the coastline (perhaps to a lesser extent than November) but all birders should be aware that some interesting species still have high probabilities of being spotted this time of year. These can include Lesser Goldfinches as we all just found out this past week, Gray Kingbirds, as we have already seen here this fall, but other species to look for would be Western Kingbird (or any of the yellow-bellied-kingbird species, ie. Tropical/Couch’s/Cassin’s), Say’s Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher (highly likely at Lake Windsor in mid-November), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (like the one in Northampton last month) and even Townsend’s or Black-throated Gray Warblers (a recent report surfaced in Fairfax County as well as one ongoing in Maryland). Also, please remember that of the expected species arriving or passing through here during the fall season, we have not yet logged our first American Woodcock (early October arrival), Rusty Blackbird & Great Cormorant (mid-October arrivals), Harlequin Duck & Long-tailed Duck (late October arrivals) and Common Goldeneye (early November arrival) in Virginia Beach yet this fall. As we enter the final month of the year, I wish those who keep them, good luck in closing out your yearly birding lists!

Next Entry | Entry Index | Previous Entry

For more information on this thrice-monthly Birding Blog, please check out the Journal Overview Page on the website. It provides background information as to what sightings are considered for the blog, details about the format of the blog, and it will likely answer many other questions that readers might be wondering about as well! As always, thank you for reading, and please leave me a comment below (you may use your Facebook, Gmail or other accounts to easily do so), or just click the Heart icon to the lower right of this post to let me know you stopped in!

Mid-November 2016 (11th-20th)

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Rarities, firsts of season finds, and late/lingering individuals were all reported in abundance this period! Top birds for Virginia Beach during mid-November included PARASITIC JAEGER, CAVE SWALLOW, SNOW BUNTING, PAINTED BUNTING, SALTMARSH SPARROW, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and a continuing LARK SPARROW. First-of-season arrivals this period included our first-of-fall Horned Grebe & Common Eider (11 Nov), Snow Goose & Horned Lark (12 Nov), Redhead (13 Nov) and Greater Scaup & Pine Siskin (14 Nov)! Occurrences of late/lingering species included Green Heron (latest 20 Nov), Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (19 Nov), Barn Swallow (15 Nov) and Nashville Warbler (14 Nov). High counts of Laughing Gulls were again reported from Pleasure House Point’s sandbars in the Lynnhaven River estuary, Royal Terns in large numbers continue at First Landing SP, and we continue to see White-crowned Sparrow (high count of 4, all immatures) reports from Back Bay NWR. Lastly, some cryptic species, including American Bittern, Virginia Rail, Sedge Wren, Horned Lark were all observed, and hybrid American Black Duck x Mallard individuals showed up at a couple of locations. WEATHER: On 13 Nov, we all awoke to the bone-chilling reality of our first frost of the season! Mid-November’s average daily high temperatures continued to (expectedly) fall, dropping to 60.8 degrees F (-3.5 degrees from the early November period); the average daytime lows also continued the downward trend, falling to 37.8 degrees F (a whopping -7.9 degrees). The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the mid-November period were 61.1 & 44.9 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at -0.3 (very near average), and -7.1 degrees (very far off average) when comparing to the averages. During the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 68.2 (2015) & 52.5 degrees F (2009. Conditions remained very dry throughout the period, with only one day producing rainfall to the tune of 0.06 inches.

OBSERVATIONS:  First off, this was an exciting period due to the fact that we saw the number of eBird reports for Virginia Beach eclipse the 5,000 mark for 2016! We still submit a considerably lower volume of reports than Fairfax County, which is the most active eBirding county in the state, but 2016 has seen a great increase over past years here. We live and bird in one of, if not, the most exciting area of the state given our proximity to the ocean and it is great to see more folks embracing eBird as a means for sharing information on birding trips. The beginning of the period saw many birders from out of the area crossing through Virginia Beach en route to observe the vagrant Scissor-tailed Flycatcher that was present in Northampton County through the evening of 11 Nov, and also to take part in the annual Rarity Roundup set for Saturday, 12 Nov. As a result of these occurrences, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was detected during the morning of 11 Nov at the first island (“South Thimble Island”) of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (Jacob Farmer & Andrew Thornton). Though this individual stayed at the location only for the day, it was observed/photographed by many others including: Ellison Orcutt, Arun Bose, James Fox, Lee Adams, Wendy Ealding, Jason Strickland, Elizabeth Wilkins, Matt Anthony, Wes Teets & Abby Walter, and Courtney Check, Megan Massa & Nicholas Newberry.  This now makes at least 5 Clay-colored Sparrows that have been reported in Virginia Beach during the fall season, which is more than any other year as far as eBird data is concerned. As with last period, the LARK SPARROW (ph. Linda Chittum) first logged 23 Oct, continued to be reported at Back Bay NWR, at least through 17 Nov (Mary Catherine Miguez). During the period, it was also observed/photographed by: Andrew Baldelli (11 Nov), Linda Chittum (13 Nov), the Old Dominion University BIO422 field ornithology class (15 Nov), Mary Catherine Miguez (15 Nov) and Mike Collins (16 Nov). Rarely viewable or identifiable from shore, a PARASITIC JAEGER was observed on 11 Nov (Fort Story / Andrew Baldelli & Linda Chittum), making it the first of season to be logged in Virginia Beach. Also due to a participant traveling en route to the Rarity Roundup in adjacent Northampton County, a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was found on South Thimble Island (12 Nov / Paul Glass). This individual is the first for the county since 3 Sep as Tropical Storm Hermine brushed our coastline, and sent one cruising past the island for the slew of hopeful “storm birders” to see. On 16 Nov, a MYIARCHUS FLYCATCHER was observed near Lake Windsor (Lisa Rose), and while the photographs may not be verifiable to species, the likely “culprit” at this date is ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER. The very similar Great Crested Flycatcher, a common transient & summer resident throughout Virginia Beach, has not been reported to eBird north of Florida during the entire month of November. Dusky-capped & Brown-crested Flycatchers are species for which Virginia has no confirmed records, but are apparently thought to be possibilities. However, given that the “most common” expectation at this date, and location, would be Ash-throated, even if Myiarchus sp. is the best identification that can be made, it is still an important find. Probably a separate individual from one seen earlier at Back Bay NWR, another female PAINTED BUNTING was reported at a backyard feeder on 14 Nov (Davenport Ln. / Tommy Maloney). Over at Pleasure House Point NA, a SALTMARSH SPARROW was observed on 16 Nov (Jeff Blalock) and another, or possibly the same individual was found on 19 Nov (James Marcum). A notoriously difficult species to differentiate from the extremely similar (and seemingly much more common here) Nelson’s Sparrow, we don’t see many Saltmarsh reports each year, though they are likely present at all times, just cryptically staying out of sight, or popping up too quickly for field marks to be readily visible. While out birding the beach at First Landing SP, a group of 5 SNOW BUNTINGS was discovered on 19 Nov (Andrew Baldelli), and thanks to spreading the word quickly, the group (only 4) was documented again the following day, 20 Nov (Rob Bielawski, Michelle Payne, Lisa Rose, Jason Strickland and later Mary Catherine Miguez). Snow Buntings are a species that might very well be present along the duneline of the immediate coast each winter. However, the last time they were logged in Virginia Beach was on 15 Jan 2015 when 6 were found during a survey by Robert Ake & Rebecca Walawender at False Cape SP/Back Bay NWR. Hopefully, this group is just a taste of more to come this winter, and birders should pay close attention to any bunting groups, with the possibility of Lapland Longspurs also being mixed in (3 were at Grandview NP in Hampton this past week). Very close to where the Snow Buntings were found, over at Fort Story a group of 5 CAVE SWALLOWS also passed by on 20 Nov (Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate), with 2 being seen later in the day (Mary Catherine Miguez). This is another species that has been making shifts in their late fall/early winter range east and north up the East Coast in recent years. Many were observed last year about this time, and any swallows that don’t appear to be Tree Swallows at this point in the year should be heavily scrutinized. First-of-season arrivals (all within normal expectations) this period included at least 6 Horned Grebes (11 Nov / Fort Story / Andrew Baldelli & Linda Chittum), a photographically-documented Common Eider (11 Nov / South Thimble Island / Elizabeth Wilkins), a flock of 16 Snow Geese (12 Nov / Back Bay NWR / Jessica Setter), 7 Horned Lark (12 Nov / Ashville Park / Mary Catherine Miguez), 4 Redheads (13 Nov / Back Bay NWR / Andrew Baldelli), 6 Greater Scaup (14 Nov / First Landing SP / Tracy Tate) and a single Pine Siskin (14 Nov / Davneport Ln. / Tommy Maloney). In addition to the first arrivals, we had some species reported this period that have now passed their expected dates of departure, making them late lingerers. Included among this group was a single Green Heron (20 Nov / Pleasure House Point / Rob Bielawski, Michelle Payne, Lisa Rose & Jason Strickland), which is the latest date during the calendar year for which eBird has a record of this species in Virginia Beach! Also, a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (19 Nov / Oxford Dr. / obs. Ruth Bielawski, ph. Rob Bielawski) is likely to be the same individual sighted at this location 5 Nov under similar circumstances (night-time drive down a residential street. For some perspective, last year our final Yellow-crowned Night-Heron sighting occurred on 27 Oct, so we are almost a full month beyond that date. Also late, a Nashville Warbler was reported on 14 Nov (Davneport Ln. / Tommy Maloney). There were several occurrences of this species north of us during the period, and it seems stragglers have hung around pretty late this year. Lastly, reports of 1 to 8 Barn Swallows were input by students of the ODU BIO422 field trip to Back Bay NWR on 15 Nov, with most noting the forked tail that gives a clue to this species identity over the expected Tree Swallows present throughout the winter. In closing, quite a few other sightings warrant mention, including: a leucistic Yellow-rumped Warbler at Back Bay NWR that may be the same individual observed last winter here, up to 2 American Bitterns being reported by various individuals at Princess Anne WMA, Pleasure House Point NA, and Back Bay NWR, a Virginia Rail and a pair of Sedge Wrens (13 Nov / Back Bay NWR/ Linda Chittum), a group of 10 Horned Larks present at Ashville Park (12-15 Nov / ph. Mary Catherine Miguez), a three-nuthatch checklist at First Landing SP (16 Nov / Kathy Spencer), high counts of 4 White-crowned Sparrows at Back Bay NWR (15 Nov / Mary Catherine Miguez), a pair of “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows at First Landing SP (20 Nov / Mary Catherine Miguez), and an American Black Duck x Mallard hybrid at Pleasure House Point (20 Nov / Rob Bielawski, Michelle Payne, Lisa Rose & Jason Strickland), with at least one other individual present at Kings Grant Lake (Rob Bielawski and Loretta Silvia).

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 11 NOV – LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Linda Chittum); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / Andrew Thornton); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / Arun Bose); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Crow & American Robin (Great Neck Park / Loretta Silvia); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / James Fox); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / Lee Adams); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / Jason Strickland); Common Eider & CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / Elizabeth Wilkins); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (South Thimble Island / Matt Anthony). 12 NOV – Surf Scoter & Song Sparrow (South Thimble Island / Tamara Conklin); Northern Harrier & Savannah Sparrow (Ashville Park / Mary Catherine Miguez). 13 NOV – Carolina Wren (Laurel Cove Dr. / Loretta Silvia); Eastern Phoebe, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler & Swamp Sparrow (Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski); American Kestrel (Princess Anne WMA / Charlie Bruggemann); Horned Lark (Ashville Park / Mary Catherine Miguez); Black Scoter, Laughing Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull & Royal Tern (First Landing SP / Rob Bielawski); Greater Yellowlegs (Pleasure House Point NA / Rob Bielawski); Hooded Merganser (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski); Mallard (Yawl Point / Loretta Silvia); Ruddy Turnstone (South Thimble Island / Cindy Burley); Surf Scoter (South Thimble Island / Kim Harrell). 14 NOV – Merlin (Ashville Park / Mary Catherine Miguez). 15 NOV – LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Ashlyn Reis); LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Tyler Haver); LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Spencer Schubert); Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel & Eastern Meadowlark (Ashville Park / Mary Catherine Miguez); Great Blue Heron (Pleasure House Point NA / Loretta Silvia); Northern Mockingbird, LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Mary Catherine Miguez). 16 NOV – MYIARCHUS SP. (Lake Windsor / Lisa Rose); LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Mike Collins). 17 NOV – Ruddy Duck (Back Bay NWR / Charlie Bruggemann); Lesser Scaup, Black Scoter, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Great Blue Heron, White Ibis, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Mary Catherine Miguez). 18 NOV – Great Blue Heron & Northern Mockingbird (Beach Garden Park / David Clark); Canada Goose, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck & Double-crested Cormorant (Kings Grant Lakes / Loretta Silvia); Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Double-crested Cormorant & Great Blue Heron (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski). 19 NOV – Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin & SNOW BUNTING (First Landing SP / Andrew Baldelli); Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Oxford Dr. / Rob Bielawski). 20 NOV – Dunlin, Ring-billed Gull, SNOW BUNTING & White-throated Sparrow (First Landing SP / Rob Bielawski); American Black Duck x Mallard, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Green Heron, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Yellow-rumped Warbler & Nelson’s Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Rob Bielawski); Sanderling, Dunlin, Merlin, SNOW BUNTING & “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow (First Landing SP / Mary Catherine Miguez).

LOOKAHEAD: Late November continues our vagrant season here on the coastline, and all birders should be aware that some interesting species have their highest probabilities of being spotted this time of year. These can include Gray Kingbirds, as we have already seen here this fall, but other species to look for would be Western Kingbird (or any of the yellow-bellied-kingbird species, ie. Tropical/Couch’s/Cassin’s), Say’s Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and even Townsend’s or Black-throated Gray Warblers. Also, please remember that of the expected species arriving or passing through here during the fall season, we have not yet logged our first American Woodcock (early October arrival), Rusty Blackbird, White-winged Scoter & Great Cormorant (mid-October arrivals), Fox Sparrow, Harlequin Duck & Long-tailed Duck (late October arrivals) and Canvasback & Common Goldeneye (early November arrivals) in Virginia Beach yet this fall. We should continue to see increasing numbers of waterfowl across the city through the remainder of November, and perhaps someone will pick up our first Eurasian Wigeon of the fall season. After all, there has been wigeon reports at Chincoteague, Craney Island, and in the Outer Banks, so basically all around us. Lastly, I sincerely hope you all enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, and maybe it will include some good birds! Best wishes!

Next Entry | Entry Index | Previous Entry

For more information on this thrice-monthly Birding Blog, please check out the Journal Overview Page on the website. It provides background information as to what sightings are considered for the blog, details about the format of the blog, and it will likely answer many other questions that readers might be wondering about as well! As always, thank you for reading, and please leave me a comment below (you may use your Facebook, Gmail or other accounts to easily do so), or just click the Heart icon to the lower right of this post to let me know you stopped in!

Early November 2016 (1st-10th)

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For a third straight period, dry conditions were maintained, which allowed for excellent birding opportunities. Like last period, there was a great deal of excellent finds to discuss, and top birds for Virginia Beach included PAINTED BUNTING, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW & LARK SPARROW. First-of-season arrivals this period revolved mostly around waterbirds and this trend should continue on into November; we still saw our first-of-fall Bonaparte’s Gull (1 Nov), Bufflehead & Brant (6 Nov) and Lesser Scaup, Red-throated Loon & Purple Sandpiper (10 Nov)! Early arrivals this period included “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow (3 Nov), well ahead of their 15 Nov expected date, and occurrences of late birds included Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (latest 5 Nov), Prairie Warbler (10 Nov) & Caspian Tern (7 Nov). High counts of 2400 Laughing Gulls were reported from Pleasure House Point’s sandbars in the Lynnhaven River estuary, and we continue to see White-crowned Sparrow (high count of 3, all immatures), Red-breasted Nuthatch and Purple Finch reports around the region. WEATHER: Overall early November’s average daily high temperatures continued to fall, dropping to 64.3 degrees F (-5.6 degrees from the late October period); the average daytime lows also continued the downward trend, falling to 45.7 degrees F (-2.6 degrees). The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the early November period were 62.7 & 46.5 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at +1.6, and -0.8 degrees (so fairly typical) when comparing to the averages. Also during the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 72.7 & 59.2 degrees F (2015), so we came in much lower comparably this year. Conditions remained fairly dry throughout the period, with only two days producing measurable rainfall to the tune of 1.55 inches (with 0.68” falling 4 Nov, and 0.87” on 9 Nov).

OBSERVATIONS:  Despite Daylight Savings Time having reached its end on 6 Nov, and with the earlier sunsets, there was still a considerable number of checklists reported to eBird this period. Back Bay NWR continued to be the primary producer of rarities during early November, providing both a female PAINTED BUNTING and a LARK SPARROW. Perhaps the same individual that was originally detected at the park on 13 Oct (Andrew Baldelli), the PAINTED BUNTING (this time missing its tail feathers) was observed on 5 Nov (Tommy Maloney & Jason Schatti) near the base of the Kuralt Trail. It is possible that this is a different bird, but without photographs to attempt a comparison, there’s no way to be certain and any discussion is purely speculative. However, given that it wasn’t detected for several weeks, and this area of Back Bay NWR gets a considerable number of observers, it doesn’t seem out of the question that it could be a separate individual. Near this same area, a LARK SPARROW (5 Nov / ph. Mary Catherine Miguez) that has been present since at least 23 Oct (and possibly as early as 19 Oct) afforded many observers great views (and some excellent photographs) throughout the period. This individual was noted back on 23 Oct as having an injury/wound to the back of the right side of the head. The obvious mark has made it easy to confirm the same individual has stayed at this spot, and fortunately it seems to be foraging and getting around just fine, so hopefully it will overcome the injury. So far this season, we’ve had at least 3 different Lark Sparrows take up temporary residence at the park, and with the individual from February-March added in, we’ve had at least 4 at Back Bay NWR in 2016 (with 5 total for Virginia Beach due to a final individual noted at the Princess Anne Athletic Commons during the winter). Continuing the sparrow trend from the previous periods, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was also found along Ashville Park Boulevard foraging with a mixed group of sparrows and warblers near Flanagans Lane (5 Nov / Mary Catherine Miguez). Given that we’ve had Clay-colored Sparrows at Taste Bayville, Back Bay NWR, and Little Island Park already this season, this now makes 4 separate individuals that have been found within Virginia Beach. This number sits in stark contrast to the remainder of Virginia, where only one other individual has been observed this fall, at Sky Meadows SP in Fauquier County. The Gold Book notes that this species’ Coastal Plain distribution is that of a “rare but regular fall transient and early winter visitor along coast, with 3-5 (rarely as many as 10) reported in the region most year”. Records become much rarer in the Piedmont, and in the Mountains & Valleys regions of the state. Pretty spot on! A border-line rarity also showed up at Pleasure House Point NA in the form of our first-of-season “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow (3 Nov / ph. Mary Catherine Miguez & also obs. Tommy Maloney). This race/subspecies of Savannah Sparrow breeds exclusively on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, and pops up here along the coast during the winter. What makes this an even more interesting record though, is that it was 12 days ahead of the expected arrival date of 15 Nov listed in the Gold Book (though still within the extreme dates for records). This race is an annual visitor to the outer coastline, but becomes increasingly rare as you move further inland. Other first-of-season arrivals (all within normal expectations) included a pair of Bonaparte’s Gull (1 Nov / South Thimble Island / Janis Stone), a small group of 3 Bufflehead (6 Nov / Pleasure House Point NA / Bryan Barmore), a flock of 22 Brant (6 Nov / Sandy Bay Dr. / Timothy Barry), 7 Lesser Scaup & a single Red-throated Loon (10 Nov / Little Island Park / Andrew Baldelli), and lastly, a pair of Purple Sandpiper (10 Nov / Rudee Inlet / Karen & Tom Beatty). These species should all become increasingly common as the temperatures continue to drop and winter starts to take hold. It won’t be long before Red-throated Loons will be counted in massive numbers from the coastline, and Buffleheads should start populating any open waters as well. The Brant winter annually around the Lynnhaven River, but can be tough at times to actually see, since they will forage out among the marshy islands offshore, and with no real elevated terrain nearby to view from, they can easily get missed. To that point, the brand new westbound span of the Lesner Bridge is set to open on Friday, 11 Nov, and this might provide a bit of altitude to view the estuary from so there’s always the chance to catch a group in flight out of the corner of your eye while crossing. Given that the Purple Sandpipers have now arrived at Rudee Inlet, they should also be reported soon from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Fort Story, and possibly East Beach. In fact, one was even reported at Grandview in Hampton last week. Anywhere with armored shorelines will draw these lovely shorebirds in, with the CBBT being their most densely populated space in Virginia Beach. In addition to the early & first arrivals, we had some species reported this period that have now passed their expected dates of departure, making them late lingerers. Included among this group was a single Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (5 Nov / Oxford Dr. / Rob Bielawski), a Prairie Warbler at Back Bay NWR (6 Nov/ Rob Bielawski) and what is likely a second Prairie Warbler at Little Island Park just to the north (10 Nov / Mary Catherine Miguez), and lastly a pair of Caspian Terns at First Landing SP (7 Nov / Shawn Callahan). For some perspective, last year our final Yellow-crowned Night-Heron sighting occurred on 27 Oct, and our last Caspian Tern was on 6 Nov. The Prairie Warbler is an interesting one, with a more-storied-history, as an individual was present during the Rarity Roundup at Back Bay NWR on 14 Nov 2015 (Matt Anthony & Nicholas Newberry), with another, possibly the same one, still there on 30 Dec 2015 (Tommy Maloney). In fact, another was even photographed in mid-winter 2016 at First Landing SP, on 1 Feb (J. Aguiar) making it only the second February record for Virginia in eBird. So, the Prairie Warblers do seem to stay later each year, but it is still a rare occasion to find one after October, or before April. In 2015 it seemed to make a bit of sense, as temperatures stayed considerably higher at this point in the season, so we’ll see what the weather heading into winter this time around does to the species. Lastly, a couple other items of interest, we had a very high count of 2400 Laughing Gulls reported from Pleasure House Point (6 Nov / Bryan Barmore) which is a major late fall staging area for their southerly migration, and a pair of American Bitterns was present at Princess Anne WMA’s Whitehurst Tract (6 Nov / Rob Bielawski) which falls into the “neat” but not necessarily noteworthy category (like Sora, or Virginia Rail, or owls & nightjars that just aren’t often reported, but are present). American Bitterns are a species that is highly sought after for statewide birders, and this park & Back Bay NWR have been the most reliable for them. Observing one American Bittern makes for a great day, two makes it excellent. During this particular visit, the park staff was out mowing the impoundments to prepare them for waterfowl, so hopefully we will finally start to see some ducks, geese & potentially even Tundra Swans out using them. A quick note on Princess Anne WMA: This park is closed Monday-Saturday for wildlife management and hunting purposes, and is only open on Sunday for wildlife viewing (included birding) during Sep-Apr. For more information, visit the official park website, and keep in mind that a WMA access pass is required here as well.

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 1 NOV – Red-breasted Nuthatch (Laurel Cove Dr. / Loretta Silvia); Northern Harrier & Boat-tailed Grackle (Little Island Park / Karen & Tom Beatty); Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush & Palm Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling & Royal Tern (South Thimble Island / Janis Stone). 2 NOV – Cooper’s Hawk (Sandy Bay Dr. / Timothy Barry). 3 NOV – Northern Harrier & Eastern Phoebe (Back Bay Landing Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty); Nelson’s Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich & Savannah races) & Song Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Mary Catherine Miguez); Peregrine Falcon (Atlantic Ave. / Mary Catherine Miguez). 4 NOV – Hermit Thrush (Francis Land HP / David Clark). 5 NOV – Brown-headed Nuthatch, Savannah Sparrow & Swamp Sparrow (Back Bay Landing Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty); Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Black Vulture, Osprey, Laughing Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Brown Creeper & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Stumpy Lake NA / David Weisenbeck); Golden-crowned Kinglet, Gray Catbird, Palm Warbler & LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Ring-necked Duck (Lake Tecumseh / Mary Catherine Miguez); Eastern Phoebe (Back Bay Landing Rd. / Rob Bielawski); Sharp-shinned Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, LARK SPARROW & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Mary Catherine Miguez); Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Oxford Dr. / Rob Bielawski). 6 NOV – Bald Eagle & Savannah Sparrow (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Andrew Baldelli); American Bittern & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Princess Anne WMA Whitehurst Tract / Rob Bielawski); Black Scoter, Brown Pelican, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Prairie Warbler & LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski). 7 NOV – Purple Finch (Glenmore Hunt Tr. / Karen & Tom Beatty); LARK SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow & Swamp Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Pamela Monahan). 8 NOV – Canada Goose, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Laughing Gull, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, American Crow & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Stumpy Lake NA / David Weisenbeck); Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal & House Finch (Lago Mar / Mary Catherine Miguez); Boat-tailed Grackle (Rudee Inlet / David Clark). 9 NOV – Gray Catbird, LARK SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Mallard (Laurel Cove Dr. / Loretta Silvia). 10 NOV – Ruddy Turnstone (South Thimble Island / Kim Harrell); Mallard, Cooper’s Hawk, Palm Warbler, Prairie Warbler & Boat-tailed Grackle (Little Island Park / Mary Catherine Miguez); Black Scoter & Lesser Black-backed Gull (Rudee Inlet / Karen & Tom Beatty).

LOOKAHEAD: As with last period, temperatures are likely to bounce around a bit, but the overall trend will continue to drive in cooler weather through mid-November. November is vagrant-seeking time here on the coastline, and all birders should be aware that some interesting species have their highest probabilities of being spotted this time of year. These can include Gray Kingbirds, as we have already seen here this fall, but other species to look for would be Western Kingbird (or any of the yellow-bellied-kingbird species, ie. Tropical/Couch’s/Cassin’s), Say’s Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (one is currently in Northampton County!), and even Townsend’s or Black-throated Gray Warblers. Also, please remember that of the expected species arriving or passing through here during the fall season, we have not yet logged our first American Woodcock & Horned Grebe (early October arrivals), Rusty Blackbird, Redhead, Greater Scaup, White-winged Scoter & Great Cormorant (mid-October arrivals), Fox Sparrow, Harlequin Duck, Snow Goose, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck & Red-breasted Merganser (late October arrivals), Canvasback & Common Goldeneye (earlyNovember arrivals) and Snow Bunting (mid-November arrivals) in Virginia Beach yet this fall. We should begin to see more waterfowl in the coming period as well, since thus far they have been rather nonexistent; though, perhaps they’re present, and most birders just haven’t focused on their habitat when birding due to the songbird movements.

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