Week Ending May 25, 2014

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Like the past week, this week I opted to get out for a couple walks in the neighborhood after work since it's tough to get home & change, then drive out to a park to take photos all evening and take care of everything else I need too. Tuesday & Wednesday I walked my 6 mile loop through the neighborhood, and on Wednesday I had a great sighting of a Broad-winged Hawk along Harris Street in Little Neck. I heard it screech twice before I finally got a look at it as it flew in low over the street, harassed closely by an American Crow. This was the first Broad-winged I've ever seen outside of Minnesota, where they were a common sight, and sound when I spent summers up there. I was quite surprised when I heard it, it's not a sound you forget apparently. Ruth & I were set to head up to Chincoteague Island for a weekend getaway, courtesy of our Comfort Suites rewards points we had a free night stay on the island on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, when rates skyrocket for everyone else. Since we just had the one night at the hotel, we planned to leave early on Saturday morning. So I was able to get out Friday as well to Pleasure House Point for a short hike, since the weather was near perfect and I couldn't justify not getting out. I parked near Loch Haven Park like usual, and got to see a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron feeding on the outlet weir of the stormwater pond there. I walked the length of the park from east to west and back, adding another 3 or slightly less miles to my week of walking. I had mainly gone to the park in the hopes that I'd be able to spot some shorebird species that I hadn't seen yet this year, but when I got to the water, I knew this wasn't going to happen.

Great Egret in the flooded marsh of Pleasure House Point!

The Lynnhaven was so high there was almost no trail along it's shores, the water went right up into the grassland which is normal dry, even during a normal day's higher high tide (there are two high tides per day, and one is usually slightly higher than the other, termed 'higher high tide', very scientific). Due to the extreme water level (the highest I think I've ever walked in while at the park), there was no exposed mud flats or sand bars in sight, which means the smaller shorebirds had no land to walk on to search for food. This did however leave the larger birds still out, like Great Egrets, and the always present Yellow-crowned Night-Herons. I saw a total of 6 different night-herons in just an hour and a half or so, with 2 immatures mixed into a group of 3 birds. Since I wasn't spending any time looking for shorebirds, I got to concentrate a little bit more on the songbirds, the smaller, more colorful group of birds that exists at the park. I was able to track down a Pine Warbler after following it's repeated song in the high pine trees just west of the largest freshwater pond, and nearby there while trying (and failing) to photograph an Eastern Towhee breeding pair I saw my first Common Yellowthroat in the park to date. Unfortunately, the songbirds were very good at avoiding the sunlight, and excelled also at hiding in dense thickets so I didn't get any good shots. I did also find some Carolina Chickadees, but that was honestly about it for the day. One neat thing I came across was that at each of the freshwater ponds, where an outlet pipe allows high rainfall amounts to exit into the Lynnhaven River, the water was actually reverse flowing back up into the ponds, bringing brackish water into the normally freshwater areas. I wondered what effect this might have on some of the animals that live there, since a change in salinity is usually not a good thing for most wildlife species. This is the first time the tidal river has been so high that I've gotten to see it back flow, though I'm sure it happens frequently, especially during storms. Hopefully it doesn't end up having a negative affect, perhaps they need to add some flap gates to the pipes in the future like Back Bay NWR has...

A Dunlin showing it's breeding plumage (black belly and rufous back) at Chincoteague NWR!

As planned, Ruth & I left at 6 AM from Virginia Beach, and we were able to make it to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge by about 8:15 AM. The first thing we did was go to the WIldlife Loop parking area. I had expected there to be mass amounts of mosquitoes, like we've seen in past trips, even in our November 17 trip last year, but somehow there was absolutely none present. We walked the Wildlife Loop counter-clockwise, like most people do, and also walked to the Swan Cove & Marsh Loop trails that spur off the Wildlife Loop. Large amounts of peeps were all over the marsh's mud flats, but they're so small, and so hard to get good far away photos of that I can't ever seem to properly identify them. A lot of the larger ones were Dunlins, but the smaller were either Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, or a mix of both. The Bald Eagles that nest just south of the loop were present, and an immature flew into the trees near the nest when we walked past the closest approach.

The endangered, and adorable, Delmarva Fox Squirrel!

Near the Swan Cove Trail junction, we found a Rabbit feeding on the clover & grasses next to the road. This has been a hotspot for rabbits the past few times we've been up here, they seem to love this area. Nearby also, not this weekend, but on a past trip, we saw several Sika Elk feeding in the brush. The mammals seem to enjoy this area. Along the Swan Cove Trail, a few Tree Swallows were seen over the marshes, and on the nest boxes that they have taken as their own along the trail. When we reached the ocean, it was quite beautiful, very blue water and not-so-hot-temperatures. There was plenty of Atlantic Ghost Crab holes visible on the beach, and Ruth saw one running, but unfortunately I didn't get any photographs. It will be later in the summer when I get these guys I think, once it's too hot to go hiking & I start spending more time on the beach both swimming, and taking photographs of the beach wildlife. We kept on counter-clockwise around the Wildlife Loop, reaching the causeway between two more marsh areas. Here we saw a number of shorebirds (again probably Western & Semipalmated Sandpipers), and some Canada Geese, Glossey Ibis, and Mallards. We reached the portion of the loop has an offshoot that extends to the north, open only to hikers.

A Forster's Tern searching for fish in the shallow waters of a freshwater pool.

I hadn't realized prior that you could hike in this area, and will need to remember it for the future since it will help eliminate a good majority of the crowds. The crowds, which I hadn't mentioned, were extremely high (being Memorial Day weekend), and bikers were all over the place (unfortunately). On the last leg of the loop, Ruth & I were reminded of the time we were here last May, celebrating my graduation, when we got stuck in a downpour in this spot, and eventually just walked in the rain after we were completely soaked. Afterwards, we got to see a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and then walked the Marsh Loop before heading back to town to get some lunch. In the afternoon I walked to the Woodland Trail while Ruth went to the beach. On the way we got good looks at the famous Chincoteague Wild Ponies that were grazing south of the roadway. This herd is usually visible, and they almost always have a group of Cattle Egrets, which feed on insects right off the horses, nearby. In addition to the Cattle Egrets, I got to add Tricolored Heron & Little Blue Heron to my Virginia birds list for the year, having seen both near the Tom's Cove Visitor Center. Before that though, I hiked the Woodland Trail. Here I got to see a couple of the Delmarva Fox Squirrels that inhabit the island. I also found my very first House Wren, singing from a tree branch high off the ground. When I finished up the trail, I walked along the causeway near the visitor's center and photographed some terns & shorebirds that were feeding in the ponds. 

The striking Semipalmated Plover on the mudflats of Tom's Cove.

On Sunday, we did pretty much the same thing as Saturday afternoon... Ruth went to the beach, and I walked the Woodland Trail again. This time I couldn't get any photographs of the Delmarva Fox Squirrels, though I did see another pair off in the woods. I walked the causeway near the beach again and photographed some Least & Forster's Terns. Unfortunately, the Black-bellied Plover that had been out the day before wasn't around, but I did get to photograph some Semipalmated Plovers instead. They were mixed in with a group of Western/Semipalmated Sandpipers which I still can't seem to identify properly. There was several Snowy Egrets & Great Egrets flying from mudflat to mudflat looking for food. Also, there was a Great Blue Heron & a Tricolored Heron out in the marsh today. Dunlin continued to be the most numerous species that I could see out on the marshes. After photographing everything I could here, I changed & headed over to the beach, where I was surprised by the lack of birds along the beach, no Willets, no Sanderlings. Perhaps it was due to the huge number of people though that Memorial Day had brought in to the area. I opted not to walk the beach since it was just a never-ending collection of vacationers. Instead I got in the water, which is still pretty cool, and only a few others as far as I could see were in it without wet suits. I stayed in for probably a half hour or so before the cold started to get to me & I got out to dry off. I'm hoping the next time we come it'll be a lot less crowded. I should have expected crowds, but I can honestly say this is the most people I've ever seen while hiking, outside of perhaps Old Rag Mountain, which gets a ton of hikers on a daily basis. Despite the crowds however, I did get to tally several warblers on the weekend though, as we heard a Prairie Warbler & Pine Warblers on the Wildlife Loop, and I found a Blackburnian Warbler (first in VA for me) on the Woodland Trail! And, I got to add a new life bird, the House Wren, to my list, which is now at 224 species!

Double-crested Cormorant in flight over the Chincoteague marshes.

Week Ending May 18, 2014

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Another beautiful week, though a bit hotter than I usually prefer. I've found it a bit difficult to keep up with all the photographs I've been taking, if I'm also out shooting during the weeknights, so this week I stepped back a bit. I got in walks around the neighborhood of 6 miles on each of two nights but didn't bring the camera with. Of course, since I didn't bring it, I got a great opportunity to photograph a Pileated Woodpecker that probably was my best shot at one I've ever had. The bird was on the ground pecking on a dead tree when it saw me then landed a few feet away in a clear spot on a still-standing tree, then stayed there just watching me for a couple minutes. I couldn't believe it. Its really tough to not bring my camera everywhere with me, but there has to be some sort of balance between photography and being able to keep up with the hundreds of photographs I can take in an outing. So this week I didn't get out into real nature until Saturday morning when Ruth & I went down to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Fortunately this time I didn't lock myself out of the car, and was able to get started right at 9 o'clock like I should have been able to do last time out. Behind the contact station, I spotted a beautiful Indigo Bunting that was calling from the tops of the trees.

First time this year getting close enough for a decent Indigo Bunting shot!

I hoped it would come a bit closer, but it never did, so we went on down the Loop Road. Ruth caught a Marsh Rabbit feeding on grasses alongside the road, and while I was photographing it, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, only to find a King Rail sneaking out onto the roadway just about 50 feet to our north. I motioned to Ruth to look at it, and while we were then staring down the rail, again I caught some motion to the right. This time, and I don't have any idea where it came from, but a White-tailed Deer had slinked its way into the canal, and was actually swimming across directly towards the rail. When it came out on the roadway, it inadvertently chased the rail into the marsh, and both disappeared. Usually, the action isn't so on top of one another out here but this was a pretty neat experience! Clearly, the excitement level couldn't be kept at that high level the whole day, and from there it dropped off for awhile. Walking along the remainder of the Loop Road & West Dike, the main wildlife we saw was Red-winged Blackbirds, which have taken over the park. I did get to add Black-bellied Plovers to my yearly list, after seeing a group of 5 of them flying far out over the bay. Great Blue Heron and Great Egrets were both seen, but the shorebirds have seemed to taper off lately, I only saw one Lesser Yellowlegs and a handful of Spotted Sandpipers. The freshwater impoundments have really grown up lately in terms of the marsh grasses. I think a lot of birds are just able to hide themselves better now than a few weeks ago when everything was very visible. We saw a large number of Muskrats / Nutria in the canals this time as well, I think about 4 or 5 were within a half mile of one another. The birds that have become familiar along the dike trail are still around: Orchard Orioles, Eastern Kingbirds, Indigo Buntings. We ended up walking to the False Cape State Park entry sign again, just like the last few outings.

Beautiful male Prairie Warbler seen at Back Bay NWR!

On the way back, I kept chasing an Indigo Bunting, but was never able to get into a good spot before it flew a bit farther away. In the maritime forest, Carolina Chickadees were seen and plenty of birds were singing that I unfortunately do not have the ability yet to identify. When we got back onto the Loop Road, we went around to the east to try and avoid all the bike riders that cut down the west side of the loop. Here I heard a Prairie Warbler and was able to locate it just off the trail in the scrub desert. At least I know these guys' voice, its helped me greatly in locating them this summer. Reaching the contact station, we walked the Bay Trail out & back. On the way out, I somehow missed it, but fortunately Ruth was able to spot a very small Cottonmouth on the side of the trail that was all curled up on itself, and probably no more than a foot in length. On our way back, the snake was still coiled up there, but since we had been walking slowly to pay attention for more of them, I heard a Prothonotary Warbler off the trail, which soon jumped up onto a small branch in plain sight. That is the first time I've been so close to one, after having seen tons of them this spring in the Great Dismal Swamp, but from a far off distance. This one hopped around & sang a few times before it flew deeper into the marsh. I'm still amazed that it landed so closely to us, but so happy it did, the photographs came out as my favorite Prothonotary shots to date.

Prothonotary Warbler that put on quite a show along the Bay Trail before disappearing into the marsh!

Week Ending May 11, 2014

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On Wednesday, my older sister Ellen came into town for her 5-day stay in Virginia Beach. As such, I didn't go out walking that day or Thursday, but did force her to go hiking with me on Friday since I'd requested the day off work to spend with her, and figured I might as well get her to do something I enjoyed. We went out to Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County, North Carolina. I've taken her here in the past since its a good spot to usually see turtles out walking around this time of year laying their eggs. On the way out, just like the last time we went together, I had to stop on the road to help an Eastern Box Turtle get all the way across without getting smashed. Entering the park, we saw a Northern Copperhead warming up on the asphalt roadway. I pulled over and walked back to take some photographs since this is the first one I've seen since 2009, when I saw one at Northwest River Park in Chesapeake. After watching the Copperhead slither off the road and out into the forest, we went to the parking area for the Lassiter Trail. This trail is a 6 mile or so loop from the parking area, but we only ended up walking about 4 miles this time. For one of my shorter walks, we saw a lot of wildlife. The trail dives down a hillside right away, and then crosses a marshy inlet of the millpond with a boardwalk. From the boardwalk, I heard and then spotted a Prothonotary Warbler, and also saw a couple adult Canada Geese with seven young ones with them. We saw an absolute ton of Cricket Frogs hopping around on the trail and adjacent areas. Pretty much everywhere we walked, they were hopping out of the way into the forest debris. We took the Lassiter Trail clockwise, which goes up a creek valley until it hits a fire road, then south on the road to where it meets up with the trail once again. Along the creek valley, I got looks at my first Hooded Warbler and Red-eyed Vireos of the year as well. While walking down the fire road, we encountered a very good size Red-bellied Watersnake that seemed out of place, being a half mile or so from water, and in a jackpine forest.

My first Copperhead in about 5 years!

This one stayed in place on the gravel roadway for quite a while, and we walked right around it without scaring it into moving off. I'm guessing it was just trying to warm up. I did notice that this snake flattened its head against the ground once we got close though. Also on the fire road, I found a hatchling Yellow-bellied bellied Slider that was extremely tiny, about the size of a quarter only, and helped move it off the roadway. Not surprising in this habitat, a Pine Warbler also showed up and jumped around on the ground, then flew back up into the canopy. We found a hole in the ground with cracked turtle eggs around it, which was most likely the nest that the earlier slider had hatched out of. It was in the same spot that the two of us got to see a slider laying eggs in a couple years ago. Around the bend was a location that I had photographed my very first Green Treefrog back in 2011 or 2012 (can't remember which off the top of my head). When we reached this area, a low spot, with wild Iris plants growing in it, I scanned the area and was extremely excited to find not one, but two Green Treefrogs curled up on the leaves! I pointed them out to Ellen, and then took a bunch of photographs while they napped, very well hidden from most predators.

Green Treefrog resting on a leaf!

The next section of the trail cross a small piece of water, flowing under the trail in a culvert, and then goes through a young jackpine stand in a formerly burnt out area. Here we found a Mud Turtle that was laying eggs in the soft sandy surface, and saw a number of Dragonflies as well. This was the first part of the trail that you could really feel the heat of the day, which was in the 80s. Over the next mile or so, the trail goes up into the hills on the north side of the millpond and becomes more of a rugged walk over tree roots and washed out areas. We spotted a large snake, either a Rat or Racer, but it disappeared very quickly. I also had an encounter with a large yellow bird of which at the time I wasn't sure what it could be, possibly an Oriole female, but it managed to get away without me getting too good of photos. Fortunately, at the end of the walk, I encountered another, with a male, and was able to realize that they were actually Summer Tanagers, another first on the year for me. The bright red male stayed up in a tree that I could get photographs of thankfully. We also saw some Southeastern Five-lined Skinks in the final mile, and several Ovenbirds. Right near the end, a second Red-bellied Watersnake made an appearance as well. And even when I thought we were done, on the way out of the park, a Wild Turkey was feeding on the entry road shoulder, and ran alongside the vehicle for a little while before dashing into the woods. So for only a 4 mile walk, and an 80 degree day, we saw a lot of wildlife!

First Summer Tanagers of the season at Merchants Millpond State Park!

Saturday morning Ruth took my sister out shopping for the day so I was relieved to be able to get out for a full hike. I went over to Back Bay NWR and left the house about 8 AM. I got to the park before 9 and had hopped out of the car to put my bug spray on. Then, the wind suddenly came up and I heard the door close behind me. I had made the mistake of already locking the vehicle, and my keys were sitting in my backpack in the back seat, so I officially locked myself out for the very first time in my life. Since my phone was also in the car, I had to go into the contact station to see about getting a phone & number for a locksmith. Very fortunately for me that the previous week, Liza Eckhardt, a volunteer at the park had introduced me to Erica Locher, a ranger at the park and she was able to get my squared away with the number and a phone, and not the hammer I'd initially requested...just had to wait about 45 minutes for the pop-a-lock representative to arrive at the park and get me going again. So 45 minutes, and 45 dollars later, I finally got started on my hike. I did the same walk that I've done the past few outings, just down the Loop Road, West Dike Trail to the False Cape State Park entry sign and back, plus the Bay Trail out and back for about 8 miles or thereabouts.

Finally got a decent photograph of a male Orchard Oriole at Back Bay!

The water at the park has receded back to a more normal, but still high level. So the animals are no longer trapped up in the areas nearest the road, as the marsh isn't full of water anymore. I did still hear the Longnose Gar breeding in the shallows in a few spots though, since they're right on the surface and moving their fins around. The most common birds out in the park right now are definitely the Red-winged Blackbirds, they're out in huge numbers all throughout the park. The number of shorebirds I was seeing the past couple outings here seems to have dropped though, I only saw a couple of Greater Yellowlegs, and a few spotted Sandpipers. The Egrets seem to have moved off as well, where I'd seen a hundred Snowy Egrets before, I didn't see a single one today. But fortunately, the songbirds seem to be showing up in more numbers each outing. Like the last two times, I again located the Orchard Orioles in the trees just before the trail goes into the maritime forest. There was again 2 adult males, and this time a female was also with them, so I've seen at least four different orioles in this spot now. Among the trees was also some Eastern Kingbirds, and my first two Yellow Warblers in Virginia. I've only ever seen the Yellows one time before, being last spring in Indiana. Walking through the maritime forest, I heard birds, but wasn't really able to locate any, until I was just about to exit the forest. Here I finally located my first verifiable Indigo Bunting on the season, a brilliant male that was singing from a perch in the forest through thick cover.

Painted Lady & some other bug at Back Bay!

In the open section of the trail that comes up next, I scared a Red-breasted Merganser out from the flow control device that keeps the impoundment at a set water level. I'm thinking this is the same one that I saw a couple weeks ago further north and got really crisp photographs of. I saw a couple Spotted Sandpiper flying up and back on the narrow impoundment, got to the False Cape sign (my southern terminus for the hike), and then headed back to the maritime forest. This time, I couldn't locate the Indigo Bunting again, but did hear it out there. It was quiet through the forest, but at the north end, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher made an appearance in the same spot where I photographed some a few weeks back, these birds seem to stick to the same area I guess. After leaving the forest, the trees that have given me so many birds over the past month again yielded more. I chased down the Orchard Orioles again, and this time when they flew off, another bird flew in. I was right up close to it, but spooked it into flying off over the marsh where it perched in a tree. It had an extremely long tail and I thought at first it was a hawk of some species, but when I zoomed in, I found out that it was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. That is two weeks in a row seeing a bird I'd only seen one time before in my life! This spot on the trail happens to be about 50 feet away from where a couple weeks ago I was able to save the Chain Pickerel from choking.

An adult Great Blue Heron that let me get super close for a good shot!

It's very, very interesting to me that since then, I've seen a half dozen bird species that I hadn't yet seen this year, within a hundred feet of the bizarre occurrence. I can't help but feel like I'm being rewarded for helping an animal in need, whether that could ever be proven true or not isn't possible, but regardless, it feels this way to me. On the way back, I managed to botch a perfect shot of a Blue Grosbeak perched about 20 feet away from me in a wide open tree. My autofocus on my camera continues to get worse & I really need to get it shipped off to Canon to be looked at, but who can live without a lens for any timeframe? I did happen upon a couple small Northern Watersnakes today as well, but the light didn't play well for me today in the photographs. While heading from the Loop Road onto the Bay Trail, I saw a King Rail run across the path and by the time I got up to where it was, clearly it had disappeared into the marsh. I'm amazed at these birds, they are truly the ninjas of Back Bay. I didn't see much in the way of wildlife on the way out to the end of the trail, but on the way back, I had a Marsh Rabbit hop slowly across the trail, then relax and start feeding right in front of me, they're not exactly shy apparently. This one's ears were pretty cut up (see photos in the gallery), but it seemed like it was perfectly healthy. It finally moved off into the thorns & marsh when I walked past it on the trail just a few feet away. While walking on the boardwalks, I was in treefrog scanning mode, and to my surprise I actually found one right where Liza had showed me the Ribbonsnake last week! That was  two days in a row with treefrogs, pretty awesome for me since I almost never find these camouflaged little fellows. After that, I headed back to the car and took off out of the park.

Marsh Rabbit along the Bay Trail of Back Bay NWR!

Sunday I decided to take my sister across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel just to show her something she wouldn't normal get to be around. We stopped at the first island on the way out & I told her about all the wildlife I'd seen from there during the cold winter months. It seems that the birds really do like this spot solely as a wintering location. There were a lot of Rock Pigeons, but that was really it. The Ring-billed Gulls I got used to seeing in the thousands this winter were all gone, and the ducks were essentially nonexistent except for 3 Red-breasted Mergansers on the northwest shore. A few Herring Gulls were all the way out on the rocky point, and also a couple of Ruddy Turnstones, but no Purple Sandpipers were to be found. A lone Spotted Sandpiper was walking around the rocks nearest the walking around, which are all covered in green algae now, much different looking than they had been earlier this year. Sadly, the drive across the bridge & back yielded no sea ducks either, they've all exited the area and moved northward to their breeding grounds in the Canadian tundra it appears. Another warm day, this week finished off with several days in the 80s, much too hot in my opinion, but this is only the beginning as I'm sure June will just be even hotter. It seems Spring has really transitioned into Summer this week, regardless of what any calendars say. Here's hoping next week yields some more new ones!

Two days in a row seeing Green Treefrogs!

Week Ending May 4, 2014

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We had an extremely rainy week here in Virginia Beach. Monday through Thursday it rained every day. Parts of northeast North Carolina received several inches of rain and there was also outbreaks of tornadoes across the state. The torrential downpours were very apparent when I went on my first hike of the week on Friday to Back Bay NWR. I first noticed high water when approaching the intersection of Sandbridge Road & New Bridge Road. The ditches along Sandbridge were extremely high, even flowing out onto the roadway edges. The Lotus Gardens were easily a couple feet higher than I've seen at times, with water filling up the grass shoulders around the bridge. All the farmfields and front yards had standing water across them, making all those crayfish 'chimneys' obsolete and allowing the crayfish to have some additional real estate for the time being. Apparently we've also had continuous southerly winds this week, which coupled with the high amounts of rainfall, caused Back Bay to rise up way above the standard elevation. Usually, it is the opposite effect on the bay, since we get northerly winds more often. Again, this is the highest water I've ever seen on Back Bay and the surrounding areas. When I got to the park, I started down the Loop Road's west side, en route to the West Dike Trail. The water was everywhere, filling forested areas where I've never seen water before. I saw a pair of Cottontail rabbits seeking refuge on a bit of high ground beneath the trees behind the contact station. On the way down the Loop Road, Red-winged Blackbirds were seen flying and landing in the cattails of the marsh everywhere I looked. I saw what could have been a small rail jumping through the reeds as well. Perhaps it was another Sora, like the ones I saw last week not far away. It seems that as the bay has risen upwards and therefore further inland than it usually does, it has pushed a lot of wildlife into areas where it can be seen. 

Common Yellowthroat (warbler species) at Back Bay NWR.

Under normal water levels, there is plenty of marsh & forest for the animals to hide within, but with the water moving into these areas, they have to seek out higher ground, which means they've moved up to the edges of the dike system and the inner impoundments. Even today, it rained a little bit on me the first 15 or 20 minutes. After that it stayed overcast, though very very dark further to the south, which made for a nice background in some of the photos in this gallery. With no sunshine, I didn't expect to see any snakes, and I didn't end up finding any. The animals that seemed to be the most numerous were again the shorebirds. Spotted Sandpipers & Solitary Sandpipers were both present. Greater Yellowlegs were seen on all the impoundments. The warblers are still around as well, and I saw a Common Yellowthroat in the exact same shrubbery that held my first Prairie Warbler of the season a few weeks back. With the high waters of the bay, I heard a lot more splashing around than normal, which at the time I just assumed were Nutria moving around in the water, it wasn't until later what I'd find out what it really was. As I was starting to near the maritime forest section of the trail, I had caught sight of a number of Red-winged Blackbirds off to the right in a large tree, one of several trees that dot the west side of the trail in this section. When they spooked into the air, I saw a pair of other birds, and a blue colored bird also fly off and land elsewhere. The pair of birds looked to have orange and black on them, so I first thought they were Eastern Towhees, but they appeared smaller, so as I snuck up on their location, and they again burst into the air I realized that they were actually Orchard Orioles! These were my first of the season, and only the second time in my life that I've gotten to see this species, after having seen one for the first time last May in Chincoteague NWR on my graduation vacation from ODU. I tried to snap photographs but only got one off in time, and it was quite blurry, though you can tell from it what the bird was. I didn't get another chance to see what species the blue colored bird was, out here it could be an Eastern Bluebird, an Indigo Bunting, or a Blue Grosbeak, any of which I'd greatly welcome. While I was standing there thinking about how I'd missed on the photographs I'd hoped to get I heard a loud splash behind me. I turned to find nothing there but focused my camera on where the rippled were, thinking again that it was probably a Nutria swimming around. 

Spotted Sandpiper in flight over the impoundments of Back Bay NWR.

While watching the spot, a figure slowly rose in the water column, and thanks to the very dark clouds overhead, I could actually make out the shape just under the surface, then it rose and leaped. I closed the camera shutter and from the photo I could see it was a very large Chain Pickerel (the southern cousin of the Northern Pike that I grew up with in Minnesota)! The Pickerel had a Bluegill tail sticking out of it's mouth, making for an amazingly lucky photograph! The fish didn't stop though, and kept jumping out of the water & thrashing back and forth like one does to try to toss a lure when hooked. I realized pretty quick that the Bluegill was so large that it was stuck in the Pickerel's mouth & gills. The Pickerel went belly up, and was just holding the Bluegill still, but it for some reason started swimming very slowly over towards me. When I'd first seen the fish, it was probably about 30 or 40 feet out from my position, but after a few minutes of slowly moving towards me, I was able to get a foot in the water, and reach it with a stick. It let me get my hand around it's neck and land it, like I've done so many times in my life, only while fishing, not while out hiking! After some effort, and several toothbites into my hand, I was able to push the Bluegill back out through the mouth & get it unravelled from the gills of the Pickerel. I got the Pickerel set into the water belly down and moved it forward and backward to get the water moving through it's gills again to give it some oxygen. When I let go, it swam off into the dark waters. Unfortunately, I could not get the Bluegill to steady itself, and when it kept going belly up, I had to take it out and put the fish down humanely. I left the carcass up on the trail thinking an Osprey or Eagle would find it in no time, and didn't want to throw it back in the water for the same Pickerel to choke on again. I like to think that over the years, I've seen some pretty incredible things out in the woods, but I'm hard-pressed to come up with another occurrence that was as unexpected as this one. I've never had a fish choose to swim towards me in what I can only assume was it's only shot to survive. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler in breeding plumage at Back Bay NWR.

Had it not done this, it would have choked to death on the Bluegill, I'm sure of it. It reminded me of being a kid on Lac la Croix in northern Minnesota, and trying to catch a Smallmouth Bass barehanded. I remember working around behind it, then slowly pushing it towards the shore, and then actually beaching it but unable to grab the fish before it flopped back into the water and sped off. That was the closest I've ever been to barehanding a free fish, well now, I can say I've done it, though it was only because the fish clearly allowed it to happen. A bizarre, but touching experience that I'm very grateful I got to be a part of! After this, I just headed back towards the entrance to the park, thinking there was no way it could get any better out there, and I was getting pretty hungry being a Friday evening. While walking northward, I continued to hear the same splashing around in the bay shallows that I'd heard earlier, and this time I got a clear look at what was doing it! Mixed in with the marsh grasses and cattails of the shallows, I could see fins moving around, and long pointed bodies. It seems that this time of the year, the Longnose Gar move into the shallows to spawn, and it was their fins breaking the surface that was causing all the rustling sounds in the water! Folks had been talking in the HRWE group about the Carp spawning in ditches around the region, but I had never expected to see Gar doing the same thing. After the Gar, I actually saw another Chain Pickerel in the impoundments, hunting in the shallows, they must just be very active right now for some reason. After all the fish excitedment, the weather cleared and let the sun through for a half hour or so on my return trip, giving me interesting light and backdrops for some Caspian & Forster's Terns, some Blue-winged Teal, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and the rabbits I had seen at the beginning of my hike. It turned out to be quite a walk, one I'll always remember for the bizarre fish rescue. 

Red-winged Blackbird perching on a cattail at Back Bay NWR.

Saturday morning Ruth decided to come hiking with me since it was going to be in the 70s and sunny. Because of how much I saw yesterday at Back Bay because of the high water, I wanted to get back out there again while the wildlife was still forced up to higher ground. We started off on the same route as I did last night, walking the western side of the Loop Road to the West Dike. Ruth spotted a Common Yellowthroat that was singing from the top of a shrub. With the clouds not having yet lifted, I couldn't get very good photographs, but it was in a spot where had I had some sun, the shots could have been great. Just after the Yellowthroat, we heard something making wood-knock sounds in the marsh, but we could not locate the culprit, even though it was probably only 20 feet away, just couldn't spot any movement in the reeds. Not sure on what makes that sounds, so I'll have to research later. Like Friday evening, the Red-winged Blackbirds were out in large numbers and provided constant entertainment for us while we watched them land on cattails throughout the marshes. The waters of Back Bay were still high, but not quite what they were the evening before, having dropped probably 6 inches or more. We again got to hear the Longnose Gar moving around in the marshy shallows of the bay, something I'd hoped Ruth would get to see or at least hear, so when I talked about it I wouldn't seem crazy.

A 1st year spring male Orchard Oriole at Back Bay NWR, first one of the season.

The Greater Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers were still around on the impoundments. As were a large number of Snowy Egrets, and a few Great Egrets & Great Blue Herons. When we reached the trees that held the Orchard Orioles Friday, we walked slow, but again scared off a group of birds, with yet again some blue colored bird mixed in. This time though, it flew off and perched up in a tree where I could photograph it, albeit poorly, but I was able to confirm it as my first Blue Grosbeak on the year. The Orchard Orioles managed to slip me again, this time without a single photograph. We walked through the maritime forest and then reached the False Cape State Park entry sign and turned back around to head northward. About this time I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird fly past quickly, one of 3 that we would see on the day, though no photographs could be taken. On the second pass through the maritime forest, we saw a Carolina Chickadee, heard several woodpeckers, and I photographed some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in the same spot at the north end that I'd seen a couple weeks ago under better sky conditions. No Prairie Warblers were heard this time in the forest though. When we left the forest, we again had to pass the sections of trail that held the Orioles. This time, we were even more careful not to spook everything out of the largest of the trees, where they seem to be congregating. The birds were there again, but were extremely adept at sticking into the deep cover of the tree, or moving to the opposite side from us. 

First Eastern Kingbird of the season at Back Bay NWR!

So we both set up on opposite sides of the tree, which caused them to move upward to the top. I was able to get a couple photographs of a 1st spring male bird through the thick foliage, first time I've seen this plumage! Also around this tree, I got to see my first Eastern Kingbirds on the year. I don't know what it is about this spot, maybe that it is right at the edge of the forest/marsh boundary, or that it looks like a farmfield or orchard, but these migratory songbirds seems to love the spot. I'll keep my eyes open next time and hopefully I'll get my first Indigo Bunting, another bird that just seems like this would be a good location to find. On the way back north from here, we encountered several Nutria, getting to watch them from a distance without scaring them off as they fed on reeds. Also, while the tram was passing us, I saw what was either a Black Racer or a Eastern Ratsnake, but it zoomed off into the grass before I could take a photo. Caspian Terns & Forster's Terns again were seen on the impoundments. When we reached the Loop Road, we took it around to the east this time, en route to the Dune Trail access to the beach. On the way, we heard a Prairie Warbler, and I stepped off the trail to see if I could locate it in the sandy/scrub environment. While listening to its call, I got a look at one as it was flying almost directly at me.

Brown-headed Cowbird male at Back Bay NWR!

It missed me by just a couple of feet & landed in a nearby shrub where I got some photographs of it. They're one of the most beautiful little songbirds with their yellow & black patterns, and rusty colored shoulder patch. They're also becoming a favorite of mine since I know their song well enough to ID them, and can use it to help me search for the little bird making it. We walked the beach portion but didn't see much for birds, just a Bonaparte's Gull and one Common Loon in breeding plumage, not sure why it is still here as they typically fly north when they acquire it. Ruth stopped to sit on the pier back near the contact station, and I was en route to the Bay Trail when a Cottonmouth blocked my path on the boardwalks. So I went back, but on the way ran into Liza Eckardt, a volunteer at the park. She said she'd move the Cottonmouth so Ruth & I walked with. On the way, she showed us a Brown Watersnake & caught sight of an Eastern Ribbonsnake as well. While moving the Cottonmouth around she told us when to back off and when they are not a threat. I still don't plan on getting any closer than I need too to the venomous snakes though, out of due respect to them, and caution for my own safety.  We also saw a Marsh Rabbit and a baby Yellow-bellied Slider at the contact station. Afterwards we took off back to the car and headed out. 

Brown Watersnake, far from the water, at Back Bay NWR.

Sunday proved to be even nicer than Saturday had been, with temperatures peaking right around 80. Since I went out in the morning, it was a bit more enjoyable with temps probably still in the 60s. I went out to Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge for the third Sunday in a row, and the third time that I've now been there overall. I went again to the Washington Ditch parking area, and heading out down the trail. Very near the start of my walk I got a really nice surprise, a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos were hiding in the canopy of a large tree. They made very careful movements through the branches so that they stayed mostly concealed at all times, and then came to a full stop where you'd never have seen them if you had just walked up. I snapped some photographs of them, and remembered that this is the first time I've seen the species since the very first time I saw one on August 20, 2010. I remember the date off the top of my head, because it is also the day that I would later end up meeting my girlfriend, Ruth. It was nice to get a surprise of this magnitude to kick off another hike here.

My first Yellow-billed Cuckoo sighting since August 20, 2010! Taken at Great Dismal Swamp NWR.

I'd had good success in seeing & hearing a lot of songbird species, but less success in actually photographing them since in the swamp, they have an almost unlimited area to hide in. Now it has especially become difficult with the leaves having come fully out, and any warbler can now easily hide amongst the dense green of the forest. When I hit the junction with the Lynn Ditch Trail, unlike the previous two outings, I decided to head north onto it. This trail runs almost straight north-south and eventually ends up at the Jericho Ditch Trail parking area a few miles further to the north. Shortly after getting on this trail, I spotted one, then two Green Herons staring me down from behind the cover of the trees. They kept flying parallel to the trail as I moved, so I kept inadvertently spooking them. Before they flew off into the swamp, they posed on top of some trees for photographs. About a mile and a half north of the Washington Ditch, the trail has another junction with the Middle Ditch. I had originally planned to hike eastward on the Middle Ditch, hoping to maybe see a Black Bear as they area had been described to me by a bear photographer the week before. However, the ditch trail was overgrown and looked like an absolute haven for ticks and/or chiggers, and though I was sprayed down with deet already, I opted to just keep heading north on the Lynn Ditch. I ended up going about 2.5 miles more to the north, which put me just about 2 miles south of the Jericho parking area. 

Green Heron in the canopy of Great Dismal Swamp NWR!

The trail is much easier to walk than the Washington, both are very flat trails, but this one has a better base ground to walk on. You can easily walk silently on the trail as there isn't much gravel, and the north-south orientation helped funnel a nice breeze past me all morning so it never got humid. It was the first day I'd really noticed any mosquitoes out as well, though they were more abundant on the Washington Ditch Trail, I think the more open Lynn Ditch Trail kept them away due to the breeze I mentioned, and more sunlight getting down to the trail. Along my route north I saw a lot of Great Crested Flycatchers, and the now-standard lot of Prothonotary Warblers. In addition to those, and like the east end of the Washington, I began to hear Prairie Warblers in higher numbers the further away from the parking area I walked. They seem to enjoy the more interior areas of the park, I'd guess for either the scrubby habitat, or just the isolation maybe. When I decided to turn around and head back south, I got a photo of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird that flew in and landed on a branch, and I also was confronted with some blue birds that I could not validate as either Blue Grosbeaks or Indigo Buntings.

My first decent Dragonfly photograph of 2014, at Great Dismal Swamp NWR!

The birds were molting, far away, and in bad light. I keep going back and forth on which bird it might be, but I just can't say with certainty, therefore it remains anonymous. Unlike the Washington Ditch, the Lynn appears to have a much higher population of turtles living in it. I saw tons of them, mostly Yellow-bellied Sliders, but also Spotted Turtles, and probably others I just can't ID properly. I didn't come across anything too remarkable or noteworthy on the way back south on the Lynn Ditch Trail, but continued to see warblers, including a Prairie Warbler that finally came in close enough to view. Walking back on the Washington Ditch Trail, I took the boardwalk at the finish, and saw one Ovenbird, as well as my first Five-lined Skinks of the year. They were running around on the manmade boardwalk, but not providing the best of backgrounds for a good photograph. Oh, and so that folks know, when I walk trails like this where I don't get to a junction of any kind when I turn around, I have a method for always knowing how far I actually made it on a trail. I took some photographs at the far northern end of my walk, then used the GPS tag my camera places into the files to locate my exact stopping point on Google Earth. From that I can figure out how far I walked, roughly 9.5 miles roundtrip. This week, my sister Ellen will be coming into town Wednesday afternoon, and I've got Friday off from work for a trip out to Merchant's Millpond State Park with her, where hopefully I'll get to show her some cool stuff like I have there in the past! 

Black Swallowtail at Great Dismal Swamp NWR!