Week Ending February 1, 2015

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On Monday, a massive Nor’easter formed off the coastline of North Carolina and started sliding slowly up the coastline towards New England. While we in Virginia were only expected to get a dusting of snow from the storm, projects were showing up to 30” in Massachusetts, and over a foot in New York City. In front of the storm, many folks still got out birding across Virginia Beach Monday, and the Western Tanager at Pleasure House Point was again sighted by James Marcum and Peggy Eubank. Of interest also, was a pair of Harlequin Ducks seen at the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel by Clark Olsen (who also recorded a Glaucous Gull out on the ocean viewing from 42nd Street). Bob Ake spotted a Cackling Goose mixed in a flock of some 600 Canada Geese in the farm field across Princess Anne Road from Sherwood Lakes. Last weekend while out driving around in Pungo, Ruth & I also saw this large flock of Canadas, but I didn’t scan it with binoculars since it was so far east of the roadway. Another rarity for the region, the Eurasian Wigeon at Pleasure House Point was sighted again Monday by three individuals (Peggy Eubank, James Marcum and Ashley Merritt), so it is nice to see it is still in the area. All 5 of the species are birds I have not yet added to my yearly list here in Virginia Beach, so all would be welcome sights that would push me closer to my goal of seeing 200 species in Virginia Beach this year! And actually, 3 of them (Eurasian Wigeon, Cackling Goose, and Western Tanager) would all be life birds for me, so all the better.

The solitary Hermit Thrush, seen at Falls Lake State Recreation Area near the Raleigh-Durham metro area of North Carolina on Saturday.

On Tuesday morning I awoke to about 1-2” of snow in our Kings Grant yard, but fortunately the roads were completely cleared since the temperature never got cold enough to allow them to freeze up. There wasn’t even any real ice on my vehicle, just some on the side windows. Ruth & I got to let our kitten Buster out onto the screen porch and see his first reactions of seeing snow. He was pretty darn adorable running around looking out the screens at the snow covered forest & marsh behind our apartment! As  is typical here in Virginia Beach, even though the roads were completely fine, many businesses and most of the school either were closed or had delays. Last night (Monday) I had read an interesting post via listserver from Ned Brinkley that suggested with a storm of this size walloping New England, that Virginia might be the benefactor of some northern waterfowl moving south to escape the storm. He noted that Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese could be mixed in with large flocks of Canadas and Snow Geese. While I believe he was mainly theorizing that this would occur on the farm fields of the Eastern Shore, it would be quite neat to see if any sightings of these species showed up here on the southside over the coming days. I’m hoping that Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday after work I can make it up to the CBBT to try to find the Harlequin Ducks at least, if they’ve weathered the storm and stuck around, so again I’m anxiously watching the eBird reports to see if anyone re-spots these birds. The toughest part about winter for me is just not having the available free time to go and look for the rarer birds that show up here in the area. With the sun setting around 5 PM or a bit later now, it helps more than in December, but it still just doesn’t afford me daylight enough to put the time in outdoors during the work week, which just puts all the pressure on weekends, of which this one I will be out of town in Raleigh. So I hope the rare birds stay put for a while!

The world's largest gull, a Great Black-backed Gull, sitting among the much smaller Ring-billed Gulls on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

Tuesday evening I felt the beginnings of a cold coming on and spent the rest of the week with it. So when Friday came around, I didn’t get to dash outdoors hoping to see something before our trip to Raleigh. Instead, I just picked Ruth up in Norfolk and headed out. We stayed with her friend Ally & her husband Justin in Durham. On Saturday Justin & I did a 5 mile or so hike at Falls Lake Recreation Area. Despite having a cold, I felt real good on the hike, better than when I’m just sitting around. We didn’t see a whole lot in the way of wildlife, but mainly because we were talking most of the way. We did however, see several Hermit Thrushes which are difficult to find in my home region. We also saw Eastern Phoebes, Dark-eyed Juncos, a woodpecker (Downy/Hairy), and a possible Brown Creeper. I took barely any photographs though as in the woods there isn’t much light, and we were just too loud to approach anything closely. The terrain was a nice switch up from our flat land in Virginia Beach, since there was a lot of up and down as the trail meanders along the fingers of the reservoir and surrounding hills. On Sunday, when Ruth & I arrived back in Virginia Beach, I drove up to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel since folks had seen a pair of Harlequin Ducks on Saturday there. Naturally though, they weren’t around while I was, and I walked the entire accessible perimeter of the first island from southeast to southwest counter-clockwise. The gulls were actually split up on both sides of the island this time, probably because it wasn’t very windy coming from a single direction. Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed were seen, but no Lesser Black-backed this time around. At the northern point there was a pair of Black Scoters, a lone White-winged Scoter and two Red-breasted Mergansers. On the southwest corner I saw what I’d hoped were the Harlequins due to their size in comparison to surrounding cormorants, but they turned out to be Buffleheads instead. The silver lining bird though was a Purple Sandpiper that posed nicely for photographs on the rocks at the north end. I don’t see them everytime I go there, but, I know they’re always around in the winter time since they like the rocky coastline even though it is a man-made island. After a number of shots, I headed out and got back home from the long weekend. My neighbor and coworker Kathy, had been looking after my kitten Buster for the weekend and while I was over at her doorstep saying “thank you”, I heard my first Pileated Woodpecker of the year (Virginia Beach #104 of 2015). Hopefully I’m able to get more birding in this coming week, or at least shake this cold, which does seem better now than it was yesterday.

My favorite wintering shorebird, a Purple Sandpiper, seen on the rocky man-made coastline of South Thimble Island.

Week Ending January 25, 2015

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Unlike the previous week, the early weekdays were actually pleasant this time around. The weather remained cooler, with highs about 50, but it was beautiful sunny and no rain all the way through the week. On Thursday night, Ruth & I took a trek out into the countryside in the hopes of finding & photographing Comet Lovejoy, which is visible in the night sky right now. With the moon having just started anew, only a small sliver of light from it is brightening the night sky. Therefore, if you can find a spot dark enough with no surface lights in the way, the sky is brilliant. We drove out into Pungo, and I thought Mackay Island NWR might be a great spot to be able to pull off the road and look up, so we drove down that way about 7:30 PM. We stopped along the Marsh Causeway at the observation platform on the north side. Unfortunately, there was a sign there saying that the area was closed after dark, so I only stayed a brief moment, but we were able to see the the comet through my binoculars as a fuzzy snowball looking object. We stopped at the headquarters driveway on the way back and I gave it a shot with the camera, but wasn’t able to get anything to come out. But, the sky was gorgeous out here in the dark countryside, with tons of starts visible, though still nothing compared to what I was used to in Minnesota on a cold winter night. We headed back home from there, stopping at Handel’s Ice Cream, which is one of Ruth’s favorites, and then called it a night.

A vibrantly colored adult male Surf Scoter seen at South Thimble Island on Friday evening!

On Thursday, while on my way home from work I drove around the lakes in Kings Grant just to see if anything was out. While most of the ducks were out further in the water, coming around a turn on Kings Grant Road I found a group of Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, and a lone Common Grackle (my 100th species in Virginia Beach on the year)! On Friday, while scanning through the local eBird reports, I found that a Western Tanager had been sighted by Ernie Miller up at Pleasure House Point sometime between 9 AM and 3 PM yesterday. It was nice to see that Ernie not only noted the precise location in his description, but also provided a pair of photographs showing the bird.  So after work, at 3 PM I swung by Pleasure House Point to try and re-locate the Western Tanager. While I only spent a half hour at the park and was not able to find it, a couple other birders there (Tracy Tate & Clark Olsen) said they did indeed see the bird, and it's showed up in eBird reports, so it is still hanging around. Not much else was seen at PHP to speak of, a few Greater Yellowlegs, lots of Gadwalls and American Wigeons out on the creek, but again I didn't stay long. With the dreary weather, I wanted to get up to the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel before any rain started falling, and before it got too dark to see anything with the sun already being hidden behind the clouds. So, I headed up there and arrived at 4 PM. Walking the island counter-clockwise from the southeast corner, and then back yielded a fantastic day for ducks.

with it's yellow legs and bill, and very dark back, this is a Lesser Black-backed Gull, less common than the more abundant species here in winter.

I saw my first White-winged Scoters (#101) on the year, as one was swimming with a pair of Lesser Scaup at the southeast corner of the island (No Redheads were present this time out). Along the east side of the island, a great number of Ring-billed Gulls were present, with lower numbers of Herring, Great Black-backed, and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls as well. At the point, the only duck I spotted was a Red-breasted Merganser, then located two Surf Scoters very tight to the rocks near the pier. On the return trip, about 20 Long-tailed Ducks could be seen out in the swift moving tidal currents north of the island, and a pair of 1st winter Common Eiders were also out there! As if that wasn't a good enough surprise, there was also a lone Harbor Seal swimming around in the vicinity, which I got to see just the head pop up twice far out (I did get one shot of the Seal and many of the Eiders. A group of Buffleheads, Black Scoters, and White-winged Scoters rounded out the sightings as I reached my car again and then drove the same route to get back on the southbound travel lane to the mainland of Virginia Beach. Turned out to be a great couple hours of evening birding to end the week, though I missed not having the beautiful sunset like last week. We're expecting a wet day tomorrow, but hoping the whole day isn't a wash out.

My favorite winter ducks in our area on a flyby, Long-tailed Ducks!

On Saturday, as a nor'easter scraped its way past us and moved further up the East Coast, we were hit with strong northwesterly winds that had the bay very churned up. I drove out to the first island on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel for a half hour of birdwatching, parking at the southeast corner like I usually do. Many gulls (Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed), Double-crested Cormorants, and Rock Pigeons are taking refuge from the winds on this corner of the island.I didn't notice any Lesser Black-backeds today, and there were no Sanderlings present. Working counter-clockwise up around to the northern point, the wind was howling, and the temperatures are probably not much above freezing, with much lower wind chills today. Large swells were moving through the channel, and a large group of Long-tailed Ducks was out riding on them, bobbing up and down as they passed. In addition to the Long-taileds, a good size group of Black & White-winged Scoters was in a bit closer to the point, with one first winter male Common Eider mixed in. I could not locate the second one that was out there yesterday evening, but it could have been resting on one of the rocks facing northward. The waves were crashing along the point though, so this might be unlikely. As with yesterday, there was one Harbor Seal with its head poking out of the water for a few minutes, but then it disappeared. A few Ruddy Turnstones, and a pair of Lesser Scaup rounded out the sightings on the island before I headed back to the mainland. Along the stretch to the mainland, tons of Northern Gannets and comorants were sitting out on the water. I stopped at Dockside restaurant just off Shore Drive, east of the Lesner Bridge for lunch, and watched as large number of Red-breasted Mergansers swam around in the Lynnhaven River. Also some Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, and plenty of gulls & cormorants were nearby. I'd hoped maybe a Bonaparte's Gull might come in closer to shore with the high winds, as I've yet to pick one out this year, but no luck there. Still, a very good lunch and nice to watch the birds and eat simultaneously from out of the elements.

Northern Gannet flies past the Rudee Flipper on our whale watching tour Sunday!

On Sunday, after seeing some of the great sightings people were posting from the Williamsburg Birding Club cruise on the Chesapeake Bay out of Lynnhaven Inlet (Harlequin Ducks especially!), I went out on a cruise from Rudee Inlet just to see what might be out there in the nearshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The main purpose of the cruises aboard the Rudee Flipper, are to see Humpback Whales as they pass through our stretch of ocean. However, the cruises are also a great place to be able to see some birds out on the water. The Virginia Aquarium here in Virginia Beach is supposed to start hosting tours, but a phone call this morning explained that they currently don't have a boat, so the Flipper is the only way to get out at present. (Tickets are $28). Leaving Rudee Inlet, we saw some Buffleheads and a Common Loon, but no Common Eiders were present this time. I'm not sure if others have noted them here recently, but there was a pair hanging out earlier this month in the inlet, perhaps they’ve moved out of the area by now. When we got out on the ocean, I got my first good looks on the year of some Red-throated Loons (#102), which we saw plenty of, as well as some Common Loons. Gulls were all over the place (Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed), and when we reached a debris line of sorts, there was a large number of Bonaparte's Gulls (#103) sitting on the water. I'm curious if anyone knows what causes these lines to exist? The waves actually broke along them, and they paralleled the shore for miles in both directions. I wondered if it was a change in depth, temperature, or just a line that had something to do with the tides. If someone out there reading this has some knowledge on the topic, please send me a message with your explanations! Either way though, the birds loved it.

A mother & calf Humpback Whale breaking the surface just 50 feet off the bow of the Rudee Flipper, an incredible experience!

I looked adamantly for Storm-Petrels, hoping to see some (which would be my first), but I couldn't locate any. There was a number of Northern Gannets out there as well, some providing great shots. We ended up seeing at least 5 different Humpback Whales on the cruise, and the highlight was a mother/calf pair that surfaced just 50 feet or less in front of the boat. Seeing the dark masses rise up, before even breaking the surface is something I will always remember! So if you're interested in wildlife around southeast Virginia, this cruise is definitely something to consider, I'm very glad to have taken it today! Even with temperatures around 40 degrees, it wasn’t too bad because the sun was shining and there wasn’t any wind to speak of while the boat was at rest. After I got home I checked out all the reports on Listserver and on eBird and it appears that the folks out on the cruise of the bay found a Glaucous Gull in addition to the 4 Harlequin Ducks. Also, a pair of Razorbills was sighted, and I heard a report also of a California Gull being seen, which would be a real rarity in this part of the country. I’m hoping the Harlequins stick around for a little while so I can get a chance to photograph them, they’re incredibly beautiful ducks, and a species that I haven’t ever seen here in Virginia Beach. Also, the Western Tanager at Pleasure House Point was again re-sighted, so another trip might be warranted. However, we have a very strong nor’easter about to form off the coast just east of us tomorrow, and it could be a messy week because of it, so we’ll have to see if they stick around. This strong storm does also bring the possibility of new birds being pushed inland, and southward since it will surely dump snow on the northern part of the East Coast!

A Great Black-backed Gull and the beautiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean seen Sunday!

Week Ending January 18, 2015

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We had a very rainy & dreary week up through about Thursday evening around Virginia Beach. Some birders did venture out, and an interesting sighting was two reports of a Common Redpoll being sighted at Pleasure House Point. On Friday, after my workday ended at 3 PM I headed up to Pleasure House Point to give it a shot & see if I could re-locate the Common Redpoll. I parked at the east end of Marlin Bay Drive to put me in a spot where I could do a loop along the water with the sun at my back, and was very surprised to find that the Common Goldeneye female that I saw over the prior weekend was still present on the pond with the deer carcass. I had figured this bird would have moved out of the area by now. I tried to move into a good spot for a photo, and while walking along the western shore, I inadvertently frightened off an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron that was perched in the pine tree high above me, the first adult of the species that I've seen in the park. The raucous caused the Common Goldeneye to fly out from the wooded pond unfortunately, but it seems to be sticking around the park, so perhaps I’ll get another shot at it. As with this past weekend, I could not locate the Eurasian Wigeon out in the creek, and unfortunately did not find any Redpolls either, though folks continue to post sightings of the Wigeon on eBird.

Bufflehead drake on the waters of Pleasure House Creek!

Good numbers of waterfowl were present though, dominated by Gadwall, with many American Wigeon and Northern Shoveler mixed in for good measure, and what appeared to be a group of Ring-necked Ducks flying in. Also, the Brants were seen flying along the far shore but never landed on the mudflats as the tide was coming in and covering them up. Also nearby I added several Tree Swallows (#88 on my Virginia Beach year) that were flying over the field outside the new environmental center. Just a moment after the Tree Swallows passed over, I saw a pair of Buffleheads with a female Lesser Scaup (#89!). The three birds dove down and I moved in close to get a shot, watching for them to pop up, which they did very close in to me. They noticed me quickly, but I got some photographs off right away before they moved out onto the creek. From the new pier area, I cut back towards the car on the new bike path, seeing one Cooper's Hawk along the way. The Goldeneye was not present when I returned to the pond near my car. After leaving the park I headed up to the first island (South Thimble Island) on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, parking at the very first stall on the right near the southeast corner of the island.

A male Surf Scoter flapping its wings off South Thimble Island on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

I walked the full perimeter of the island (within the pedestrian allowed signs that is), and was pleased to find a large number of birds present for being after 4 PM. The Ring-billed Gulls and Rock Pigeons as usual were covering the eastern side of the island, with a few Herring Gulls and Ruddy Turnstones mixed in. Out on the water, a small group of Buffleheads, a lone Red-breasted Merganser, and a few Surf Scoters were tight in to the southeastern shoreline. When I'd reached the northern point, a pair of male Redheads (#90) were seen mixed in with a group of both male & female Lesser Scaup. Some Black Scoters, and a group of 5 Long-tailed Ducks were also seen. I'd hoped for a White-winged Scoter or a Greater Scaup to show up, but I still haven't found either species yet in 2015, hopefully next time. Walking back to the car I ran into Karen Kearney so I stayed for a bit longer chatting and got to see a beautiful sunset from the island as well. All in all, a very good couple hours of birding to end out my work week. Looking forward to a nice Saturday here in Virginia Beach! Hope everyone gets out and sees some neat birds tomorrow.

Sunset from South Thimble Island looking over Oceanview.

On Saturday, the beautiful weather continued with temperatures in the 30s with not a cloud in the sky, which allowed me to get out all across the city. I started off at Little Island this morning abut 7:30 AM, first walking out onto the pier to find the water a churned up mess from the strong onshore winds. I couldn't spot anything out on the water with my binoculars other than some gulls so I walked across to the kayak launch to check it out. Even though I looked first, I again spooked a Cooper's Hawk from the trees along the path, and then managed to also spook an American Bittern with only marginal photographs results. So it was a good start to the day, just not for photography. After walking the short paths, I headed down to Back Bay NWR and spent the next couple hours there walking the Bay Trail, Loop Road, and out on the beach. Starting off with the Bay Trail, I walked it out to the end where I was greeted to a flyover by two flocks of Snow Geese (#91). There was some ducks out on the bay, but most of the waterfowl were situated to the north of the trail, of which there was several hundred Tundra Swans, and a number of Gadwall, American Wigeons, and even some Northern Pintail this time. I walked back down the Bay Trail to the Loop Road, and for the second weekend in a row, on the Loop Road I scared up a Wilson's Snipe. I had purposely decided to walk the Loop Road clockwise this time hoping if one was in the same area, that I might have the sun behind me for a good shot. Well, clearly they saw that coming so it moved to the opposite side and I spooked it before I put eyes on it.

A pair of Hooded Mergansers on the waters of Back Bay!

Now what direction to walk next time? After the Loop Road, I walked out onto the beach, stopping to see my first Northern Flicker of the year (#92) as it flew over the dunes to the trees nearby. I also saw what looked like songbirds, so hoping perhaps they were Snow Buntings, I usd the binoculars, but found that they were Yellow-rumped Warblers instead. Down on the beach, the wind was screaming and there was foam tossed up everywhere. It was far too choppy for me to pick out any loons or grebes on the ocean, so I’m still waiting for my first Red-throated Loon of the year. I headed up to the north end of the beach, then back over the dunes toward the parking area, seeing a ton of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the process. I did one last walk of the Bay Trail from there, and was excited to find a feeding flock of songbirds near the west end, just before the pond. It was comprised almost entirely of Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting about, but there was also a single Ruby-crowned Kinglet (#93) and an Orange-crowned Warbler (#94). The Orange-crowned Warbler is actualy my very first one in Virginia, and only the second one I’ve ever seen, having sighted my first one a couple years ago in California! I headed back towards the parking area, photographing some Tundra Swans out along the boardwalks of the Bayside Trail, and then seeing a group of 8 Forster’s Terns (#95!) come cruising in over the bay just offshore. I got some nice shots of them as they hovered and dove on unsuspecting prey underwater. It was also here that I saw a juvenile Bald Eagle and also a pair of Northern Harriers chasing each other then flying off southward, so it was surely a good raptor day. After a quick walk down the Kuralt Trail, I headed to the car & drove north. I made a quick stop off at Little Island again hoping to get a second chance on the Cooper's Hawk I spooked earlier but did not see it.

My first Forster's Tern of the year, flying over Back Bay.

Instead, I found 2 American Bitterns this time, both flying off over the far side marsh as quickly as I put eyes on them. Heading out of the area north through Sandbridge I finally found my very first Eurasian Collared-Doves (new life bird & #96 on my Virginia Beach year), and photographed them from the side of the road as they sat up on the wire overhead. Also, on Sandbridge Road just before reaching the Hells Point Canal & Bridge, there was a pair of juvenile White Ibis (#97) feeding in the small pond on the west side of the road, another new year bird. Being that I was already in the area, I decided to drive through rural Pungo in the hopes of seeing some of the massive Snow & Canada Geese flocks that folks have been reporting, hoping perhaps to be able to spot a Ross's or Cackling Goose mixed in, or some Cattle Egrets, Eastern Meadowlarks, or American Kestrels & Merlins. I did not find any Snows, but did see a large group of Canadas east of Princess Anne Road from Sherwood Lakes, far back on private property though. On Morris Neck Road I found a single American Kestrel (#98) perched on a wire over the road, and as soon as I slowed down it took off. This was another year bird for me though! After the jaunt in Pungo, I drove up General Booth past the Oceanfront and stopped at 64th Street to go into First Landing State Park. I walked the Cape Henry Trail southwest from the entrance hoping to find some Pileated Woodpeckers, but again missed on them. I did get some nice photographs of a Common Loon near The Narrows though, and saw quite a few other birds (Eastern Bluebirds & Yellow-rumped Warblers dominated). My last stop of the day was up at Pleasure House Point, where parking at Dinwiddie, I walked the park east to west, then back on the interior trails. Some highlights were a Cooper's Hawk perched up in a tree, a group of 18 Ruddy Ducks, a small flock of Green-winged Teal. I did not re-locate the Common Goldeneye on any of the ponds today, and no luck on the Common Redpoll that had been spotted this week either. I'm exhausted, but it was a wonderful day. 

A closeup shot of one of the Forster's Terns that hovered over me searching for fish.

On Sunday, Ruth & I had appointments to get our flower situation and cake figured out for the wedding, so we were out again in Pungo in the afternoon. With heavy rains all morning long, I opted to leave my camera at home but did bring my binoculars hoping to see something while driving around between appointments. Ruth drove so that I could scan the farm fields for birds, and we drove down Morris Neck and Charity Neck Roads, as I had done on Saturday. Just as we had gotten to Morris Neck, the rain stopped, and the sun began to clear up the sky, it was gorgeous out, with incredible views of the storm as it was passing to the east. We ended up seeing 5 American Kestrels on power lines, which is the most I’ve ever seen in a single day. As we stopped on the road to get a better look of the first one, it flew off, scaring a group of birds off the farmfield as it flew over. The birds crossed the road and landed in the field on my side of the car and I was able to see them very clearly with my binoculars, Eastern Meadowlarks (#99!). There was tons of American Robins and Eastern Bluebirds out on the fields, probably looking for worms that retreated to the surface to avoid drowning under the saturated soils. Also, tons of Ring-billed Gulls had landed in the field, almost looking like Snow Geese, but unfortunately none of those were seen. After a half hour or so driving, we headed to our second appointment and then home from another great weekend of birding! I thought perhaps I could get that 100th bird but was just unable to get it. I saw what I believed to be Common Grackles earlier in the week, but there were too far out to be certain, and I’m also fairly sure I heard an Eastern Towhee at Back Bay, but without putting eyes on the bird, I don’t count it. Hopefully this week I’ll get up and over into the triple digits! Some birds I’m really hoping to locate are Red-throated Loon, Bonaparte’s Gulls, Greater Scaup, Common Grackle, so we’ll see if they show up for me soon. 

The Kings Grant River Otter, seen on my way home on Saturday!

Week Ending January 11, 2015

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After a wonderful kick-off to the new year last week in terms of the number of birds I got to see, this week stepped it up to a whole new level. On Tuesday evening, Ruth had gotten a bad case of food poisoning and unfortunately spent the majority of the night in agony. She was forced to stay home from work on Wednesday after only getting a couple hours of sleep and still feeling awful. I brought her some soup home for lunch since it was the only thing she’d be able to keep down. While heading back to work around noon, I saw a mixed flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds along Kings Grant Road. The cowbirds were my 60th species in Virginia Beach this year, so even under sad circumstances, the birds are still showing up. Later in the day, while driving to a meeting at the City of Virginia Beach’s municipal center, I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk (species #61) along Princess Anne Road feeding on a mammal that looked like a squirrel. No new sightings on Thursday, but we had some very cold weather move in overnight, with temperatures down in the lower teens on Thursday morning. As a result, the lakes in my neighborhood (Kings Grant Lakes) began to freeze up, with the smaller coves completely covered. On Friday at 3 PM I headed out from work and went down to the Oceanfront to meet up with Karen Beatty. I stopped first at the Sandpiper Motel at 12th Street & Pacific Avenue to take a quick look across North Lake Holly.

Northern Mockingbird seen at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday morning!

This time, the Black-crowned Night-Heron (#62) was present on the point directly across, though far away for decent photography. I left there and headed down to Rudee Inlet where I met up with Karen and we got a chance to watch the two Common Eiders that have been hanging out in the inlet this winter. They are both first-year males so have not yet acquired their beautiful adult plumage, but they’re still pretty birds. Once was in the center of the inlet this time, and the other was out very close to the rocks of the jetty. Though it had warmed up into the high 40s Friday, there was still a lot of remnant ice out on the rocks from the day before and overnight. It was very neat actually, since all the ice was in a horizontal layer above the high tide line where the water would wash it away, but not on top of the rocks. Out on the jetty we saw Herring & Great Black-backed Gulls but nothing unusual. We also had a good number of Sanderlings flying around and landing on the rocks, and the ever-present Ring-billed Gulls and Boat-tailed Grackles filled the parking area near the trash cans. After a half hour or so chatting and scanning for birds I followed Karen over to Owl’s Creek Boat Ramp just north of the Virginia Aquarium. I had joked with Karen that I’d hoped to maybe find a Red-necked Grebe or a Common Goldeneye at this location since she’d seen both species here in the last year. No luck on either species today, but when we first arrived we saw many Mallards, some Brown Pelicans, and passing by Double-crested Cormorants. We walked along the docks near the ramp as well as on the short trails through the near marsh, where we saw one Great Blue Heron. Additionally, across the creek Karen spotted a lone Bald Eagle (#63) perched up in a tall pine tree, which I was able to get a poor photograph of.  As Karen stepped further on one of the trails, a hawk flew out from its perch in a tree and we identified it as a Cooper’s Hawk (#64).

Back Bay all frozen up except for a few holes occupied by a flock of Tundra Swans!

We watched as a few Red-breasted Mergansers flew in from the ocean and landed out in the middle of the water, and I spotted a smaller bird nearby that we believe to be a female Ring-necked Duck from Karen’s photographs (mind came out poor from the great distance and lack of light). After watching it for a few minutes we went back to the cars and headed out as the sun dropped down below the tree line. On Saturday, I woke up around 7:30, a bit later than I’d wanted, but I had an exhausting week. Ruth was now feeling quite a bit better form her batch of food poisoning, but it was very cold out so I went out birding alone for the day. When I left home, my car thermometer read 28 degrees, which at just below freezing, is right on my preferred temperature for being outdoors. Its not cold enough that its painful as long as you’re moving, and its not warm enough where I just sweat the whole day. Driving past Kings Grant Lakes, they were all completely iced over  now and no waterfowl could be seen. My destination was Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which I reached at about 8:15 AM. At the parking lot, there was a group of 4 birders setting up scopes to look across the bay, which was also frozen as far as the naked eye could see thanks to the last 3 days of freezing temperatures. The folks let me take a quick glance through the scope, and many Tundra Swans (#65) were visible on the other side of the bay. I could not identify any of the smaller birds with them at that great distance, so anyone’s guess is as good as mine. I headed out onto the Bayview Boardwalk, walking past the small pond where the American Bittern likes to hang out, but it too was frozen solid. I quickly realized I was not going to see some of my target species today with all the ice, but continued on. Walking westward down the Bay Trail, I didn’t see any bird activity until I reached the pond at the end.

One of the many, many Yellow-rumped Warblers seen over the last week!

Here, I saw what at first I dismissed as a cypress tree knee, but paused, and it moved, flying off across the pond. It was an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron, which is the first one I’ve seen in the park. Clearly, the poor bird must have been in starvation mode, given that everything was iced up and it can’t hunt, so I feel pretty bad that I spooked it as I walked by, as it was probably already low on calories. I walked to the end of the trail, and tons of swans, geese, and ducks were visible out on the bay from here. There was a few open water holes, which the American Coots (#66) were taking advantage of as well as many ducks like American Black, Gadwall, and Mallards. I headed east down the Bay Trail and ran into Erica Locher, a ranger at the park, who runs the park’s Facebook page as well. We talked for a few minutes and she continued out to see the swans while I went back towards the parking area to let the 4 folks know there was much better views of the waterfowl at the end of the trail. Unfortunately, they’d already left though and I couldn’t pass on the information. So I walked around the visitor center and walked the Loop Road counterclockwise. Along the road I was amazed when a shorebird flushed next to the frozen ditch, and it was a Wilson’s Snipe (#67), a bird that I very rarely ever see. It flew off incredibly fast but I got a couple poor quality ID worthy shots. I saw some sparrows which were most likely White-throated or Swamp dashing into the marsh cattails as I walked, but nothing definitive. At the gate to the west dike, I could see a good number of American Coots out in a hole in the ice, and several walking across it with their big goofy feet, it was quite hilarious to see. Shortly after, a Northern Harrier flew across the road, not the first I’ve seen this year, but the first I’ve photographed.

My first Brown Thrasher of the year, seen at Little Island Kayak Launch.

Unfortunately I couldn’t locate any Field Sparrows along the road in the area that I typically see them, perhaps its just too early in the season. I had envisioned walking out onto the beach for a while, but when I took the trail up and over the dunes to it, the wind and waves were incredible. Only 1 Sanderling was visible on the sand, with no other birds anywhere in sight, save for some Gannets far offshore only viewable through my binoculars, and one other bird that I feel was a Red-throated Loon, but cannot verify from photos. So I headed back inland, and again walked the Bay Trail. No new sightings this time, so I headed back towards the visitor center. Here I got some Song Sparrows, and a Swamp Sparrow (#68). I thought perhaps I’d see something on the northern beach access trail so I did a quick walk of it. Amazingly, a second Wilson’s Snipe flushed here and again didn’t allow good shots of it. On the dunes, I found a single Savannah Sparrow (#69)! After that I headed back to the car and left the park. My next stop was at Little Island Park, where I like to check out the kayak launch area on the west side of the road. Last year during a freeze-up, I saw a Great Egret swallowing a Rail or Gallinule whole here. When the chips are down, anything goes in the animal world. This time though, I did see 2 Great Egrets, but neither was dining. I added a Gray Catbird which I heard from the shrubs (#70), and a Brown Thrasher (#71) that stayed out in the open for some photographs. Some Carolina Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warbler rounded out the walk, and I managed to get my left foot soaked in marsh mud as the thin layer of ice gave way. The cove was totally frozen so no waterfowl was present. Again, I headed northward, driving all the way up to 88th Street at the north end of the Oceanfront. Here I did a quick run down to the beach hoping for something on the dunes, but the bird of the walk here was a group of 10 Black Scoters bobbing up and down in the rough seas.

American Bittern seen near the Dinwiddie Road stormwater pond outlet at Pleasure House Point.

After 88th Street, I headed over to Pleasure House Point, hoping to find the Eurasian Wigeon that many others have seen over the past couple of days. I parked over at Dinwiddie Drive, seeing some Gadwall, Cormorants, and a Herring Gull on the stormwater pond. I checked the outlet to the creek and was stunned to find an American Bittern standing right against the cattails, making that my #72. I ran into a couple walking their dog and told them about the bittern, which they seemed intrigued by. Walking out along the trail around the visitor center there was no Brants present on the mudflats so another miss. As I neared the location where the wigeon was seen, a small flock of Eastern Bluebirds (#73) played nice and perched in the open so I could photograph them. There was many ducks out on the water, most of which were Gadwalls, with some American Wigeons and Northern Shovelers mixed in, but I could not locate a bird that looked like a Eurasian Wigeon, so I kept walking. A Snowy Egret and Great Egret were present on the deer carcass pond, and at the next pond I caught up with the couple I’d seen earlier and we talked about some of the stuff that could be seen. As they continued, a Bald Eagle flew across the sky so I hollered to them to look up. We stood out on the marsh edge and watched as the adult circled several times in the sky before moving off to the south. After a good chat, the couple (Jill & Troy I believe their names were), headed off down the trail, and I gave them and their dog a head start. Shortly after that, I passed a women with a scope in hand, so I introduced myself and she identified herself as Tracy Tate. Tracy is one of the most active birders in our area, so I was amazed it took this long before I ran into her. She pointed me in the direction of some Green-winged Teals, which I was able to photograph (#74).

A male Eastern Bluebird seen at Pleasure House Point in a larger flock.

Heading back east, I ran into her again, and she said she’d just seen a Black-crowned Night-Heron, so again I checked that out and sure enough it was still there, my first in the park. I returned the favor by finding some more bluebirds, and then she went off to look for the Eurasian Wigeon with her scope. I never could find it, but after walking past the area, I saw two more birders, that turned out to be Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins, another pair of very active folks here locally. They were staring at a Greater Yellowlegs (#75) that was walking on a small mudflat between land and the marshy islands near where I’d seen the Nelson’s Sparrows the first time last year. As we watched the Yellowlegs, Ron had just started to tell me about a Clapper Rail they heard, when one swam out across the creek! I walked with them the rest of the way back to Dinwiddie where they’d also parked. At the main mudflat, the Brants were again missing, but just then the flock flew across the sky and made several circles, so I got to add #76 afterall. I walked them by where the bittern had been earlier but it wasn’t present and we headed back to the cars and left. My last stop on this very busy day was the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. I parked in the first spot and then walked the perimeter of the island counterclockwise. Many Ring-billed Gulls and Rock Pigeons were on the east side. Off the rocky point at the north end, there was some Surf Scoters, and a group of 3 Long-tailed Ducks (#77), which are arguably the most beautiful ducks we have here in the winter time. A few Red-breasted Mergansers were also present, and one Black Scoter, but that was it on the day. I headed back and got home around 3 PM, a full day of winter birding, and one where I added 13 species to my yearly county list.

A beautiful Snowy Egret at Pleasure House Point on Saturday!

On Sunday, I got a later start, but the weather remained down around 30 so I was happy to see cold weather and the sun again. Since I hadn’t spent any time this year yet in the woods, I went to First Landing State Park to try for some songbirds and woodpeckers to add to my list. I parked at 64th Street as I always do, so as to avoid the $5 fee going in off Shore Drive (FLSP is the most visited park in Virginia, I have no problem letting the tourists finance its operation). I walked into the park and took the Cape Henry Trail southwest. All of the marshy spots were frozen solid, including Lake Susan Constant. I saw a good number of American Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds fly in overhead, and also saw a Brown-headed Nuthatch (#78), Tufted Titmouse (#79), and Golden-crowned Kinglet (#80) mixed in. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any Ruby-crowned Kinglets so will have to try again next weekend.  I turned off the Cape Henry Trail and onto the Long Creek Trail, then took the Osprey Trail down along Broad Bay. At Broad Bay I found some Buffleheads, American Black Ducks, and while scanning with binoculars picked up the dorsal fins of two Dolphins, and a Common Loon (#81), which I was able to photograph poorly. Heading up and over White Hill, I got my first glimpse of a woodpecker on the year when a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (#82) landed on a nearby tree in the shade. While watching it, a Red-bellied Woodpecker (#83) also flew in to another tree. I walked down the hill to White Hill Lake, which also was frozen solid, except at the outlet where a pair of Hooded Mergansers was swimming.

A Snowy Egret (left) being chased off by a Great Egret (right) at Pleasure House Point on Saturday!

Walking around to the bridge at the 3 mile mark yielded no new birds, but provided beautiful views across the frozen marsh. Heading back I stayed on the Long Creek Trail and forewent the Osprey Trail in an effort to hopefully see some more woodpeckers. This paid off, as I found a spot near the heron rookery where a Downy Woodpecker (#84) flew in, closely followed by another Red-bellied Woodpecker and also another Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, this time a beautifully colored adult male. I got photographs of all three species, and that rounded it out for the woodpeckers on the day, missing on the other 4 (Pileated, Hairy, Red-headed, and Northern Flicker), but those will come eventually if I spend enough time outdoors. Just after the junction with the Osprey Trail, I heard scratching on a tree and looked up just in time to see the very recognizable brown and black tail of a Raccoon go shooting into a hole in the side of the tree! I never got a good look at the animal, but that tail is something Ruth & I have discussed a lot lately, comparing our cat Buster to a Raccoon due to his voluminous tail. The last mile or so of the Long Creek Trail was quiet, until a small brown bird flew into the underbrush. I watched for about 10 minutes trying to get a good look through the heavy underbrush and finally it moved into an open spot, showing itself as a Hermit Thrush (#85)! That was the last bird of the day, aside from a Pied-billed Grebe on the now-thawing Lake Susan Constant, and I hit the car and headed out.

A pair of female Red-breasted Mergansers at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Saturday!

Karen Beatty had posted about Snow Geese having showed up on some farm fields in Pungo, so I thought about heading that way but decided I have more time before they’ll leave the area for good, but the Eurasian Wigeon at Pleasure House Point could leave at any minute, so I drove up that way instead. I parked off Dinwiddie and headed down the trail. Brants and gulls, with a lone Osprey were present out on the mudflats this time right away, and I kept going in the direction of the wigeon. On the way, near the spot I’d see Ron & Marie the day prior, a hawk flew up from the treeline and I focused in on it just as another hawk flew in and the two bared their talons and freefell. From the wing shape and size, both were Sharp-shinned Hawks (#87!). I watched them for a couple minutes before they flew off in different directions, but it was an incredible experience. Afterwards, yet again, with the sun’s glare, and the extreme distance, I just could not pick out a bird that looked different than the Gadwalls and American Wigeons. A bit frustrated, I decided to keep walking a bit further since I was there. I got to the pond with the deer carcass and decided I was going to walk back to the car inland hoping to find some more hawks or songbirds. Just then, I looked north onto the pond’s upstream end and caught sight of two birds. I pulled out the binoculars and I was astonished to find that one of the birds was a female Hooded Merganser, but the other was a female Common Goldeneye! I crept up closer and got some photographs, before getting a bit too close, as they two lifted off and flew west around the corner. They could easily have landed on one of the other wooded ponds in the park but I did not follow.

Adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at First Landing State Park!

I was just so excited to have seen a bird that doesn’t show up here very often. In fact, this is my very first Goldeneye seen outside of Minnesota. Additionally, the Common Goldeneye is a very dear bird to me as it was the very first bird I ever identified solely using a field guide on my own. I recall well seeing my first one on Farm Lake in Ely, MN while helping my father work on a house in the summertime (perhaps 1992?) and seeing one down at the lake while getting water to use to make concrete foundations for a screen porch. At the time, he assured me it was a Ring-necked Duck, but I didn’t believe it, and finally used his Peterson field guide to prove to him it was something else! After watching the birds fly off, I headed back along the trail, not really even paying attention to what was there as much as I had been earlier. But, I did find a Clapper Rail that was out in the water, and photographed it as it worked its way to shore, and along the shoreline in the mud. A Greater Yellowlegs flew overhead as well, and then I made it back to my car and headed home to end a fantastic week of being outdoors, with beautiful winter weather. Hopefully this week I can continue to add to my 87 species in Virginia Beach! I’ll be trying to get a Common Grackle at lunchtime or after work, since that’s the last remaining urban bird I need.

My first Common Goldeneye in Virginia! Seen at Pleasure House Point Sunday afternoon.