Mid-November 2016 (11th-20th)

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

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

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

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

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

Early November 2016 (1st-10th)

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

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

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

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

Next Entry | Entry Index | Previous Entry

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

Late October 2016 (21st-31st)

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Dry weather continued through late October, and allowed for most areas of the city to finally shed the remnants of standing water still present from Hurricane Matthew's deluge to kick the month off. Like last period, there was a great deal of excellent finds to discuss, and top birds for Virginia Beach included SHORT-EARED OWL, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW & LARK SPARROW. First-of-season arrivals this period revolved mostly around waterbirds and this trend should continue on into November; we still saw our first-of-fall Orange-crowned Warbler (22 Oct), Common Loon (23 Oct), Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck & Hooded Merganser (24 Oct) and Greater/Lesser Scaup (27 Oct)! Early arrivals this period included Tundra Swan (23 Oct) and occurrences of late birds included Blackpoll Warbler (latest 28 Oct), American Redstart (27 Oct), Black-and-white Warbler (23 Oct) & Black-throated Blue Warbler (23 Oct). As in mid-October, we saw very high counts of Pied-billed Grebe & Northern Flicker but numbers of American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warblers & White-crowned Sparrows also were bolstered during late October. WEATHER: Overall, late October’s average daily high temperature dropped back towards normal at 69.9 degrees F (-6.4 degrees from the mid-October period); the average daytime lows also dropped considerably to 48.3 degrees F (-7.5 degrees). The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the late October period were 68.7 & 50.6 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at +1.2, and -2.3 degrees when comparing to the averages. Also during the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 73.8 & 57.0 degrees F (2007). Conditions remained very dry throughout the period (a good thing for the region right now), and accumulations of only 0.20 inches of rainfall occurred at Oceana over the 11-day period.

OBSERVATIONS:  With mid-October having been dominated by exciting reports of rare species of sparrows, it was no surprise that our most recent period kicked off in similar fashion. During the afternoon of the very first day of the period (Friday, 21 Oct), our second CLAY-COLORED SPARROW of the fall season was discovered & photographed at Little Island Park (Mary Catherine Miguez). This individual stayed put through the next day, when it was again observed & photographed (Karen & Tom Beatty) at the same location. After apparently going undetected the following pair of days, it was again observed 26 Oct, though this would be the last time it was reported. Not too far away from Little Island, and early on the morning of 23 Oct, a third CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was also observed at Back Bay NWR (Andrew Baldelli). This one was at the same location where many other sparrow species have been foraging together just north of the visitor’s center. This sparrow did not appear to be the same individual seen at Little Island Park after reviewing the photographs taken of each. The Back Bay individual was observed & photographed (Kim Harrell and Rob Bielawski) later in the evening of the 23rd but the refuge was closed for hunting 24-25 Oct so there is no way to tell if it stayed put to start off the week. However, it was again reported 29 Oct (Jason Schatti), though with the time gap between observations, and no photographs acquired after 23 Oct, it is difficult to say whether it was the same individual for certain, though it seems quite likely. As a comparison, in 2015 there was only one CLAY-COLORED SPARROW observed in Virginia Beach, occurring also at Back Bay NWR (Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins). So we’ve had quite the fall season for this species so far, and the potential for finding others still remains moving forward. Additionally, the LARK SPARROW first observed 19 Oct (Karen & Tom Beatty) at Back Bay NWR was again observed (James Marcum) and photographed (27 Oct / Tina Trice) and again 30 Oct (Lisa Rose and Matt Anthony & Nicholas Newberry). A second individual joined it 23 Oct (Karen & Keith Roberts) though that report didn’t get input to eBird. One of these individuals appeared to have a wound on the right cheek (ph. Kim Harrell), where either blood was visible, or the feathers had been torn away leaving the skin visible. I make mention of this so that anyone who observes a Lark Sparrow at the site in the coming days can look for this mark to see if the same individual is still present, or if a different bird has moved in. This site has had at least 3 different individuals move through it this fall so far. The last rarity observed this period came in the form of a SHORT-EARED OWL found during an official impoundment survey at Back Bay NWR (26 Oct / Rebecca Walawender). This species is likely an annual winter resident within Virginia Beach but is seldom searched for and probably just ends up going unnoticed. However, as Sibley’s field guide notes, any area that holds Northern Harriers during the daytime is likely to hold these owls during the night. Short-eareds are also known for being active at dawn and dusk so maybe with some effort over the coming months, more of these gorgeous owls will be discovered locally. After all, they’re found each winter to our south at Alligator River NWR in North Carolina, and they appear north of us on the Eastern Shore often in winter as well! First-of-season arrivals occurred throughout the period, some early, some right on time. These included an Orange-crowned Warbler (22 Oct / Little Island Park / Karen & Tom Beatty), Common Loon (23 Oct / Little Island Park / Andrew Baldelli), Northern Pintail & Ring-necked Duck (24 Oct / Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski), Hooded Merganser (24 Oct / Turtle Lake / Una Davenhill) and Greater/Lesser Scaup (27 Oct / Back Bay NWR / James Marcum). While Common Loons do often linger throughout the summer months here along the coast, it has been a while since one was sighted, so it is fair to call this one a first-of-season bird even though they probably should be considered a permanent resident in Virginia Beach. An early Tundra Swan was observed at Back Bay NWR (23 Oct / David Clark) and we also had our first groups of Northern Shoveler (5 / 30 Oct / Back Bay NWR / Lisa Rose) and Ruddy Ducks (25 / 27 Oct / Back Bay NWR / James Marcum) though we had first-of-season individuals earlier. Late lingerers this period were also noted with some frequency and included individual Black-and-white Warblers at Stumpy Lake NA (21 Oct / James Marcum) & Back Bay NWR (23 Oct / Kim Harrell). We are right at the northern edge of where these warblers often attempt to winter, and as such, this might not be the last individuals reported this year here. Other late sightings included a pair of Black-throated Blue Warblers (23 Oct / Little Island Park / Andrew Baldelli), Blackpoll Warblers at Back Bay NWR (28 Oct / Rob Bielawski), First Landing SP (28 Oct / Jason Schatti) & at Little Island Park (26 Oct / Karen & Tom Beatty), and lastly a female American Redstart at Back Bay NWR (27 Oct / James Marcum). Northern Flickers (215), American Robins (475) and Yellow-rumped Warblers (1500) were all very high counts at Little Island Park (23 Oct / Andrew Baldelli) as they continue to stream through the region. Additionally, 5 White-crowned Sparrows at Back Bay NWR (29 Oct / Rob Bielawski) represents the highest count for this species on the year here. Interestingly, all of them were first-year birds, and we haven’t had an adult White-crowned Sparrow logged in Virginia Beach yet this fall! Last, but certainly not least, some species I’ll just refer to as “neat” were also seen this period. A Sora at Little Island Park (26 Oct / Karen & Tom Beatty), and Sedge Wrens at Little Island Park (1 / 28 Oct / Jesse Anderson) and Back Bay NWR (2 / 30 Oct / Lisa Rose) made for excellent finds of secretive species that around present all winter long, but can be very tough to actually observe. Folks around the area continue to report Red-breasted Nuthatches and this year is proving to be quite an irruption year for that species. Additionally, Nelson’s and Seaside Sparrows continue to observed around the salt marshes at Pleasure House Point, and we’re right in the peak period to observe these reed-dwelling sparrows. Next period should bring us more waterfowl, as land bird migration winds down! Keep in mind that the first Sunday (6 Nov) of the period is when our clocks will be moved back an hour due to the ending of Daylight Savings Time, which means the opportunity for earlier morning birding but at the expense of losing evening birding. Also, Back Bay NWR has now closed the East Dike for the season (as of 1 Nov). The Dikes will remain closed until 1 Apr 2017, when the West Dike is the typical route to be first opened. The beach remains open year-round to False Cape SP and the trails adjacent to the visitor center, as well as the entry road and gravel road up to the dike gates are also open. 

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 21 OCT – American Kestrel (Dam Neck Station Rd. / David Clark); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, Field Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Little Island Park / Mary Catherine Miguez). 22 OCT – Blue-winged Teal, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow & Northern Cardinal (Little Island Park / Karen & Tom Beatty); LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow & Savannah Sparrow (Little Island Park / Karen & Tom Beatty). 23 OCT – Lesser Black-backed Gull & Northern Flicker (Back Bay NWR / David Clark); Northern Flicker, Black-and-white Warbler, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, Field Sparrow, LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Kim Harrell); Swamp Sparrow (Little Island Park / Rob Bielawski); Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); Wood Duck & American Wigeon (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski). 24 OCT – Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal & House Finch (Glenmore Hunt Tr. / Karen & Tom Beatty); Hooded Merganser (Turtle Lake / Una Davenhill); Greater Yellowlegs, Ruby-crowned Kinglet & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Pleasure House Point NA / Matthew Echaniz); Nelson’s Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Karen & Tom Beatty); Northern Pintail & Ring-necked Duck (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski). 26 OCT – Sora, American Coot, Common Yellowthroat, Blackpoll Warbler & White-crowned Sparrow (Little Island Park / Karen & Tom Beatty). 27 OCT – LARK SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Tina Trice). 28 OCT – Great Blue Heron, Blue-headed Vireo, Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski). 29 OCT – Yellow-rumped Warbler (Little Island Park / Rob Bielawski); Turkey Vulture, American Coot, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski). 30 OCT – Sedge Wren, Gray Catbird, LARK SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow & White-throated Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Lisa Rose); Hermit Thrush & Swamp Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Una Davenhill); White Ibis (Princess Anne WMA Whitehurst Tract / Rob Bielawski); Northern Harrier (Morris Neck Rd. / Rob Bielawski); American Wigeon, American Black Duck & Ring-necked Duck (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski).

LOOKAHEAD: Temperatures will likely bounce around a bit, but the overall trend will continue to drive in cooler weather through early November. We have now arrived at the Fall Vagrant Season along the East Coast and from now through probably December, reverse migrants from the West Coast are more likely to visit our area as they travel northward along the Atlantic coast. These species can include Gray Kingbirds, as we have already seen here this fall, but other species to look for would be Western Kingbird (or any of the yellow-bellied-kingbird species, ie. Tropical/Couch’s/Cassin’s), Say’s Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and even Townsend’s or Black-throated Gray Warblers. Also, please remember that of the expected species arriving or passing through here during the fall season, we have not yet logged our first Purple Sandpiper, Brant, American Pipit, American Woodcock, Bonaparte’s Gull & Horned Grebe (early October arrivals), Rusty Blackbird, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoter & Great Cormorant (mid-October arrivals), Fox Sparrow, Harlequin Duck, Red-throated Loon, Snow Goose, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead & Red-breasted Merganser (late October arrivals) and Canvasback & Common Goldeneye (early November Arrivals) in Virginia Beach yet this fall. We should begin to see more waterfowl in the coming period as well, since thus far they have been rather nonexistent; though, perhaps they’re present, and most birders just haven’t focused on their habitat when birding due to the songbird movements.

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Mid-October 2016 (11th-20th)

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Dry weather finally took hold of the region during mid-October, and allowed us to begin the long process of drying out after being inundated by historic rainfall amounts due to the passage of Hurricane Matthew. A major cold front, the first of October, brought us a wide variety of passerines, including an explosion of sparrow species! There was a great deal of excellent finds this period, and top birds for Virginia Beach included GRAY KINGBIRD, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, DICKCISSEL, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, LARK SPARROW, & PAINTED BUNTING. First-of-season arrivals slowed this period (though this is more a reflection on the extremely high number we had last period), but we still saw our first-of-fall Winter Wren (11 Oct), White-crowned Sparrow (11 Oct), Cliff Swallow & Hermit Thrush (13 Oct) and Surf Scoter (15 Oct)! Continuing occurrences of late birds included Eastern Kingbird (10 Oct), Canada Warbler (11 Oct), Blue Grosbeak (13 Oct), Yellow Warbler (14 Oct), Bay-breasted Warbler (15 Oct), Chimney Swift & Yellow-breasted Chat (16 Oct), Wilson’s Warbler (17 Oct), American Redstart (18 Oct), Nashville Warbler (19 Oct) and Magnolia Warbler (20 Oct). Lastly, we saw very high counts of Pied-billed Grebe & Northern Flicker as well as higher than expected counts of Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and both Nelson’s & Seaside Sparrows continue to be found around Pleasure House Point in healthy numbers though no Saltmarsh Sparrows have yet been observed there this season. WEATHER: Overall, mid-October’s average daily high temperature actually increased to 76.3 degrees F (+1.8 degrees from the early October period); the average daytime lows however, dropped considerably to 55.5 degrees F (-9.4 degrees) so in that regard it did still feel cooler, at least in the early and later hours of the day. The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the mid-October period were 71.9 & 54.7 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at +4.4, and +0.8 degrees when comparing to the averages. Also during the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 76.5 (2007) & 60.2 degrees F (2013). For the first time in quite a while, we made it through the entire period with no measured precipitation, and it couldn’t have occurred at a better time as much of the region still struggles to dry out from the incredible amounts of rain that fell throughout the past month. Portions of Sandbridge still held standing water even a week after the passage of Hurricane Matthew! 

OBSERVATIONS:  Following the disastrous weather that occurred just prior to the close of the early October period, dry conditions finally set in for the region (thankfully). A strong cold front moved across Virginia Beach on Saturday, 8 Oct, which was partially to blame for the massive amounts of rainfall we received as the system collided with Hurricane Matthew’s wind-field. However, by mid-week it had become very apparent that the strong northerly winds associated with the front had also brought down large numbers, and great diversity of songbirds. Notably, this period will be remembered for its major push of sparrows (among many other passerines)! At the close of previous period, 10 Oct to be exact, Andrew Baldelli submitted this report which showed that a major songbird movement was underway. This movement carried on over the next few days, resulting in some fantastic finds.  When 11 Oct rolled around, would-be visitors to Back Bay NWR discovered that the park had been closed due to damage sustained during Hurricane Matthews assault on the coastline. However, Little Island Park just to the north provided the perfect habitat (thick brush) for songbirds to forage in during the daytime, and it wasn’t long before interesting reports started to pop up. In the morning hours a flight of 172 Northern Flickers was observed along with a late Yellow-breasted Chat (James Marcum) and a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (Mike Collins), being the first-of-season here was also found. Later on in the day, a late Wilson’s Warbler was found at the site (David Johnston) as well. Up at the opposite side of the city, the thicket behind Taste Unlimited Bayville saw a lot of action as a direct result of Andrew’s mighty 61-species checklist. In the early afternoon, a very late Canada Warbler and a late Wilson’s Warbler were reported (Karen & Tom Beatty). During the evening, a first-of-season Winter Wren was found, and nearby our first CLAY-COLORED SPARROW of the year made an appearance on the edge of the thicket (Rob Bielawski). The last CLAY-COLORED SPARROW to be observed in Virginia Beach was also at Back Bay NWR, 8 Oct 2015 (Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins). As 11 Oct came to a close, most birders in the area had become aware (via eBird/Facebook/Listserve/etc.) as to the numbers and variety of birds being observed. When 12 Oct (a Wednesday) rolled around, more folks were out in the field seeking out, and reporting birds to eBird. Taste Unlimited’s thicket continued to produce birds in the morning hours as a high count of Nashville Warblers (6) was observed (Andrew Baldelli). As with the previous day, down on the opposite side of the city at Little Island Park, birders again scoured the area, though Back Bay NWR did open back up for the first day since Hurricane Matthew’s passage on 8-9 Oct. Topping the finds at this site, a DICKCISSEL was found (James Marcum), and then shortly thereafter, a second DICKCISSEL was also observed (Mike Collins). Rare finds here along the coast, these were the first of their species to be observed in Virginia Beach since an immature DICKCISSEL was found at Princess Anne WMA’s Whitehurst Tract 14 Feb (Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate). In the late morning, the Dickcissels were found again (Rob Bielawski, Karen & Tom Beatty), though unbeknownst at the time that they had already been reported earlier. The action then shifted to Back Bay NWR, as the edge of the parking area and near-visitor-center-trails were scoured for sparrows. An interesting find behind the visitor center occurred as a Grasshopper Sparrow (a first for Back Bay NWR in eBird) was found briefly before flying off to the north (Rob Bielawski). Shortly thereafter a single LARK SPARROW (Rob Bielawski / Karen & Tom Beatty) was found in the septic field to the northeast of the kayak parking area, among a large feeding flock of various species which also contained a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (Rob Bielawski / Karen & Tom Beatty). The last Lark Sparrow to be observed in Virginia Beach was the individual that stayed here at Back Bay throughout last February & March, as well as a second individual observed near the Princess Anne Athletic Commons that never made it into eBird (5 Mar / Staci Mueller). The momentum carried on through 13 Oct (a Thursday) at Back Bay, when many birders arrived hoping to see some of the same birds found on the 12th. While hopes were high, no one was likely prepared for all the species that were about to be viewed. In the early morning hours, the LARK SPARROW was again detected, but with it this time were at least 3 White-crowned Sparrows, 4 LINCOLN’S SPARROWS, and a female PAINTED BUNTING (Andrew Baldelli)! Another pair of LINCOLN’S SPARROWS were detected further south on the East Dike, making a potential total of 6, which would be a new state high count per the Gold Book if validated by eBird. In addition to the sparrow excitement, a pair of CLIFF SWALLOWS was also observed (Andrew Baldelli). The PAINTED BUNTING was observed later in the morning (Karen & Tom Beatty / Mary Catherine Miguez), as were the LARK SPARROW (Mike Collins), the LINCOLN’S SPARROWS (Mike Collins, Karen & Tom Beatty, Mary Catherine Miguez). A late female Blue Grosbeak was also observed (Andrew Baldelli, Karen & Tom Beatty). In addition to this late occurrence, a first-of-season arrival was also detected when a Hermit Thrush was observed (Mike Collins, Karen & Tom Beatty). At Little Island Park to the north, a White-crowned Sparrow continued as well (Karen & Tom Beatty), and back at Taste Unlimited Bayville, the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW made its first reappearance (James Marcum) since the initial find two days prior! Given the excitement of the previous days, yet again when 14 Oct (a Friday) arrived, birders were out looking in the same spots for anything new that might have showed up. A high count of 76 Pied-billed Grebes was found on Back Bay just off of the visitor center pier (Karen & Tom Beatty, James Marcum) and masses of Tree Swallows had also begin to gather (3,000 count input by Karen & Tom Beatty, James Marcum). A late Yellow Warbler was observed as well (Karen & Tom Beatty), which continues to push back their expected departure date. Unfortunately, of the sparrows seen the previous day, only the White-crowned Sparrow (obs. Karen & Tom Beatty, James Marcum / ph. Kathy Spencer) seemed to remain, and the others must have moved on with the winds overnight. The same was true for Little Island Park to the north where the ‘resident’ White-crowned Sparrow was observed again as well (James Marcum). Up at Taste Unlimited Bayville, the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was again reported (Cheryl J Jacobson), though this would be the last know report. Also, there was a report of a LINCOLN’S SPARROW at Bayville Farms Park (David Gibson). As the weekend arrived, hopes were even higher as many birders around the region simply don’t get out during the week (I was blessed with an unexpected power outage at my office on Wednesday, 12 Oct, that allowed me the fantastic day of birding). On Saturday, 15 Oct the early morning was unexpectedly quiet, though the ‘usual’ sites were all birded pretty heavily. In mid-morning, a LINCOLN’S SPARROW was found (Tracy Tate) on the first island of the CBBT (South Thimble Island), though it was not re-sighted later in the day. On a Virginia Aquarium boat trip, the first Surf Scoters of the season were found up near 63rd Street, giving us a bit of hope in terms of waterfowl starting to return to the region. A residential backyard in the Kempsville area provided only our second of season, and a late occurrence, for Bay-breasted Warbler (Hugh & Una Davenhill). In the early morning hours of Sunday, 16 Oct, a pair of late Nashville Warblers, and a late Yellow-breasted Chat were observed at Princess Anne WMA’s Whitehurst Tract (Rob Bielawski), but surprisingly no unusual sparrows turned up in that prime habitat. PLEASE NOTE: Both the Whitehurst & Beasley Tracts of the park are now open to birding only on Sundays until 1 May, see the Official Park Website for details. Up at Taste Unlimited Bayville, a pair of late Magnolia Warblers was observed (Kathy Spencer), and these are likely two of the same individuals observed a few days prior before their expected departure date arrived. Despite the previously mentioned reports, the volume of sightings on the weekend just couldn’t hold up to the momentum gained throughout the week. When Monday, 17 Oct, arrived, temperatures began to rise swiftly, and winds switched around to the south. Throughout the remainder of the period we saw highs in the 80s, peaking on 19 Oct at 88 degrees F (a new record high at Oceana NAS). The main excitement of 17 Oct occurred when a late Wilson’s Warbler was found near the visitor center at Back Bay NWR (Ted Keen), and observed & photographed shortly after (Mike Collins), and additionally photographed later in the afternoon (Mary Catherine Miguez). On the morning of 18 Oct, a Tuesday, another pair of late Nashville Warblers were observed at Back Bay NWR (Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate, James Marcum) and two late American Redstarts were found as well (Tamara Conklin). With all these great species being found throughout the period, it was astounding that during the evening hours, a GRAY KINGBIRD was observed in a residential backyard near Lake Joyce (Timothy Barry)! This is the very first eBird report of this species for Virginia Beach, and I can only find records of this species in the Gold Book from 29 Oct 1999 (near Lynnhaven Inlet), 30 Sep 1997 (Sandbridge), 28 Apr 1990 (specific location not noted), and 18 May 1978 at the CBBT, which may or may not have been on the Virginia Beach side (Northampton shares the CBBT with us). So this is perhaps only our 4th record for this species (possibly 5th if the CBBT individual did occur in Virginia Beach). The switch to southerly winds and warm weather might be the reason for this bird showing up in the area, but the main question that we’re all left with is, where did it go to next? Hopefully someone solves that mystery in the coming days. Finally, the period came to a close with perhaps the same LARK SPARROW being observed again at Back Bay NWR (Karen & Tom Beatty); a fitting end to a period that will long be remembered as the best few days of sparrow observations we’ve had in Virginia Beach in a very long time!

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 11 OCT – Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren & American Robin (Francis Land History Park / Rob Bielawski); Eastern Phoebe & Blue-headed Vireo (Taste Unlimited Bayville / Karen & Tom Beatty); Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warbler & CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Taste Unlimited Bayville / Rob Bielawski). 12 OCT – Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Parula & Northern Cardinal (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski); Purple Finch (Glenmore Hunt Tr. / Karen & Tom Beatty); DICKCISSEL (Little Island Park / Mike Collins); Nashville Warbler (Taste Unlimited Bayville / Rob Bielawski); Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Gray Catbird, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler & DICKCISSEL (Little Island Park / Rob Bielawski); Black-throated Green Warbler & DICKCISSEL (Little Island Park / Karen & Tom Beatty); Osprey, Bald Eagle, Blue-headed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Camp Pendleton / Mary Catherine Miguez); Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Field Sparrow, LARK SPARROW, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow & White-throated Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Golden-crowned Kinglet, Grasshopper Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, LARK SPARROW, Dark-eyed Junco & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski). 13 OCT – Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, LARK SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, Swamp Sparrow & PAINTED BUNTING (Back Bay NWR / Andrew Baldelli); Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, LINCOLN’S SPARROW & Blue Grosbeak (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Pied-billed Grebe, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Peregrine Falcon, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blackpoll Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow & LINCOLN’S SPARROW (Back Bay NWR / Mary Catherine Miguez). 14 OCT – Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Northern Flicker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Cape May Warbler, Palm Warbler, Field Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Yellow-rumped Warbler (Bayville Farms Park / David Gibson); White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Kathy Spencer); Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull & Great Black-backed Gull (Oceanfront / Joe Coppock); Snowy Egret (Owl’s Creek / Joe Coppock). 15 OCT – American Oystercatcher & Ruddy Turnstone (South Thimble Island / Cheryl J Jacobson); Willet (Oceanfront / Joe Coppock); Sanderling, Laughing Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull & Great Black-backed Gull (Back Bay NWR / Joe Coppock); Bay-breasted Warbler (Kempsville / Una Davenhill). 16 OCT – American Kestrel, Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Nashville Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal & Eastern Meadowlark (Princess Anne WMA Whitehurst Tract / Rob Bielawski); Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Great Black-backed Gull & Boat-tailed Grackle (Rudee Inlet / Joe Coppock); Pied-billed Grebe (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); Great Blue Heron (Pleasure House Point NA / Rob Bielawski). 17 OCT – Wilson’s Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Mike Collins); Eurasian Collared-Dove (Sandbridge / Mary Catherine Miguez); Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Wilson’s Warbler & Field Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Mary Catherine Miguez). 18 OCT – Orange-crowned Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Tamara Conklin); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker & Hermit Thrush (West Neck Creek Natural Area / Mary Catherine Miguez); GRAY KINGBIRD & Prairie Warbler (Sandy Bar Dr. / Timothy Barry). 19 OCT – Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Caspian Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Nashville Warbler, LARK SPARROW & Field Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Cooper’s Hawk & Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sandy Bay Dr. / Timothy Barry). 20 OCT – Osprey, Belted Kingfisher, Hermit Thrush, Pine Warbler, Savannah Sparrow & Swamp Sparrow (Pleasure House Point NA / Mary Catherine Miguez).

LOOKAHEAD: We should see a cooldown through the next few days, and while the best of southbound songbird migration is now likely behind us, we are arriving at the vagrant-hunting season along the East Coast. During late October through probably December, reverse migrants from the West Coast often visit our area as they travel northward along the coast. These species can include Gray Kingbirds, as we have already seen here this fall, but other species to look for would be Western Kingbird (or any of the yellow-bellied-kingbird species, ie. Tropical/Couch’s/Cassin’s), Say’s Phoebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and even Townsend’s or Black-throated Gray Warblers. Also, please remember that of the expected species arriving or passing through here during the fall season, we have not yet logged our first Northern Pintail (early September arrival), Gray-cheeked Thrush (mid-September arrival), Orange-crowned Warbler (late September arrival), Purple Sandpiper, Brant, American Pipit, American Woodcock, Bonaparte’s Gull & Horned Grebe (early October arrivals), Rusty Blackbird, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoter & Great Cormorant (mid-October arrivals) and Fox Sparrow, Harlequin Duck, Red-throated Loon, Hooded Merganser, Snow Goose, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead & Red-breasted Merganser (late October arrivals) in Virginia Beach yet this fall. We should begin to see more waterfowl in the coming period as well, since thus far they have been rather nonexistent; though, perhaps they’re present, and most birders just haven’t focused on their habitat when birding due to the songbird movements.

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