Late December 2016 (21st-31st)

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Folks,

After considerable thought and deliberation, I have decided to take an indefinite break from writing this county birding journal. Over the past several years, thousands of hours of free time went into creating & maintaining this journal; it has been a wonderful project that I hope helped many birding enthusiasts. Free time is unfortunately something that has become more and more restrictive for me recently, and in order to continue my efforts with eBird & the VSO, something sadly has to give. During 2017, I would like to spend more time with my family, more time outdoors and all-around, less time in front of the computer since I spend my work-days on one. 

For those hoping to keep up with what others are seeing in Virginia Beach, eBird's Recent Visits page should be of great assistance. Also, there are a plethora of Facebook Pages available where individuals post sighting information and photographs, including, but certainly not limited to: VA Notable Bird Sightings & Discussion Page, Birding Virginia and the Hampton Roads Wildlife Enthusiasts.

Thank you to those who checked in on the journal often. It was a pleasure to work on over the last 3 years, and to my many birding peers around the region, I look forward to seeing you all out in the field!

Best Birding,

Rob

Mid-December 2016 (11th-20th)

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With the end of 2016 quickly approaching, birding observations continued to pour in as ‘listing enthusiasts’ tried their best to expand their annual species lists ahead of the coming holiday season. Reports of rarities continued pop up across Virginia Beach during mid-December with new-found highlights being CACKLING GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON & COMMON MERGANSER! Top birds this period also included continuing occurrences of rare GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, ROSS’S GOOSE, PAINTED BUNTING, LE CONTE’S SPARROW and LARK SPARROW. First-of-season arrivals this period included our first-of-winter Red-necked Grebe (17 Dec) but this should be the last of the expected arrivals.  Occurrences of late/lingering species this period included Cattle Egret (latest 11 Dec), Ruby-throated Hummingbird & Northern Parula (16 Dec), Yellow-breasted Chat & Black-and-white Warbler (18 Dec) and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (20 Dec). WEATHER: What few leaves remained after 10 Dec all came down quickly afterward, and deciduous trees across the region are now fully barren in appearance. Mid-December reminded everyone of just how back-and-forth the winter season can be here in coastal Virginia, providing us with days where ice formed on waterways (and our windshields), where temperatures very nearly reached 80 degrees F, and absolutely everything in between! With a drop to 19 degrees F (our lowest temperature of the season), ice formed overnight on 15-16 Dec in most of the shallower neighborhood ponds, and along the upper reaches of tidal creeks as well. In just two days though, the temperature had managed to shift a remarkable 59 degrees, with 18 Dec reaching a record high for the date at Oceana NAS of 78 degrees F! This too was short-lived however, as by about 6 PM, a strong cold front moved through and we dropped right back down into the 30s overnight. Overall though, mid-December’s average daily high temperatures continued to fall, dropping slightly to 50.2 degrees F (-1.4 degrees from the early December period); average daytime dropped considerably, to 33.3 degrees F (-5.2 degrees). The previous 10-year average daily highs & lows for the mid-December period were 54.9 & 37.7 degrees F, respectively which puts this period in 2016 at -4.7 and -4.4 degrees when comparing to the 10-year averages. During the previous 10-year period, the maximum average daily highs & lows were 66.8 & 48.9 degrees F (2015). We had 5 days with measureable precipitation which amounted to a total of 0.58 inches, fairly evenly distributed across the days.

OBSERVATIONS: Over the past couple of months it has seemed that there is always something interesting being reported around the city, so it should come as no surprise that we had almost 200 eBird reports submitted for Virginia Beach over the last 10 days! With all the great finds that have taken place, locals & out-of-towners alike have flocked into the fields (and forests, lakes & even backyards) of Virginia Beach in hot (or cold depending on the day) pursuit! In fact, as a collective group of individuals, Virginia Beach now stands poised to pass up Accomack County and become the 2nd most active eBirding county/city in the entire state of Virginia! If you haven’t yet seen it before, click on this page over at eBird to view the actual rankings by checklist count (sortable also by variety of species)! Of course, after moving into 2nd, on this list it seems an impossible feat to ever hope to catch Fairfax County, which has roughly 3.5 times more checklists submitted than us, but, those folks give us a level of participation that is worth striving for. Perhaps this gap will be shortened as time goes on, but even if it doesn’t, you can bet that we’ll still be finding great birds down here on the coast!

Most notable this period was the continuance of 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE that seemed to magically call in the cavalry overnight. While this individual was first observed 4 Dec (Sherwood Lakes / Julian Smith et al.), it persisted along the HRSD fields off Firefall Drive (11 Dec / Ellison Orcutt & Beth Oristian) and then was later discovered using the stormwater retention pond off Haviland Drive nearby (13 Dec / Ryan Graves; 14 Dec / Nancy Barnhart; 14 Dec / Mary Catherine Miguez; 14 Dec / Karen & Tom Beatty; 16 Dec / Tommy Maloney; 16 Dec / James Marcum & 16 Dec / Rob Bielawski) throughout this current period. However, birders leapt for joy when a group of 13…yes, 13 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE showed up near Princess Anne Lane on the morning of 18 Dec (Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate). It is not known whether the original individual joined & became the 13th member of a 12-goose flock, or if it stayed hidden elsewhere, with the 13 individuals all being new arrivals. Regardless of the answer, the entire group was observed and extensively photographed at very close range on Sherwood Lakes later in the day (initially spotted at this site by Lisa Rose while viewing a large flock of Canada Geese on the water with Timothy Barry, Rob Bielawski, Ernie Miller & Jason Strickland, then joined by Mary Catherine Miguez, Karen & Tom Beatty, and then later recorded by James Marcum, Pamela Monahan and on her second visit of the afternoon, Mary Catherine Miguez). With no sightings on 19 Dec, it seems the flock may have moved on, but on 20 Dec, a group of 12 was again detected at Sherwood Lakes (Karen & Tom Beatty) though it is not known what became of the 13th individual at this point.

As with the Greater White-fronted Goose, the reoccurring ROSS’S GOOSE (found initially 4 Dec by Julian Smith) at Sherwood Lakes also persisted throughout much of this period, mostly mixing in with other goose species. On 11 Dec, the Ross’s was observed by many as it floated along with the breeze atop the waters of Sherwood Lakes mixed in with a large flock of Canada Geese (Adam Bollinger & Jason Strickland, Louis Rajnys, Jeffrey Blalock & Clyde Wilson, Kathy Spencer, Bob Swiader, Rob Bielawski, and Tommy Maloney & Jason Schatti). Though it went unnoticed on 12 Dec, the Ross’s was again re-located along with the Greater White-fronted Goose on the waters of a stormwater retention pond off Haviland Drive on 13 Dec (Ryan Graves). It remained at this site the following day, 14 Dec, having been observed by several eBirders (Nancy Barnhart, Mary Catherine Miguez, Karen & Tom Beatty and Bob Swiader). After the 14th, the bird seemed to vanish, but was picked up again at Sherwood Lakes on 20 Dec (Karen & Tom Beatty and Pamela Monahan) for a final time this period.

Additionally, a third goose rarity made its first appearance in Virginia Beach for the year during the mid-December period! That species, being the CACKLING GOOSE, proves to be an incredibly difficult species to positively identify in the field. There was a great deal of reports submitted after the initial report hit the alerts on 11 Dec (Ellison Orcutt), with various observers listing numbers anywhere from 1-7 individuals mixed in with Canada Geese flocks at the same sites listed above in the Greater White-fronted & Ross’s Goose discussions. However, most reports were not documented photographically, which seems to be a must with this species to differentiate the very slight field marks that separate it from the smaller races of Canada Goose. Many, or even all, of the reports could be correct identifications, but the only definitively-documented reports thus far are of a single Cackling Goose on Sherwood Lakes, 18 Dec (Timothy Barry / Karen & Tom Beatty / Rob Bielawski / Mary Catherine Miguez / Ernie Miller / Lisa Rose / Jason Strickland and Pamela Monahan). It is presently unknown just how many Cackling Geese might be hanging around in Virginia Beach, but for those hoping to nail down the identity of one, it would be wise to shoot as many photographs of suspect birds as you can; many features can be obscured between large Cackling Geese & small Canadas, and a detailed analysis of the photographs is very necessary.

Also new among the species noted this period, and among waterfowl to boot, a male EURASIAN WIGEON was observed 13 Dec on Lake Wishart off Battle Royale Court (Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate). It seems quite possible/highly likely that this is the same individual that was present at this location earlier in 2016, from 1-28 Feb (Keith Sutton), and was the star of a Virginian Pilot article about its occurrence on the small neighborhood pond. Observers beware though, it is extremely difficult to get views of the water here since private residences line the shores of the lake; please respect the properties of the homeowners, and if making the attempt to see this rarity, remember to stick to the public roads surrounding the north end of the lake. In February, this individual was often observed with groups of American Wigeons, so keep your eyes open for these as a helpful starting point and look for the reddish head that doesn’t seem to belong.

Remarkably, a fifth rare species of waterfowl made its first appearance for the season in Virginia Beach (and only the second occurrence in all of 2016 here)! This species is one that typically occurs further inland, and further north, it is the COMMON MERGANSER (20 Dec / Sherwood Lakes / obs. Karen Kearney / ph. Karen & Tom Beatty). Sporadic reports of this species have occurred along the coast in past years according to eBird data, but a large number of these reports are likely to be misidentifications of the abundant Red-breasted Mergansers that frequent the coast. Recently, eBird has cut down on this by flagging Common Mergansers for review in the Tidewater region, and a sharp decline in the number of reports has resulted (which leads further support to the theory of many prior reports being misidentifications). In fact, the last photographically documented Common Mergansers in Virginia Beach were also observed on Sherwood Lakes, but back in 2014, so it is highly exciting that this female arrived right at the closing of the mid-December period; as I type this, I anxiously sit and wait news as to whether it will be found again at first light!

Potentially another new PAINTED BUNTING showed up on 11 Dec to a private residence on North Point Ct. (Debbie Schroeder), making this likely a 4th individual for the fall/winter season here in Virginia Beach! Up to that point, reports from all four locations so far had been limited to immature male/female plumaged birds, but all turned around when 20 Dec arrived. Elsewhere in the city, there is at least 4 individuals (3 females & 1 male) visiting a feeder on private property in Virginia Beach, the specific whereabouts not publicly known. These birds were photographed and posted to eBird by Mary Catherine Miguez who had special permission to visit the site to document them. This brings the total to perhaps as many as 8 Painted Buntings known this season in Virginia Beach!

The LE CONTE’S SPARROW found 4 Dec by Andrew Baldelli continued at Princess Anne WMA’s Beasley Tract throughout the period, being reported first on 11 Dec (Matt Anthony / Arun Bose / James Fox / Kim Harrell) and again 18 Dec (Timothy Barry / Rob Bielawski / Tommy Maloney / Ernie Miller / Lisa Rose / Jason Strickland, Karen & Keith Roberts and James Marcum). The reason for the 7-day separation in sightings is due to the park being only open to birding on Sundays throughout the winter months. Monday through Saturdays, Princess Anne WMA is open to hunting, so please be aware of this if attempting to plan a visit to find the Le Conte’s Sparrow. Also, an access pass is required to enter the property, with more information available here on the official park website.

Also, the LARK SPARROW that has been present at Back Bay NWR since at least 23 Oct was sighted by several observers, though most of the reports occurred early on in the period, on 11 Dec (Tommy Maloney & Jason Schatti, Bob Swiader, Jeffrey Blalock & Clyde Wilson), with one additional report on 17 Dec (Tamara Conklin et al.). Though it went unnoticed the following day, and the remainder of the period, perhaps it will be re-sighted again before the end of the year on the Back Bay Christmas Bird Count (CBC) since it should be a highly sought-after species for the count!

First-of-season arrivals this period were limited to once species, but a good one! A single Red-necked Grebe was observed from the second island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel during a private field trip of the Carolina Bird Club on 17 Dec. This individual was logged at North Thimble Island by several members of the trip to eBird, including: Karen Hogan, Peggy Maslow, Ron Mclear, Steve Schulz & Pauline Sterin. At this point in the winter, new arrivals are difficult to come by, and essentially all the expected wintering species have already been logged. On the opposing side, we did have quite a few observations of species lingering beyond their typical departure dates. These included a group of up to 9 Cattle Egrets in southern Virginia Beach along Princess Anne Road on 11 Dec (1, Adam Bollinger & Jason Strickland; 6, Jeffrey Blalock & Clyde Wilson; 4, Rob Bielawski; 3, Kathy Spencer;  9, Loretta Silvia; 8, Matt Anthony & James Fox) and a single Cattle Egret at Camp Pendleton (Karen & Tom Beatty. An apparent wintering Ruby-throated Hummingbird continues to visit the feeder of a private residence in Alanton (Michelle Payne), with the last report being dated 16 Dec. Additionally, several late warbler species were observed during the period, including singles of Northern Parula (16 Dec / Haviland Dr. / Rob Bielawski), Yellow-breasted Chat (18 Dec / Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski) and Black-and-white Warbler (18 Dec / Salem Canal / Rose Chandler). Both the Chat & the Black-and-white Warbler are known to attempt wintering here in the southeast corner of the state, but there are very few records of Northern Parulas in December. The Gold Book specifies “about 8 records” known for December, though none of these have made it into eBird as of yet and this sighting is only the 3rd December record for the species in Virginia presently in the database. Lastly, two late Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also observed at Camp Pendleton (20 Dec / Karen & Tom Beatty). This species sometimes lingers into late fall/early winter, but as with the Parula, December records don’t happen annually (though the species may indeed occur annually this late); this is only the 5th December report for Virginia Beach in eBird, and there are no January records listed, so perhaps something to shoot for as 2017 takes hold.

As to some other interesting species, the group of Snow Buntings at First Landing SP was not reported during this period, but, a single individual was observed at Back Bay NWR foraging around (and under!) the visitor center per the checklists submitted by Jeffrey Blalock, Bob Swiader & Clyde Wilson. Reports of Sedge Wrens (ph. Tamara Conklin) and American Bitterns continue to pour in from areas like Back Bay NWR & Princess Anne WMA, and Virginia Rail, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl & American Woodcock were also reported from Beasley Tract on 11 Dec. On 15 Dec, a group of 45 Redheads was observed off Sandy Bay Dr. (Timothy Barry), and several reports of Canvasback surfaced from Back Bay NWR. Lastly, an offshore, “six-pack” pelagic birding venture aboard the vessel, Top Notch departed Rudee Inlet early on 11 Dec, en route to Norfolk Canyon which sits at the continental shelf break (though technically in Northampton County waters & not Virginia Beach’s by eBird’s Closest Point of Land policy). The group of six (Matt Anthony, Arun Bose, James Fox, Kim Harrell, Ellison Orcutt & Beth Oristian) managed to spot healthy numbers of RED PHALAROPES & MANX SHEARWATERS but the highlight of the day was a single GREAT SKUA, the first seen in Virginia waters for quite some time (the last appears to be from 19 Jan 2013), and a great addition to the state list for the year 2016! Anyone interested in getting offshore during the winter months to seek out rarities should check out the Top Notch website.

SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA and submitted to eBird for Virginia Beach during this period included: 11 DEC – Nelson’s Sparrow (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Jason Strickland); Great Blue Heron (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Clyde Wilson); Brown Pelican, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker & Baltimore Oriole (Lake Windsor / Lisa Rose); ROSS’S GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Jason Strickland); Tundra Swan, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet & Orange-crowned Warbler (Lake Tecumseh / Mary Catherine Miguez); ROSS’S GOOSE & Canada Goose (Sherwood Lakes / Jeffrey Blalock); ROSS’S GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Kathy Spencer); ROSS’S GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Rob Bielawski); Cattle Egret (Princess Anne Rd. / Clyde Wilson); Cattle Egret (Princess Anne Rd. / Jeffrey Blalock); Turkey Vulture, Northern Mockingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler & Yellow-rumped Warbler (Princess Anne WMA Whitehurst Tract / Rob Bielawski); Tundra Swan, Sanderling, Gray Catbird, LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Jeffrey Blalock); Nelson’s Sparrow (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Brandon Holland); Wood Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler & Hooded Merganser (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski); Canada Goose, Black Scoter, Brown Pelican & Cattle Egret (Camp Pendleton / Karen & Tom Beatty); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & CACKLING GOOSE (Firefall Dr. / Ellison Orcutt); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Kim Harrell); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / James Fox); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Matt Anthony). 13 DEC – GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & ROSS’S GOOSE (Haviland Dr. / Ryan Graves). 14 DEC – Hooded Merganser & American Coot (Stumpy Lake NA / Karen & Tom Beatty); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Snow Goose & ROSS’S GOOSE (Haviland Dr. / Nancy Barnhart); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (Haviland Dr. / Mary Catherine Miguez); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & Snow Goose (Haviland Dr. / Karen & Tom Beatty); Common Eider & Brown Pelican (Rudee Inlet / Mary Catherine Miguez); Common Eider (Rudee Inlet / Karen & Tom Beatty); Orange-crowned Warbler (Sandy Bay Dr. / Timothy Barry); 16 DEC – Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Prince Phillip Dr. / Ron Furnish); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Carolina Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Pine Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow & Baltimore Oriole (Lago Mar / Mary Catherine Miguez); Red-winged Blackbird (Robinson Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty); Red-shouldered Hawk & American Kestrel (Muddy Creek Rd. / Karen & Tom Beatty); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & Northern Parula (Haviland Dr. / Rob Bielawski); Black Scoter (Rudee Inlet / Rob Bielawski). 17 DEC – Sedge Wren, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, LARK SPARROW & White-crowned Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Tamara Conklin); Red-necked Grebe (North Thimble Island / Karen Hogan); Bufflehead & Bald Eagle (First Landing SP / Karen & Tom Beatty); White-winged Scoter (South Thimble Island / Karen Hogan); Bufflehead & Bonaparte’s Gull (Fort Story / Karen & Tom Beatty); 18 DEC – Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, American Bittern, Northern Harrier, American Coot, Forster’s Tern, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-crowned Sparrow & Song Sparrow (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Jason Strickland); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Lisa Rose); Black-and-white Warbler (Salem Canal / Rose Chandler); LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Princess Anne WMA Beasley Tract / Rob Bielawski); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & CACKLING GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Jason Strickland); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Snow Goose & CACKLING GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Mary Catherine Miguez); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Snow Goose & CACKLING GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Rob Bielawski); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE & Snow Goose (Sherwood Lakes / Karen & Tom Beatty); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Snow Goose, CACKLING GOOSE, Tundra Swan & Redhead (Sherwood Lakes / Pamela Monahan); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Tundra Swan & Redhead (Sherwood Lakes / Mary Catherine Miguez). 19 DEC – Common Loon & Horned Grebe (Sherwood Lakes / Karen & Tom Beatty); 20 DEC – Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal & Painted Bunting (Private Residence / Mary Catherine Miguez); Brown Creeper & Hermit Thrush (Camp Pendleton / Karen & Tom Beatty); GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, ROSS’S GOOSE, COMMON MERGANSER & Peregrine Falcon (Sherwood Lakes / Karen & Tom Beatty); ROSS'S GOOSE (Sherwood Lakes / Pamela Monahan).

LOOKAHEAD: Late December brings many reasons for excitement to birders. First and foremost, the holiday season is in full swing, and time spent with family & friends… as well as additional time away from work often becomes common. Many of us (myself certainly included) will choose to use a part of this time to seek out birds, perhaps while staying in other parts of the state that we might not get to bird very often. For an amusing take on this very subject, please check out this posting over at The Birder’s Conundrum (credit for sharing this goes to Karen Beatty). In light of that article’s Note #2, the Christmas Bird Count season is upon us, and there are likely to be some interesting finds given the caliber of individuals who typically take part in these organized efforts. For information on local counts (of which the Back Bay & Little Creek CBCs occur in Virginia Beach), check the CBC page of the VSO website, by clicking here. Additionally this coming period, 21 Dec brings us the Winter Solstice, the day with the shortest duration of light between official sunrise & sunset. From that point moving forward, the days will begin to get longer, though at first this change is very miniscule as length of day is similar to the tides in the mathematics behind them. The change per day length is always slowest near the turning points so it might not be noticeable for some time. As to the local birding, the goose flock moving around southern Virginia Beach is certainly still worth tracking, and anyone interested in notching off a 6-goose-species day might still have a shot at it, with Brant seeming the most difficult to nail down right now (which seems a tad ridiculous given several others species are much more rare)! Any large grouping of blackbirds is worth focusing on as well, even if it means driving after them when sighted racing over a field in southern Virginia Beach, and observers should focus on picking out a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD if present among the 10,000 birds that can be contained in these groups.  As with last period, late December could afford seawatchers with our first documented GLAUCOUS, BLACK-HEADED or ICELAND GULLS of the season, and rare ducks like KING EIDERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS are always a possibility this time of year as well. Razorbills should also be watched for, and a few are observed every winter from shore, mostly from Rudee Inlet, Fort Story, South Thimble Island & Little Island Park. With the drop in temperatures comes the potential for northerly species making their way into our region. In fact, now that winter has really arrived, it is worth noting that a couple years back in a VA Birding Listserv post, Ned Brinkley brought up the fact that the variety and numbers of waterfowl we can expect to see on the coast is linked to the amount of ice cover on the Great Lakes, very far from here. Apparently as these massive freshwater bodies of water freeze, waterfowl that winter on their surface are forced eastward to the ocean, seeking out suitable wintering grounds where food items are still plentiful, and reachable. Fortunately in this day & age, there is a website run by NOAA that alerts us to the % Ice Cover currently being observed on the lakes. It is worth checking in on this website, and then clicking on the graphic in the middle of the page. On this graphic, there is a listing of the “Great Lakes Total Ice Cover” and essentially, the higher this rises, the more you should be on the lookout for influxes of waterfowl around Virginia Beach! In the winters of 2013-14 & 2014-15, this number rose up to about 92.5% & 88.8% (respectively), which is why we saw large numbers of Red-necked Grebes and White-winged Scoters throughout those winters here along the coast. This past winter (2015-16), the percentage only reached 33.8%, so we expectedly didn’t see the same kind of numbers we’d grown to expect. So, check that site out often moving forward, through at least March! For the next entry to the journal (for late December), I may be a couple of days slower as I’ll likely be spending all my free time on 1-2 Jan out birding to kick off my own 2017 year list, so if you don’t see an entry posted as quickly as usual, don’t fret, it’ll be there as soon as it can be. Lastly, I’d just like to say to everyone…please enjoy the holiday season, and make sure to still get out and see some birds!

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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 December 2016 (1st-10th)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Late November 2016 (21st-30th)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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