Week Ending November 22, 2015

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Last week, the excitement that ran amuck throughout Virginia Beach was centered on the fallout of Franklin’s Gulls that made their way to the coastline in front of a massive Midwestern storm event. This week continued that excitement, as on Monday afternoon, the trio of Todd Day, Matt Anthony and Jason Strickland managed to pick out a Franklin’s on one of the offshore jetties at East Beach in Norfolk! During the Rarity Roundup last Saturday, the teams in the field made use of a texting group (via: GroupMe) to get information relayed back and forth between members. Due to the success of this during the Roundup, the group was continued through Monday, when it was changed to be a “VaRareBirdAlert” text. Prior to the switchup though, Matt Anthony texted out that the Franklin’s was there, and I was able to put a 4th set of eyes on the bird. Only one more sighting occurred during the week, being the next evening up at the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel complex by Dave Matson (posted via listserv). As with the previous week, this one held some up and down temperatures, with lows reaching into the upper 30s at night, but high still staying up to 70 degrees F. The Thursday morning Seawatch at Rudee Inlet, sponsored by the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, continues to show good movements of typical winter arrivals like Red-throated Loon, Horned Grebe, all three species of Scoters, and a highlight Parasitic Jaeger. On Saturday afternnon, around 3 PM, Ellison Orcutt & Fenton Day discovered a Gray Kingbird (first of year along the East Coast north of North Carolina) along Magotha Road in Northampton County to our north, and thanks to their quick “texting-out” of the bird, several other individuals were able to get on it before the sunset, which is sadly around 4:45-4:50 PM this time of year. Though this wasn’t a Virginia Beach bird, it is most certainly worth noting here due to its close proximity to us birders here. Those that reported it on Saturday (Eli Gross, Ned Brinkley, Katie Rittenhouse, Zach Poulton and Mary & Avery Coker) were joined on Sunday when the bird decided to stick around by Matt Anthony, Nicholas Newberry, Isabel Eaton, Claire Murphy, myself, and Andrew Baldelli. Despite the 40s F temperatures and continuous rainfall, we all got great looks and many photographs of the bird before it went un-found the remainder of the day. To wrap up the local birding, some other neat finds were a single American Woodcock that Ron Furnish found outside his office in Town Center, likely a window-impact though it managed to fly off and out of sight on its own accord. American Bitterns, Nelson’s Sparrows, and Redheads all continue to be nice finds in Virginia Beach, and the Oceantfront’s Peregrine Falcons continue to impress.

A Cooper's Hawk fly in tandem with a Red-tailed Hawk at right!

Unlike the past few weeks, my own birding excursions started abruptly on Monday after Matt Anthony had texted out the location of the Franklin’s Gull at East Beach in Norfolk. Just after 4 PM, I ran out of the office, hopped in the car and was on the way towards East Beach. Of course, traffic on the interstates and secondary roads during rush hour are tough to make good time on, and one never knows how long a bird is going to stay in one place. Fortunately, as I arrived around 4:45 PM, the bird was still visible. I had to run a bit down the beach to get to where Jason, Todd & Matt were, but they let me have looks through their scopes and binoculars since I didn’t have time to even run home to get my own gear before the sun would have set. This bird had the distinctive black half-hood behind the the eye mainly, and it was nicely placed among a larger flock of Laughing Gulls. Seeing the birds side-by-side afforded good comparisons of the bills, of which the Franklin’s has a much shorter one, though I’d have a hard time picking that out on a single bird. We watched for about a half hour even after the sun had set though most of the time the bird had its head down and was facing us, making it tough to see well. Todd showed me how to digiscope a photograph by using my smartphone camera held up to his viewing scope. I clearly need practice at it though, and steadier hands it seems as my shots didn’t come out good enough to even ID properly. In addition to the Franklin’s and Laughing Gulls, there was some Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls around as well, and a group of ducks that were likely Bufflehead just out of binocular range. We had a few Mourning Doves up in the East Beach community before we all headed off in our own directions, with Todd traveling back to Culpepper, and likely sitting through some HRBT traffic on the way.

A juvenile Great Blue Heron seen at Back Bay NWR on Saturday morning!

On Tuesday, I turned 32 years old, and though I didn’t go birding at all, I found it ironic that I got a call from Ron Furnish early in the morning about an American Woodcock that was sitting on the sidewalk outside his office. As mentioned above, it likely was a window-hit incident, but fortunately as he tried to box the bird for a rehabber, it flew off and out of sight so hopefully it was just stunned and had recovered. On Wednesday, I went out the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel hoping to spot a Franklin’s Gull in Virginia Beach since David Matson had reported one from there on Tuesday via listserv. A really windy day, I checked all around the island for birds, but couldn’t see hardly anything until I reached the southwestern corner where the birds were sheltered. Tons of Ring-billed Gulls, some Herring Gulls, and a few Laughing Gulls were seen, but nothing I could pick out as a Franklin’s Gull candidate. I had a couple that looked possible, but they were likely just Laughing Gulls. Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings were present in good numbers as well. I couldn’t find any Purple Sandpiper, though I wasn’t looking too hard for them, focusing more on the gulls that were more visible. Double-crested Cormorants were around, but the surprise of the outing was finding an Eastern Meadowlark on the tiny patch of grass next to the maintenance building at the northeast side of the island. This bird has been reported by quite a few folks over the last few weeks, but it must be an injured bird since there can’t be much in the way of feed for it here on the island. It didn’t get reported any more after I saw, so I sort of wonder if a Peregrine Falcon didn’t find it for an easy meal given that there is almost nothing to hide in on the island from a swift falcon.

Hiding just off the Kuralt Trail at Back Bay NWR, this White-tailed Deer almost went unnoticed!

On Friday afternoon, I left work at 3 PM like usual, and made a stop off at Kings Grant Lake to assess the waterfowl situation there. Usually in winter, there can be up to about a dozen different species of ducks & geese here, and it makes for a convenient stop on my way home from work when the sun sets as early as it does this time of year. Mallards and Canada Geese were again the most abundant, which is almost always true. There was a few American Wigeons, and some Ring-necked Ducks as well this time. No Wood Ducks were in sight, though there are always some on the lakes year-round. I’ve yet to see any Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers or Hooded Mergansers, all of which are common in winter. Driving around the lake on Watergate Drive to the outlet area I got my nicest surprise. High up above me, a Red-tailed Hawk was soaring in circles around the tidal marsh downstream (north) of the lake. As it circled, a Cooper’s Hawk flew in to harass it, and I got to watch as it made dives several times, causing the Red-tailed to flip over and show its talons in flight. They duo continued this for a few minutes and I was able to get a nice shot of the two without a ton of shadow on them as they tilted slightly upwards into the sun. What I found most interesting was the opportunity to view the two species side by side to see just how much of a size difference there is. Also, the body shapes of the Red-tailed (a buteo), and the Cooper’s (an accipiter) are much different, with the buteos being larger bodied and not as aerodynamic as their speedier accipiter counterparts. Buteos feed off mammals mainly, while the faster accipiters go primarily for smaller birds, though they’ll eat mammals too. They’re the typical hawk that scopes out bird feeders, and can make a whole yard of songbirds disperse quickly into hiding when one moves through the area. I actually got to see another Cooper’s in action, but more on that later in the blog. In addition to the hawks, there were also Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets visible around the lake. Above me, Black & Turkey Vultures were also seen, and some American Crows could be heard, but that was really about it for the bird species present. After Kings Grant, I made a quick trip down to Rudee Inlet as a last ditch effort to find a Franklin’s Gull, but none were around. Pretty quiet there, I didn’t see anything unusual so I headed home after just a few mintues. Ruth & I had dinner up in Hampton at a bonfire, and we heard at least two flocks of Tundra Swans pass overhead. Also, she spotted an Opossum in our neighborhood on the drive home which is an awesome find near home!

One of my favorite winter residents to the area, the beautifully camouflaged American Bittern!

On Saturday morning, I got up early and headed down to Back Bay NWR with hopes of seeing some more Pine Siskins since I wasn’t able to photograph them last Satuday when Todd Day had pointed out a flock to me in the air. Now that the dikes are closed, I had to do my walks around the visitor contact station trails only. Yellow-rumped Warblers were again the most numerous birds along the Bay Trail, and I couldn’t pick anything else out, not even a kinglet or wren this time. A large grouping of waterfowl was present on the near waters though so I scanned the whole group, picking out Tundra Swans, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup and a single male Redhead. Pied-billed Grebes & Ruddy Ducks were also associating with the group, and a flyover flock of Northern Pintails added to the diversity. There was a much larger flock off to the north, but far too distant for me to be able to see even with binoculars. As I left the fishing pier and headed towards the Kuralt Trail, I was greatly excited to find an American Bittern sitting in close to the kayak launch, all puffed up to stay warm. The bird was very aware of my presence, looking right at me, but didn’t seem too scared. It just froze and waited until I took a few photographs and moved on. The Kuralt Trail yielded a nice look at White-tailed Deer that concealed itself just off the trail in the thick vegetation. I did end up walking the beach as well, but not finding anything there particularly interesting, at least seeing some Northern Gannets and Sanderlings to add to the day’s variety. After Back Bay, I made a quick stop at Little Island but a number of people were there making a racket so no birds were around. Next up was Pleasure House Point, which I walked east to west, being that it was still morning & I wanted the sun at my back for my first pass like normal. Lots of gulls were present on the sandbars, and I did get a Nelson’s Sparrow, as most folks who’ve been there the last month or so have. Tree Swallows were quite numerous, flying in a tight flock around the dogleg ditch area and showing off their beautiful teal upperparts when the sun hit them. A pair of Greater Yellowlegs was also seen, one of the few shorebirds that are seen at the park year-round. The neatest sighting though was an overhead flock of Tundra Swans, 59 of them to be exact, and one Canada Goose that was flying with them all the way at the end of the line!

One of a trio of Sanderlings that was running the beach at Back Bay NWR!

Late on Saturday afternoon, as mentioned in the introduction above, Ellison Orcutt & Fenton Day found a Gray Kingbird on the Eastern Shore. Since I didn’t have enough sunlight left to make it up there in time, I wanted to take a shot on Sunday morning for it. So, I left very early, getting onto the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel before sunrise, though it rained the whole way across and temperatures were only in the 40s F. Of course, I wasn’t the only person trying for this particular bird, since it is the only one that has been seen in Virginia since 2004, so actually it is the only of its kind to be here since I moved to the state. Andrew Baldelli (also of Virginia Beach) was driving around, as was a chunk of the William & Mary Bird Club. While searching it out, I also found a Ring-necked Pheasant that was a released bird from a private hunter, an all too-common practice on the Eastern Shore it seems. It was an incredibly beautiful bird, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it escape those hunting it. Other birds seen included Eastern Bluebirds, Mourning Doves, Swamp & Savannah Sparrows. In fact, I was looking at sparrows when Matt Anthony sent a text message out that he’d re-sighted the kingbird. So I immediately stopped and dashed over to Magotha Road, where I was able to get in on the action with the other 5 folks looking at the bird in the rain. Photographs came out poor at best, but showed the identity positively at least. After observing the bird for a half hour in the rain, I headed over to Kiptopeke State Park to try and find some Cave Swallows that have been sighted near the Taylor Pond and the hawkwatch site. On the way, I had an incredible sight as a Cooper’s Hawk burst over top of the car in pursuit of a Mourning Dove. As it cleared the vehicle and crossed the road, the dove turned into a puff of feathers in midair, and the Hawk landed on the front yard of a farmhouse to finish off the bird! I have actually never seen this before, though I’ve seen plenty of remains of birds being eating, but it was an astonishing sight to see the speed and accuracy of the hawk as it closed in. At Kiptopeke, I walked the trails to the pond, which held a Ruddy Duck and a few Buffleheads, but nothing else. I walked around it and ran into Andrew Baldelli again. We walked back towards the car, and had a flyover group of swallows which he ID’d as Caves. With the overcast skies and rain though, I couldn’t see any coloration and am not familiar enough with their flight characteristics to call them as such. They didn’t appear as bright on the bottom side as Tree Swallows are, but for what would be a life bird, I like to be certain. Probability points to Cave though, but I’ll try them again hopefully soon. I actually walked back to the pond again hoping to get better looks if they dropped down over the water to feed, but they never did. I was hoping to get them in front of a colorful background where their own colors could stand out instead of being washed out by the clouds. After this I headed back to the southside, though on the CBBT I was lucky enough to have a Great Cormorant fly parallel with my car as I approached North Chesapeake Island (Island #4). The bird stayed just off the bridge, and spent 3-4 minutes traveling right with me at 55-60 mph, an incredible speed, though aided greatly by the strong northerly winds. At times it was so close to me that through my rolled down passenger window I was able to get distinctive looks at the white face and massive head. Thus finished off my week, a soaking wet day, but a new lifer in the Gray Kingbird, and I think I’m the only person in the state who was seen 3 species of Kingbirds this year, having found that Western Kingbird at Back Bay on 31 Oct!

One of our permanent residents, this is a Greater Yellowlegs seen at Pleasure House Point NA on Saturday!

Week Ending November 15, 2015

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This week had a bit of a slow start, but it managed to turn itself into one of the most exciting weeks of the year to date! Temperatures ranged from night-time lows in the 30s & 40s to daytime highs close to 80 degrees F. After clouds on Monday and Tuesday departed, the remainder of the week was filled with beautiful, completely sunny skies. The CVWO Seawatch at Rudee Inlet continues to log some of our interesting winter visitors to the immediate coastline included Horned Grebes, Red-throated & Common Loons, and increasingly more & more waterfowl, especially Black, Surf, and White-winged Scoters. On Friday morning, a barrage of excitement occurred when Ned Brinkley issued a report via the Virginia Birding Listserv that a ‘fallout’ of Franklin’s Gulls was occurring on the mid-Atlantic coastline. Due to a massive storm that passed through the Midwest on Wednesday and Thursday, these gulls were forced out ahead of the windfield, and made their ‘landfall’ in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and as of Friday morning, Virginia! Ned & Eli Gross (Kiptopeke’s seasonal hawkwatcher) were able to pick up 17 on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in the morning hours. With Saturday having been planned as the day of the Rarities Roundup in Virginia Beach, there was a number of birders already en route to the coastline, which lined up perfectly for a shot at seeing this very unlikely birds. The last fallout apparently occurred in 1998 under similar circumstances. However, this was such a unique event that even eBird posted a news headline about the happening to their main page. Over the course of Friday, the birds were found also by Linda Chittum on South Thimble Island of the CBBT complex, and on Saturday morning the ‘roundup’ group of James Fox, Jason Strickland & Lisa Rose also got to see one at Rudee Inlet right on the beach! There was also a report of one from Sunday on the Fort Story property by Rexanne Bruno, but unfortunately without military access, this one wasn’t a chaseable sighting. In addition to the Franklin’s Gull excitement, quite a few neat species were observed by members of the Rarities Roundup on Saturday. Matt Anthony & Nicholas Newberry were able to be permitted access to Back Bay NWR’s dike system, and in doing so were able to find a White-winged Dove, a leucistic Yellow-rumped Warbler (bird showing lots of white, atypically) and large numbers of Pine Siskins that had first been seen on Thursday by Jim Marcum. Todd Day, who had taken me out for the day around Virginia Beach also was responsible for adding a Eurasian Wigeon to the top birds, and a first of season for the county Redhead at Back Bay NWR!

First of season (FOS) Horned Grebe in flight at Rudee Inlet on Friday evening!

As mentioned above, the week started off a bit rough, but when Friday came around, I was ready to run out into the field and see what I could find. For the Rarity Roundup on Saturday, I was teamed up with Todd Day, mostly due to the fact that I recently started volunteering for eBird as a statewide filter editor, and Todd oversees the entire state. I’ve had so many questions recently on how to do this part of the job, so being able to spend a day birding together was a great way to be able to address all the questions. It also was incredibly beneficial for me as a newer birder to have a veteran be able to take me out and teach me. It isn’t often that I feel stupid or foolish while out birding, but when you have a birder of Todd’s caliber around, it’s tough not to feel that way. Fortunately, he was able to point out tons of keys to identification, audio hints, and whatever else he could to assist me. I feel like my knowledge doubled in just one day. I also learned that while I love taking pretty photographs of birds, that the less I am a slave to the camera, the more time I spend observing behavioral ticks to each species, and the better I can identify birds at a distance, or with quick glimpses. This year has been all about trying to find as many species in Virginia Beach to photograph and document. Next year might very well be all about careful observation and study, so my blog might drop off a bit with a sort of change in my mindset after this weekend, but it will obviously continue to be published each weekend, but maybe not with 20 photographs included. Of course, documentation of unusual species is very important, so I’ll still be taking photographs. Anyways though, on Friday Todd arrived into the area and I met him down at Rudee Inlet at 3:20ish after I’d left from work. We of course were hoping to get a look at the Franklin’s Gulls that were moving south along the East Coast.

A new addition to my life list this week, an American Pipit! One of 86 of them found in a field in Pungo!

Armed with his powerful viewing scope, my binoculars and 400mm camera lens were next to useless, but it was nice if I spotted something, he’d be able to get a great look at it. We stood along the northern jetty until around sunset, but never did get any Franklin’s Gulls. While standing there, Linda Chittum, who had seem them up on the CBBT earlier stopped by. She had walked the beachfront, hoping to scan flocks of gulls on the beach & out over the ocean but to no avail. Also, Jim Marcum arrived next, hoping as all of were to find the birds. Karen & Tom Beatty also showed up, though they didn’t stay too long, armed like me with just binoculars. While watching from the jetty, there was a number of other species at least to keep things interesting. Boat-tailed Grackles & Rock Pigeons were all over the place, as is quite typical at the oceanfront. Out on the water between the north jetty and offshore breakwater there was a few Black Scoters, some Red-breasted Mergansers, a single Surf Scoter and also a Horned Grebe in sight. All four species were first of season (FOS) birds for me, as I haven’t seen any since they departed back in the springtime. There was also a Red-throated Loon pretty far offshore that I could see much better through Todd’s scope than through my own binoculars. Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, Lesser & Great Black-backed Gulls were all present at the inlet as well which is pretty typical. Lessers are a species that stays here year-round now, but this is a recent development along the coastline. Out on the breakwater, we got looks at three different shorebirds, each of a different species. A late Spotted Sandpiper (late date is 15 Oct per the Gold Book) was seen first, with a Purple Sandpiper and Dunlin also being seen on the far left side of the breakwater. After exhausting the view and finding no Franklin’s Gulls we headed out though, stopping at the 11th Street Taphouse to go over some of the eBird questions I’ve had, and then continuing on to dinner at Dockside on Shore Drive to meet up with the other folks in town for the Rarity Roundup which included James Fox, Jason Strickland, Lisa Rose, Ed Eder, Bryan Barmore, Sharon Burton, Linda Chittum, and others I’m probably just forgetting names on. After a quick blackened tuna dinner, I headed home so I could be up early, since I needed to meet Todd in Pungo (southern Virginia Beach) at 5:45 AM, and it is a good 35-40 minutes from home.

A first of year (FOY) county bird, this Blue-headed Vireo was found on Munden Road at the parking lot of Princess Anne WMA's Whitehurst Tract!

4:30 AM came all too quickly on Saturday morning, though I was up and ready to go very quickly since I had been excited all week. Honestly, I felt like a kid on Christmas day, with the thought of finding some rare birds right here in my home county. After I gave some bad directions, Todd still managed to find the spot we were meeting at, apparently the Sea Crest Restaurant is no longer there, but the parking lot was a good spot to leave my car for this day since he planned to do the driving. With the sunrise not occurring until 6:40 AM, we had some time to check out some areas in the dark. We drove down Morris Neck Road, checking out Munden Road into Princess Anne WMA, and then continued on towards the south where we drove into Back Bay Landing Road. Here, it was starting to get light enough, and with the northwesterly winds being cut by the forest, we opted to get out and check for some birds. As soon as we got out of the vehicle Todd said, “Great Horned Owl”, and it took me a little bit longer to actually hear their faint calls. He also picked up an American Wigeon’s sound off the water to the east, something I didn’t even know could be identified based on sound alone. Clearly, I was in for an exciting day, though feeling a bit in the dark. We drove back westward closer to the owls as the sun continued to close in on the horizon. Walking south and around a 90 degree bend we saw a number of species, including White Ibis, Mourning Doves by the 50s, which I’ve never seen before, and lots of Wrens and Sparrows in the adjacent hedgerow. Crows were bombing an area of forest, so we assumed the owl was nearby, but we never did get a chance to see it. As Todd was the one inputting the eBird lists, Great Horned Owl became my 203rd species in Virginia Beach on the year, though it remains heard only so I’ve still seen only 202.

My first clean shot of a Red-shouldered Hawk in Virginia Beach, seen here at Mill Dam Creek off Blackwater Road!

After Back Bay Landing Road we headed out towards Princess Anne Road and headed north into the Creeds area of Virginia Beach. At the intersection of Princess Anne Road and Morris Neck Road we encountered a large flock of icterids (blackbirds/cowbirds/grackles). We scanned the flock intently, hoping for something out of the ordinary like a Yellow-headed Blackbird or a Shiny Cowbird, but to no avail. The bulk of the flock was Brown-headed Cowbirds & Common Grackles, though some groups of Red-winged Blackbirds were also in the grouping, and seen shortly afterward flying over the field to the east. Continuing eastward on Morris Neck Road we could see some Killdeer out in the field to the left as we neared Fitztown Road. Suddenly, Todd exclaimed “Pipit” and pulled off into the nearby church parking area, grabbed his scope, and we walked over to a nearby telephone pole to ‘hide’ next to it in plain sight. Looking through my binoculars, I got my first look at the American Pipits, much smaller than I had originally thought this species was, being more sparrow-sized than robin-sized as I had thought. As I counted up to 10 or 12 of them (#203 on my ‘seen’ birds list in the county), Todd chuckled and said he was on 86. Clearly, my counting skills need some work, and I really need to get a scope so I can more clearly see the birds I’m trying to add up. There was also close to 100 Killdeer out in the field, and we had European Starling nearby in good numbers as well as a single Savannah Sparrow that we spooked, which I never even saw. Next up, we drove up to Campbell’s Landing Road in the hopes of seeing some more species, which we were able too. Due to the southerly winds we’d had the past couple of days, the water in Back Bay was high enough that it had flooded the roadway as we approached the turnaround on the shoreline. Our view of the bay yielded no waterfowl at all unfortunately, but the trip back up the road started to give way to some birds. Eastern Bluebirds, Mourning Doves, and Eastern Phoebes were seen along the residential properties heading west. Also, Chipping Sparrows, tons of Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Golden-crowned Kinglet appeared in the tree line nearby. American Goldfinches were also heard in the area. Carolina Wrens and Chickadees, and Northern Cardinals were also seen here, so the species count was starting to stack up, though no real rare birds were seen. The Eastern Phoebes were at least late by Gold Book standards, though it seems to me that they do hang out around Virginia Beach year-round nowadays.

A striking Lesser Black-backed Gull seen at Little Island Park on Saturday afternoon!

From Campbell’s Landing Road we headed north on Morris Neck back to Munden Road and drove into Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area. This park is closed Monday to Saturday for hunting purposes this time of year, and is only really open to birders on Sundays. However, Munden Road is a public street, and one can bird along it anytime of the week. The hunting zones don’t begin for a couple hundred yards in either direction to protect this public right-of-way. We stopped at the parking area and scanned the treeline at the north side for any birds we could find. Todd showed me a couple tricks to try and sight the birds among the foliage, and he called out a Blue-headed Vireo that I didn’t even see move in. I was really excited for this bird since they are a tough find in Virginia Beach. Mostly seen during November & December at First Landing State Park, seeing one here made it so that I wouldn’t need to hike around First Landing in the coming weeks, hoping to come across one in the forest. This was #204 to my list for Virginia Beach this year. All the other birds at this site were the expected ones, with the typical sparrows (Song, Swamp & White-throated), Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Chickadees & Wrens, and a Black Vulture were all seen. As we were heading out from the park after driving all the way east and north along Munden Road, we did spot a Northern Harrier flying a bit high over the field on the south side of the street. Typically, when I see Northern Harriers in this area, they are rocking back and forth while soaring just a few feet over the vegetation in fields or in marshy areas. So seeing one higher up had my initially scratching my head but it was an obvious ID once the white rump was seen on the bird.

It won't be too long before all the Royal Terns have departed, so I'm taking in shots whenever I get the chance!

From Munden Road we headed south again on Morris Neck Road, taking Princess Anne Road towards North Carolina, but taking a bit of a detour on Fitztown Road’s western section when we spotted a Northern Harrier (Gray Ghost) in this case. The adults are referred to as such since they are much grayer than the more brown juveniles which seem to be much more common around here in the winters. I mentioned that my wife & I often call our cat Buster “The Gray Ghost” as he has similar colors and runs around the apartment so quickly he almost seems to be floating above the ground at times. Feeling a bit crazy it was nice to hear Todd say he also had a cat named Kestrel, named after his markings, so I’m not alone in my connection with birds & cats apparently. While driving west on Fitztown Road, we spotted a Bald Eagle high over the fields, and had another Harrier as well. I had expected to find some icterids here but none were seen. Continuing south, we crossed into North Carolina, then headed across the Knott’s Island Causeway eastward. Todd had wanted to see the small component of Knott’s Island that was in Virginia Beach, just because it is an interesting area due to the requirement of crossing into North Carolina in order to see it. I had assumed that it was the only area of the state that one must pass through another state to see, however, Todd mentioned a few areas up in the mountains that have roads only accessible from West Virginia, which made sense to me. Topography plays an interesting role in the delineation of states & counties, and it reminds me of the Northwest Angle in Minnesota that can only be accessed by going first into Canada, which makes this site more interesting than any state to state transfer in my opinion. Not noting anything really interesting, we headed back up Princess Anne Road northward, then cut across the Pungo Ferry Road’s bridge into the Blackwater area of southwestern Virginia Beach.

One of our most abundant sparrows around the region right now, the striking Song Sparrow!

Driving south on Blackwater Road, we made a stop at Mill Dam Creek’s Boardwalk and I was delighted to actually see some birds here, since the Green Treefrogs were now completely gone from the area. During a few minutes of watching from the eastern end of the boardwalk we had a Red-tailed Hawk overhead, a likely Sharp-shinned Hawk out over the water distant, a Red-shouldered Hawk adult that posed nicely on a tree branch, and a Cooper’s Hawk that dropped down into the forest, only to come up shortly after to harass the Red-shouldered! This is a spot I’ve always hoped to see a Least Bittern, but they’re all much further south at this point. Todd spotted a Northern Flicker that I missed, and we had some Carolina Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds, a single Common Grackle and some Yellow-rumped Warblers, which were present essentially everywhere during the day. After leaving the boardwalk, we checked out West Gibbs Road, Crags Causeway, Indian Creek Road, and Baum Road, then headed up Blackwater Road towards the Anhinga Pond in Chesapeake. We checked out every side street here, seeing a Red-tailed Hawk overhead on Blackwater Loop that was staring right back down on us through the sunroof. After thoroughly checking out every single road we had access to in our area, we decided to head down towards Back Bay NWR since Matt Anthony & Nicholas Newberry had turned up some good birds there earlier including a White-winged Dove, Prairie Warbler, and leucistic Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler. I thought perhaps we’d encounter some large flocks of geese en route, or possibly some Ibis, but none were to be found along New Bridge or Sandbridge Road. Arriving at Back Bay NWR we quickly grabbed a spot near the Kayak Launch north of the visitor contact station and headed towards the Bayside Trail. As we got to the pier, a flock of small passerines flew overhead and Todd quickly identified them off their calls and translucent wing patch as Pine Siskins, an ID I’d never have been able to make even though I’ve seen tons of these birds in Minnesota as a kid. These were the first I’d ever seen in Virginia, and they were #205 for the year in Virginia Beach. We ended up walking the entire Bay Trail westward without seeing anything, but on the return trip we checked out the northern observation area which looks north onto Back Bay. Armed with his powerful scope, Todd was able to pick apart the massive flock of waterfowl that was easily a half a mile away. The group was comprised mainly of Gadwall, American Wigeons, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, but also held a single Eurasian Wigeon, and some Redheads! The Eurasian Wigeon was a bird I’d missed repeatedly at Pleasure House Point earlier in the year, and was one I’d hoped to get before the year ended so this was as perfect as could be. After a Bald Eagle flyby and a pass-by of some kayakers, the flock moved a bit closer to us, giving good looks in the scope, and affording a couple low-res photographs to me. The wigeon became #206 on my ‘seen’ list and #207 in eBird since the Great Horned Owl was reported but only heard. I will have to target this species in that area again before the end of the year. After this we headed up to Little Island Park and did some seawatching, though nothing crazy was found. We did have a pair of American Coots on the pond across from the parking area, and one under the pier, as well as my first Bonaparte’s Gulls of the season out over the water. I departed shortly afterwards, as Todd drove me back to my car, but it was a pretty incredible day, and I feel like my birding IQ doubled from everything I learned.

Even more common right now than the Song Sparrow above, this Swamp Sparrow is a good study to see the similar structure but different features!

Ironically, just after we had left, a Jaeger was spotted at Back Bay NWR, but they were expected along the coastline this time of year. On Sunday morning, I made another attempt to spot Franklin’s Gulls at Rudee Inlet, but again was unable to come up with them. Royal Terns (3) were still hanging out along the beach, and the other more common gulls were all present there. Tree Swallows were also flying all over the place, though no Cave Swallows were seen, these birds being an ‘expected rarity’ along the Virginia Coast this time of year. I went from Rudee Inlet down into Pungo to check out Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area, hoping again to find a Blue-headed Vireo or something else that might be new. Walking the park counter-clockwise from the parking area I had a number of sparrows (Field, Savannah, White-throated, Song & Swamp in order or ascending numbers) and Wrens also including both Carolina and several House Wrens. To my amazement, after walking a mile or so along the tree line, I discovered the impoundments were completely dry and had not been flooded to accommodate migratory waterfowl. I have no idea why this has not yet happened, but it was a bit frustrating to find only a pair of Wood Ducks in the entire area. I continued to walk the whole park, though not revealing anything new. After I left the park, I tried to re-find the American Pipit flock from the previous day, so I checked out every farmfield I could come across in southern Virginia Beach, but unfortunately could not find the flock. I did see some Killdeer, and some raptors, but that was it. But, it was worth the effort I suppose & it gave me hope for the coming week!

A third species of sparrow, this one a Savannah, which will again display some different markings including some yellowing on the lore & face, seen also at Princess Anne WMA on Sunday!

Week Ending November 8, 2015

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With November comes early darkness, with the end of Daylight Savings Time having occurred on November 1st, and also comes unstable weather. Throughout our first full week of the month, Virginia Beach saw temperatures ranging from highs in the low 80s on Thursday, to lows in the 40s on Saturday night/Sunday morning. The up and down temperatures didn’t stop birders from getting out and seeing some neat birds though. Waterfowl and Shorebirds continue to yield First-of-Season (FOS) sightings. At the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory’s Seawatch from Rudee Inlet, Tracy Tate recorded the first Purple Sandpipers of the season to be found in Virginia Beach. She also had views of Peregrine Falcons and Parasitic Jaegers, both of which have been found increasingly the past couple of weeks in that area. The falcons have been perching on one of the hotels at 11th Street just to the north as well, and quite a few reports have showed up this week with Peregrines noted. On Bob Ake’s impoundment survey at Back Bay NWR this week, a pair of Long-billed Dowitchers turned up, which are the first recorded in Virginia Beach this year. Additionally, a pair of late Caspian Terns was found, and both Sedge & Marsh Wrens were encountered. Waterfowl variety appeared to have increased, with the impoundments being perfect habitat for dabbling species, Gadwall, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Blue & Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, and Ring-necked Duck were all noted. Some other FOS sightings this week were a Ruddy Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Tundra Swan and Greater Scaup. James Marcum had a Great Horned Owl calling in his neighborhood early Saturday morning, a bird that isn’t reported often due to its nocturnal nature, though is supposedly present in good numbers across the region. Nelson’s Sparrows continue to be seen at Pleasure House Point by most parties who have attempted to find them, though never staying up too long for photographs. Wrens and Sparrows have certainly taken over the region as well, with plenty of Swamp, Song, Savannah, and White-throated Sparrow sightings. Sedge, Marsh and Winter Wrens have all popped up in reports recently as well. American Bitterns are being found primarily at Back Bay NWR, though there is likely some in the Pleasure House Point area that have just gone unnoticed. Lastly, a late entry from the previous week, the first Brants of the season were sighted up at Pleasure House Point on 1 Nov.

An American Black Duck provides a good example on how to differentiate the Mallard females with orange bills, from its yellow bill & darker body.

This week began with the tough-to-swallow realization that darkness would now occur too early to allow for any birding after work. Monday through Thursday I had to live vicariously through the reports that popped up on eBird and the photographs posted to the HRWE Facebook group. Fortunately, the ease of technology has made getting through these ‘dark’ times a bit easier, and plenty of folks were actively posting images & observations from around the region. I didn’t make it out at all until Friday afternoon when I left work at 3 PM. Ruth & I were heading up north to Fairfax County to visit her mother for the weekend, but she isn’t off work until 5 PM. So I brought my camera and binoculars to the office and on the way home I made the rounds at Kings Grant Lake, hoping to see some interesting waterfowl present. Earlier in the week someone had posted a photograph of an all black Mallard at the lake. From online searches, it turns out that this is a mixed Domestic/Mallard breed called a “Cayuga” Duck, and some can be remarkably pretty. Apparently it was released at the lake sometime prior, as it is not a wild duck, rather a feral one. Or course, Kings Grant Lake is no stranger to feral waterfowl though. The lake is home to a group of Domestic Geese that currently numbers 28 birds. These geese can often be seen holding up traffic on Kings Grant Road near the park, and don’t seem to care what goes on around them. Each year, their numbers seem to increase, and I believe there was 10 or 11 goslings out of this batch this year. Feral waterfowl are always a problem when it comes to entering birds into eBird lists, but that’s a whole other blog. I first stopped at Kings Grant Lake Park, then circled the lake clockwise, hitting the outfall area on Watergate Drive, and returning on Edinburgh Drive to Kings Grant Lake Road. Most of the waterfowl was Mallards, about 140 of them, with good numbers of Canada Geese as well. Also mixed in though was a pair of American Black Ducks, three American Wigeons, and a single Wood Duck. I always check out the Wigeons now in the hopes that one might be a Eurasian species, but so far it’s all been Americans. I was excited to get some nice photographs of the American Black Ducks though, some of which make for good comparison shots between them and the similar, but still very different, female Mallards.

One of many male Northern Cardinals seen in Fairfax County!

Having arrived up in Fairfax County about 8:30 PM after the usual, long drive on I-64 on Friday evening, Ruth & I got to bed around 10 PM. In the morning, she & her mother went shopping, which of course meant I was free to go birding. In addition to my general lack of interest in shopping, I always think the her & her mother need their time together without me around since they don’t see each other all the time anyway. So, that’s how I rationalize, and don’t feel bad about running out at 6 AM to go birding. I’m very lucky though, I have a great relationship with my mother-in-law, so it is never an issue. Thanks to the Virginia Birding Listserver, I always keep up to date on what birds are being sighted in the area, so when I visit, I have some options as to where to go. This trip, I wanted to spend some time early in the morning at Huntley Meadows Park (a map of the park can be found Here) , which is about a 15-20 minute drive from Lorton. The park is primarily forested, with a large estuary / marsh / meadow in the center. Depending on the activity level of the local American Beaver populations, this area can be dry, standing water, or anything in between. In fact, being only the second visit I’ve made to the park, I was quite surprised when I reached the Heron Trail boardwalks and found that a new Beaver lodge was built right up onto the boardwalk. Additionally, dams made primarily of mud, but with a few sticks tossed in for strength, weaved their way in and around the first portion of the boardwalk, causing a small pond to form on the upstream section of Barnyard Run. In this inundated area, a group of about 50 Canada Geese was feeding along the shorelines, providing my first photographs of the day. Unfortunately, the weather appeared to be against me this weekend, with the temperatures feeling good around 60 degrees F, but with a drizzle persisting my entire drive to the park, and continuing as I entered the trails. In fact, at several times during the drive I questioned why I was continuing towards the park. However, I’m glad I did make it.

One of the several hundred Red-winged Blackbirds seen at Huntley Meadows on Saturday!

Being my first visit to the park during the month of November, it was interesting to see just what the park looked like. The majority of leaves have now fallen to the ground, though the ones remaining on the trees had quite the color to them. Yellows were the most vibrant of the colors, but there was still some oranges and reds to be seen. Unfortunately, I have no expertise in identifying trees, though this is one area I’d like to improve since I do feel that all wildlife and nature are connected in some fashion, and understanding of one area can only help in another. Entering the park and finding a spot around 6:50 AM was nice, there was no one else around, aside from a single car that was leaving the park for whatever reason. As mentioned above, I reached the Heron Trail boardwalk relatively quickly, passing through the quarter mile or so of forested path on the way past the visitor center. After photographing the Canada Geese on the new beaver pond, I worked my way around the circular component of the boardwalk counter-clockwise. Most notably in this area, were the couple hundred Red-winged Blackbirds that had embedded themselves within the dense cattail surroundings. As I walked around the boardwalk, pausing many times to attempt to photograph the birds, they always managed to slip past me. At times I was reminded of a “Simpson’s” episode in which Homer attempts to step off a trail, only to be assaulted by a Raccoon, which jumped out of a square inch of space he hadn’t checked. While comical, this is exactly how Red-winged Blackbirds tend to behave. It is amazing just how well these birds can conceal themselves down deep in the marsh cattails & reeds, only to spring forth with no warning. With the drizzle that was ongoing, the light proved extremely tough for trying to get these birds into the camera frame, but after a good half hour of trying, I was able to get some worthwhile shots. In addition to the Red-winged Blackbirds, Sparrows were also plentiful. This time of year, there are a few species that can be expected across the Coastal Plain of Virginia (of which Fairfax County & Virginia Beach both belong too). Song Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows were all seen in high numbers. Most of these managed to provide quick looks, while being mainly concealed though in the cattails.

A male Downy Woodpecker seen along the Huntley Meadows boardwalks!

Continuing on southward towards the observation tower, I arrived just in time. Within a couple minutes of reaching the first floor (of two), the rain started to build and visibility dropped to about 10 feet. During this time, it wasn’t just me who was seeking out the shelter, but many birds around me, primarily the White-throated Sparrows, Blue Jays, and Northern Cardinals. All three species moved in closer, providing some good photographs, and even better observations. As the rain starting to slow down, I remained in this spot, just because it did seem to be a hotspot of sorts. The best bird here was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, my only one of the trip that flew in close to a tree south of the platform, and posed ever so briefly before disappearing into the underbrush. When the rain had completely halted, I continued south across the downstream end of the park, seeing a couple of Great Blue Herons out on beaver lodges in the process, and then meeting up with the Deer Trail. The Deer Trail travels through the woods heading mostly northward. Along the stretch of this trail heading north, I did find a Brown Creeper, which is a bird I consider to be uncommon throughout the Coastal Plain, and the Gold Book seems to back this opinion up. They aren’t a rarity, but they’re a bird one can be excited about when they find it. I rounded the corner and headed back to the Observation Tower area, then moved northward back onto the Heron boardwalks. Here, I was met by the same flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds again, and tried my best to photograph them as they weaved in and out of the cattail forest. Another group of birders had set up north of me, working their way slowly counter-clockwise around the boardwalks. I wondered if these might be some of the folks that have put out information on the Listserver, Harry Glasgow is one name that comes to mind. As they worked their way around the boardwalks, I moved off south again towards the Observation Tower. This time, though, I wasn’t mobbed by sparrows and other common winter species. I ended up walking the Cedar Trail north, though checking out the north end of the boardwalks one more times. I’m glad I made one more effort, as I got some fantastic photographs of some White-throated Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Swamp Sparrows, and the Canada Geese that continued to patrol the freshly made beaver pond. Also, a Downy Woodpecker made for some nice shooting, but afterwards I headed north towards the car and headed out from the park.

One of my best shots of a White-throated Sparrow, seen at Lake Mercer, Fairfax County on Saturday morning!

Still very early in the morning, I opted to check out a spot closer to my mother-in-law’s Lorton home. In similar fashion to Williamsburg, Fairfax County seems to be big on adding multi-use paths through every available section of forest. All of the stream valleys throughout the county have become part of the “Cross County Trail”. Each time I visit Fairfax, I try to do a bit more of the trail, which is probably hundreds of miles at this point. One of my favorite sections is the loop around Lake Mercer along the South Run Stream Valley, just off Hooes Road. I stopped in here and head around the lake counter-clockwise on the loop, which I believe is close to 4 miles in length. After a few years of construction, this trail is now fully-asphalt, which makes for an easy walk, but definitely provides the feeling of not being quite so rustic. The trail initially travels up the stream towards a manmade dam that creates Lake Mercer, then continues around the north side of the lake heading westward. Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, and several sparrow species were encountered in the more suburban areas of the trail. A favorite of mine, Eastern Chipmunk, was also seen. Why is this a favorite? Because, while these mammals are common up north in Virginia, they are unheard of here in Virginia Beach, and seeing them takes me back to my youth in Minnesota & Indiana, where these cute little critters were quite common. The further west I traveled, the more it began to rain unfortunately, and I had to throw my camera into my backpack to ensure it didn’t get damaged by the rainfall. As I worked my way around the lake, getting poured on at times, I did find a single Hermit Thrush, which was probably the bird of the weekend. Over the last couple miles, I walked essentially the whole way, arriving back at the car and heading home for a shower to warm up from the cold rains. On Sunday morning, we headed back to Virginia Beach, and I did get a good walk in around the neighborhood, but didn’t spot any new birds along the way, though I half expected to see a Great Horned Owl after Jim Marcum found one on Saturday calling outside his home. Next week could prove interesting, as the vagrant seasons continues in Virginia Beach, and Saturday is the Rarity Roundup, the first of its kind in Virginia Beach. Hopefully, I have a bit more to report this time around!

This beautiful Great Blue Heron shows off its reflection on the upstream waters of Lake Mercer on Saturday!

Week Ending November 1, 2015

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Surprisingly for the end of October, the weather actually warmed up this week and we were treated to some gorgeous days in the 70s! Even with the rising temperatures, wintering waterfowl continued to trickle into the region. This past week saw the first Long-tailed Duck up at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (Rexanne Bruno, 29 Oct), as well as Virginia Beach’s first Hooded Merganser & Brant (Swiader, 1 Nov) at Pleasure House Point Natural Area. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were reported again on 27 Oct at Pleasure House Point, however, this report could actually be of a Black-crowned Night-Heron since there are some juveniles of that species still hanging out so until I see a photograph, I can’t confirm that with certainty. Also at Pleasure House Point, a Green Heron was sighted on Friday (Chip Allen & myself), making for quite a late record of this species to still be in the area. In fact, to put into perspective this was the first one I’ve seen in the month of October, right at the end. Nelson’s Sparrows are continuing to be found in that same area as well, and Marsh Wrens have continued to be numerous at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Other winter specialties like American Bittern and Peregrine Falcons were reported as well. After the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory (CVWO) sponsored Seawatch on Thursday, Tracy Tate & Andrew Baldelli picked up a Parasitic Jaeger and a Vesper Sparrow up on the 85th Street beach at the Oceanfront. Some other interesting passerines were found as well, with Blue-headed Vireos showing up at First Landing State Park, and in a Kempsville backyard (Una Davenhill). Brown Creepers are continuing to be seen as well, which can at times be tough to find, but their numbers might still be bolstered by migrants working their way southwards still. The best bird though, was one that I never expected to come across, but was very fortunate to do so. A single Western Kingbird was found along the East Dike at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday morning, but more about this bird in my personal accounts below. With November having now arrived, it is vagrant season here in Virginia Beach, so the next several weeks could be interesting! It’ll just take some time to get used to the sun going down at 5:15 PM now that Daylight Savings Time has come to a close.

Our most vocal mimic thrush, the Northern Mockingbird, seen at Pleasure House Point!

As mentioned above, the warm weather was quite welcomed this week, but I still only managed to get out on a Friday & Saturday walk this week unfortunately. With the sun setting so early, my only viable post-work outing can occur on Fridays when I leave at 3 PM. Doing just that this week, I headed up to Pleasure House Point as quick as I could, parking along Marlin Bay Drive and heading into the park. As was reported earlier in the day, I found a pair of American Black Ducks on the largest pond, and later came across two more on the extreme upstream end of Pleasure House Creek. American Black Ducks can be found year-round in Virginia Beach, but it is nice to be seeing them out in the open again since they’re tough to find in summertime during their molt. Ducks actually drop all their flight feathers at the same time, and are left flightless for a month or so in the summer. During that timeframe, they’ll spend most of their time hiding from predators, since they can’t take to the air. This is different than most other species of birds that will typically molt 1 flight feather at a time so they are never grounded. Heading eastward towards the sandbars I had a hard time finding any birds, until I reached the area where the marshy islands sit just offshore. Here, I spotted an American Bittern as it rose up from the grasses, and flew eastwards before diving back down into another island. These beautiful birds are very tough to find here, and are only found in the wintertime. They are masters of camouflage, and unless they’re moving, they can easily go unnoticed. The sandbars held a good plenty of Laughing Gulls again, numbering in the hundreds. Herring, Lesser & Great Black-backed Gulls were also present, and I’d imagine some Ring-billed were there as well, though I couldn’t pick any out at the distance. Black Skimmers were mixed in, as were Royal Terns.

Very late in the year to be seeing this Green Heron at Pleasure House Point on Friday evening!

It seems the Speckled Trout must be running up the Lynnhaven River right now, as the last couple of times I’ve been to the park, there have been quite a number of fisherman wading out in the shallow tidal waters. I’ve yet to see anyone catch anything, but it seems to me that it is usually in mid-November when Ruth & I have seen the fisherman hauling in tons of the trout down at Oregon Inlet in the Outer Banks. Having grown up a fisherman, I have really missed it since I moved out here, but, I luckily ended up an area that is full of wildlife to view. Perhaps one year though I’ll take it back up, but for now, I’m more than happy being an avid birder, and just seeing the fisherman out there. Walking around the primary point of the park, I did uncover a couple of Nelson’s Sparrows, but wasn’t able to photograph any since they tend to be quite evasive. During the fading light in the evenings, it is even tougher since most of the sites they can be found in the park are in a westerly direction from the trails, meaning you have to look right into the sun to photograph them, which means they won’t show up well in a photo since their shaded is side is closest to you. Interestingly, no Gadwall, or any birds for that matter have showed up on the stormwater detention pond at Loch Haven Park on the northeast border. I keep checking, so hopefully soon it’ll hold some Grebe at least. Walking back around the point, and upstream I found a nice Northern Mockingbird that allowed me some good photographs, as well as a couple of Belted Kingfishers which at this time of year become hard to miss. Their incessant cackling is always a welcome sound after not seeing them at all during the summers here. Along the largest cove I picked a Savannah Sparrow out of the brush, and then had a Sharp-shinned Hawk zoom across the water right over top of me.

Yellow-rumped Warblers have officially taken over the region!

I trekked inland hoping to get a better view of it, but it caught me early on and zoomed through the trees. This particular spot seems to be good for the Sharp-shinned/Cooper’s Hawk, so always worth a slow walk through (area located east of the muddy meadow). Further westward, I happened to catch a glimpse of something small along the ditch that lies between the two creek-like ditches extending to Marlin Bay Drive. Much to my surprise, this bird turned out to be a young Green Heron! Green Herons (according to the Gold Book) typically depart the area on 20 Oct, so seeing one on the 30th was very late. This was the first of its kind that I’ve actually seen all month, and quite ironic to add at the end, rather than the beginning of October. At least one other was reported fairly recently, being seen by Bob Ake on one of his impoundment surveys at Back Bay NWR a week or two ago. Still further west, I enjoyed seeing the American Black Ducks again, and also a single juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron (which I think many folks might misidentify as a Yellow-crown, which should be all gone for the winter by now). Throughout the remainder of my walk west upstream, I got glances at Northern Cardinal, and potential Song Sparrows, but it was very quiet. It is amazing to see just how quiet things get by even 5 PM at this point in the year, and the sun was already very low in the sky, dipping behind the large trees that dot the western edge of Pleasure House Creek in the vicinity of Thoroughgood’s country club off Shore Drive. I ended up finishing the walk up with a few minute trip around the largest pond hoping to get in a good position to photograph the Black-crowned Night-Heron, but ultimately unable to do so. Heading home just after 5 PM does afford me a chance to relax at home this time of year, something I don’t get to do in the summertime when I like to be out as long as the sun is up. So if anything, at least it gets easier to keep up with all my photographs, my blog, and the rest of the website during the winter time. And after the intense migration period in September, and the first half of October, a slowdown is much appreciated.

A strikingly colored Song Sparrow seen near the visitor contact station at Back Bay NWR on Saturday morning!

On Saturday, I got up at 6 AM like I typically have been doing, and made it down to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge by around 7:30 AM for the sunrise, which has been getting later & later. That however, will come to a screeching halt on Sunday, as Daylight Savings Time comes to a close, and we turn the clocks backwards one hour. Saturday was also significant in that it was Halloween, being the 31st of October, but moreso significant to me in the fact that it was the final day the dike system at Back Bay NWR is open for the year. The dikes, which comprise most of the walkable distances of the park, are closed during the wintertime to protect all the waterfowl that have moved south from the tundra & boreal forests to spend the winter. Each year, from 1 Nov through 31 Mar, the East & West Dikes are closed, while during the opposing timeframe, only one will be open at a time, depending on the distribution patterns of the wildlife being protected. Because of our location along the coast, places like Back Bay are incredibly important for migrating birds, and I think we are all very lucky that organizations like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service exist to help keep these great resources functioning. With the dikes closing on Saturday, it was my plan to walk the East Dike in its entirety, something I do try to do each year, at least the weekend before it closes. This time, I started off as I have each walk over the past couple of months, heading down the Bay Trail first, and working my way around the other trails near the visitor contact station. Yellow-rumped Warblers were again the headliner, showing up in massive numbers all across this region of the park. The highlight of the Bay Trail though was finding three gorgeous Wood Ducks within photography distance from the western overlook. Also here was a pair of American Coots, and at least a dozen Pied-billed Grebes, which are probably the same ones that frequent the pier area near the parking lot. Another great surprise was the Marsh Wrens that I heard in a pair of sites along the Bay and Bayside Trails, though I couldn’t get any to come out into view, their calls are extremely distinctive and whimsical.

Posting this Halloween Great Blue Heron since my mother always tells me they reminder her of the 'creeper' from the film, Jeepers Creepers. They're a favorite of mine in all seasons!

Behind the visitor contact station, several species of sparrows (Field, Song, Swamp, & White-throated) were all seen over a few minute span, some even affording excellent views and photographs. I didn’t spend too much time here though, as I wanted to get moving southward on the dike. With the sky completely sunny, and the temperatures in the 50s, I was really loving it. Normally by now, I’m at least wearing a long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve one, but Saturday I was able to get by on just short sleeves alone. Even with the temperature reaching just into the low 60s at Back Bay, the sun was so bright with the clear, cool air, that I managed to stay plenty warm.  As I set off down the East Dike between 8-8:30 AM, I was treated to all three of our mimics (Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, and Gray Catbird), and each was singing from a perch in the sunlight. Swamp Sparrows proved to be the most numerous emberizids (the taxonomic family that sparrows belong too) of the day, and they were seen at essentially every area with cattail or phragmites in sight. While walking the gravel road I refer to as the “Loop Road”, I stayed on the bayside, eventually reaching the gate to the West Dike, which of course at this point in the season is closed. Along this stretch though, I did find another Pied-billed Grebe on the small freshwater pool that the Loop Road encircles. Also, I had flybys of Mallards, American Black Ducks, and several small Canada Geese flocks further out over the bay. A Great Blue Heron was also working the shoreline of the bay, providing a pretty view of the scenery behind it. Hooking around the south edge of the Loop Road, I worked around to where the gate to the East Dike sits. Of course, it was open, but it was a bit sad to know that soon this route will be closed. I fully support the reasons for the closure, but I do miss being able to walk this area of the park in winter. Fortunately, the beach does remain open year-round, so one can still walk all the way to False Cape State Park (or North Carolina even) if he/she feels inclined to do so. With the beautiful weather, I anticipated a lot of other folks to be out on the trails, but honestly didn’t come across a whole ton. A single tram tour did pass me up, and I believe those typically leave the visitor contact station at 9 AM, so it was likely 9:15 AM or so when it got to me, just south of the gate. A half mile or so further south, right in the vicinity of where Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins and I had spotted a half dozen Bobwhites a few weeks ago, I sadly came across an injured Dunlin. I don’t know what it is with me lately, but everywhere I go I seem to be encountering hurt animals, and I wish it wouldn’t happen. Migration season is always tough on birds, and a great number do perish; it is expected, but still sad to see firsthand.

One of the 11 beautiful adult White Ibis seen along the East Dike at Back Bay NWR!

This particular bird had a right wing injury, and given where it was found, very far inland from the beach, it likely showed up here during heavy winds, perhaps getting hooked on a power line or tree branch. Whatever the reasons though, it was injured, and wouldn’t let me anywhere near it as it flopped around. I would normally have called the Virginia Beach SPCA (757-263-4762, store that number in your phone!), however given the remoteness of the park, and the fact that the trail was going to close for the season soon, I opted to not call it in this time. Sometimes I feel that it is part of nature’s circle of life, no matter how hard it can be to swallow. Also, the past couple of animals I’ve called in for help with, both had to be put down after capture anyway, so there is never a guarantee that anyone can do anything to help them, very sadly, and it is an emotionally draining experience, I don’t know how the full-time rehabbers can handle it sometimes, but I have all the respect in the world for their love of nature. The solace I’ll take here is that perhaps another animal in the park will be helped in its own survival by the sustenance provided by the Dunlin. There are quite a number of predatory animals in the park, whether it be the Eastern Cottomouths, Raccoons, Opossums, or even Bobcats that can be found here. Moving south, it was pretty quiet until I reached the double-90-degree bend of the trail, about midway to False Cape State Park. Here I got a great view of a Great Blue Heron standing just off the trail, and I could see birds far out on the C Pool as well, likely Teal, though unable to tell for sure. Swamp Sparrows were again quite active in this area, providing some more photographs, though never of great quality since these birds act much like wrens do, hopping in and out of thick brush very quickly, never posing for long. South of the bends, a raptor was seen flying low over the marsh grasses, which frightened up a group of 10 Eastern Meadowlarks that had been hiding down in the reeds! Eastern Meadowlarks are common in numbers across Virginia Beach’s southern half, but they are tough to actually find, so I was very grateful for the assist, that came from what I’d find out soon to be a Merlin.

The Western Kingbird! So far this bird is my most noteworthy find of the year, being the first to be reported in the state of Virginia in 2015!

A bit further south on the east side of the dike there was a feeding flock of 16 White Ibis, including 4 juveniles, 1 first-year bird, and 11 beautifully white plumaged adults. I watched this group for a few minutes, though many of the photographs I took were just too washed out by the sunlight, which was directed right on the birds from a tough angle. This is one thing that makes the East Dike a tough one for the photographer in me, in that it goes directly north-south, and this time of year the sun doesn’t rise very high up even during midday. Having gotten my fill of the Ibis, I continued south to a point about 0.5 miles north of the limit of the East Dike. As I was walking, I spotted a number of birds moving through one isolate tree on the west side of the shoulder. As I neared, I realized they were all Eastern Bluebirds, about 15-20 of them! Bluebirds are another common bird in the southern half of the city, and at First Landing State Park for that matter, but much more so in the winter time throughout. As I watched these birds moving about in the tree, I happened to look to the other side of the trail, being the easterly side closest to the dunes. Here, in a shorter shrub/tree, a single bird was perched, and as I raised up my binoculars, my jaw dropped and my heart almost stopped! The bird had a strong black bill, a dark olive back, and very yellow underparts, distinctive features of one of the western Kingbird species! Just a week ago, I found out about the Rarity Roundup that will be taking place in Virginia Beach on November 14th, so I happened to have looked at these birds just the day before in my field guides, having recalled that Keith & Karen Roberts had spotted a western species Kingbird last year during the Caracara madness around Thanksgiving. As I frantically raised my camera, though it felt like slow-motion to me at the time, I tried to take in as many field marks as I could on the bird. I knew that it was either a Western, Tropical, or Couch’s Kingbird, but wasn’t sure of what could be used to distinguish. Thankfully, as it floated up into the air and flew westward, I furiously took a few in-flight shots, and these would prove the key to the identity when I got home.

No hike at Back Bay is complete without at least one Eastern Cottonmouth sighting!

Against my normal habits, I turned on my cell phone, and sent out a notice on the Virginia Listserver, as well as a photo to the HRWE group on Facebook after using the phone to photograph my camera’s LCD screen. The in-flight shots showed a diagnostic white edge to the sides of the tail feathers, so had I not gotten those shots, I’d likely have had to settle for it being just one of several rare species for the area. But thankfully, I was able to identify it properly to species, making this Western Kingbird my #202 on the year here in Virginia Beach! What makes this sighting such a neat one for me is that it was the first of its kind reported in 2015 in the entire state of Virginia! It likely won’t be the last, as November is ripe for western vagrants like this to show up, especially in the more agricultural areas of the Eastern Shore, but for now, it is the only sighting this year. And this is why I always love to walk to the East Dike to close out its season, one never knows what one will find! I waited around for a half hour or so nearby, hoping the bird would return but after its initial flight westward out into the A-Pool, I never did get another sighting. I did still want to walk the rest of the dike, and did so quickly, seeing a rather large Eastern Cottonmouth on the way, and my first Dark-eyed Juncos at the park this season before I touched the False Cape State Park sign and headed back north. The ibis flock was still at it, and the sun was a bit better on the way north so I took some more photographs, with some actually coming out pretty well. Walking north I had a few flocks of Common Grackles pass overhead, and I scanned them hoping for a Yellow-headed Blackbird but no luck there. The Yellow-heads are another western vagrant that shows up here in late fall, though I’m not sure of what the reasons are, there seems to be a number of species that come to be expected this time of year in very low numbers. That is what the Rarities Roundup on the 14th will be built around, so I’m looking very forward to that.

One of a pair of Dunlin sighted along the East Dike, in very atypical habitat from their normal beach scenery.

I again passed the injured Dunlin, which had been joined by a second Dunlin, the latter appearing quite healthy so I had no qualms about taking a few photographs of it. I did feel bad though knowing that the second bird was obviously there to try to assist the first, and perhaps it stayed with it throughout the rest of the day, though I had to keep onward north. I did head down the Dune Trail to the beach, and walked up to view the North Mile section before heading back over the Seaside Trail to the parking area. On the beach, a number of Royal Terns were seen, as well as the common winter gulls (Herring, Ring-billed, Lesser Black-backed & Great Black-backed). Brown Pelicans were also seen, though no Northern Gannets, Mergansers, or either species of Loons were found this outing. Soon enough though they’ll all be here in massive numbers. When I reached the parking area, a pair of Bald Eagles zoomed overhead, fighting in mid-air with talons towards one another as they sped past on several flybys! My photographs did absolutely no justice to this aerial maneuver, though it was an incredible sight to get to see in person. Walking behind the visitor contact station again yielded more sparrows, and as I walked around the small pond onto the boardwalks, I passed a pair of birders, before running right into a Yellow-billed Cuckoo sitting out in the open! I called to the birders to get them on the bird since they had walked right past it given their direction of travel didn’t afford them the same view mine did. We all photographed the bird, which is here notably late in the season, though the Gold Book lists only extreme dates for Cuckoos as opposed to average dates. Their extreme date is listed as 10 Nov, so still within that constraint, though probably one of very few individuals still this far north I suspect. After parting ways with the Cuckoo, I ran into another birder as I turned onto the Bay Trail (initially thinking it was Tim Fearington when I saw the 500mm lens approaching). As it were though, the man introduced himself as David Knopp, a peninsula birder, who miraculously was actually aware of who I was, and reads my blog! It is always good to hear from someone that the things I take time to note are actually looked at by others. David had seen some kinglets along the trail, and a Towhee as well, and on a regular day I’d probably have tried harder to locate the kinglets for a photograph, but after about 8 miles of walking, I opted to head back to the car and call it a day. Plus, I was anxious to get home and figure out what type of kingbird I had, and to get some photographs posted to eBird and my site of it since I knew it was a special bird! A great end, to a great season at Back Bay that afforded me 164 species of birds at the park this year alone! I will likely still spend plenty of time around the parking lots and the beach through November and December, but I’ll miss those long walks towards False Cape State Park on the dikes!

Another late-in-the-season sighting, this Yellow-billed Cuckoo was found on the Bayside Trail boardwalk at Back Bay. Easily my best view of one this year, and amazing that it occurred on 31 Oct!