FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] the Redeye Circuit - part 1

[Henry Armistead <74077.3176@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Part 1.  The Redeye Circuit- 2002.  Five consecutive Christmas Counts in VA
& NC.

[re-submitted since only Part 2 got througearlier today, apparently.]

C.B.B.T. = Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel.  CBC = Christmas Bird Count. 
ESVNWR = Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge.  NWR =
National Wildlife Refuge.

Dec. 26, Thursday.  Jared Sparks, George Armistead & I take off in my 2002
(but used) Chevy TrailBlazer (the 'Osprey' IV) at 6 A.M. and by 12:30 are
250 miles down range on the C.B.B.T. participating in Ned Brinkley's 9th
annual CBC there, which includes only C.B.B.T. islands 3 & 4 as land areas.
 In spite of these limitations we all find a record 42 species today. I
contribute the only 4 Green-winged Teal, flying as they often do, with a
small flock of Surf Scoters.  The others have seen 12 Lesser Black-backed
Gulls, a pipit, 1 White-throated & 1 Song Sparrow, 6 red-wingeds, a
waxwing, and 15 cowbirds plus both eiders and a Harlequin Duck, but only 6
species of gulls, low for here.  A very windy, cool day with winds reaching
over 40 knots early on, then gradually diminishing.  Ned et al. have great,
extended views of a hunting Harbor Seal.  A Thayer's Gull and a California
Gull are also seen here on Dec. 28 and 25 respectively.

Dec. 27, Friday.  Cape Charles CBC.  At this point George A. hooks up with
Matt Sharp for the rest of the trip, leaving me and Jared in the 'Osprey'.

George is in charge of the Ferry sector which includes Matt, Paul Lehman,
Eileen Mathers, Sue Heath, Bob Ake & Todd Day.  They split into 3
sub-parties and end the day with totals such as 108 Horned Grebes, 14 Bald
Eagles, 38 Downy Woodpeckers, 78 Carolina Chickadees, 173 Carolina Wrens,
92 Hermit Thrushes, 198 cardinals, 60 towhees, 52 Chipping, 153 Fox & 222
Field Sparrows plus a Tree & a White-crowned Sparrow, a Blue-headed Vireo
and 2 Brewer's Blackbirds.  Their territory is the heart of the count
circle, and also the largest, and involves a lot of hard work, walking and
splitting up, to get such high totals.   

Jared goes with 8 others, including Dan & Allan Cristol and Ruth Boettcher,
on the boat, a large scow captained by Albert Heath, which leaves off 4
folks on south Smith Island, 3 on north Smith, and 2 on Myrtle Island.  For
the first time there are 3 parties working from the boat.  This involves
walking all day on the islands.  Their most interesting totals are 803
Red-throated Loons, 3500 gannets, 40 Brown Pelicans, a Harlequin Duck, 1672
Surf Scoters, 2248 Red-breasted Mergansers, 11 Bald Eagles, 514
Black-bellied Plovers, a color-banded Piping Plover, 6253 Dunlin, a
Short-eared Owl and 9 Ipswich & 9 Seaside Sparrows.  Due to weather, tide
and other, unknown factors, however, they do poorly with herons and the
marsh sparrows/wrens.

Mel Baughman and I spend the day on ESVNWR, a lot of this on foot.  Our
most notable totals are:  7 heron-type species, incl. a spectacular flock
of 80 White Ibis, also seen by the boat party, 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks as
well as 235 Turkey Vultures (there was a small flight of both today), a
Merlin harassing an imm. Bald Eagle, 14 woodcock and great views of several
stunning Fox Sparrows. 

Dec. 28, Sat.  Back Bay NWR.  My most interesting bird today is a male
Red-winged Blackbird.  That's right.  It is sitting in a forest at the top
of a Loblolly Pine extracting pine seeds from a cone as if it were a
Brown-headed Nuthatch or crossbill.  A most adaptable species.

As usual my party walks about 5 miles from the south end of the count
circle north to the refuge headquarters, some of us on the beach, others
along the dikes and impoundments.  George locates a Le Conte's Sparrow, a
species seen here regularly in a little wet patch of broom sedge and
Panicum for over 10 straight years, affording Paul Lehman and Eileen
Mathers, and also Yann Kolbeinsson, a visiting birder from Iceland, with
good views.  They also find some King Rails, Sedge Wrens and Orange-crowned
Warblers plus have good views, repeatedly, of a Gray Fox and 3 wild hogs. 
Jared and I, walking the interior dike roads, find less of interest
although I do have a good look at an Orange-crowned.  As usual my gang of 4
foregoes the compilation and leaves in mid-afternoon for the long haul down
to Manteo on Roanoke Island.  Dinner at Clara's, expensive but excellent,
esp. the crab soup, while we gaze at what I suppose is a beautiful replica
of Francis Drake's ship, the 'Golden Hind', at harborside.  I treat my gang
of 4 to dinner.  A clear, cool day with a light breeze.  

Dec. 29, Sun.  Bodie I.-Pea I. N.W.R. count.  George, Jared and I cover the
Bodie I. Lighthouse Pond sector, as usual.  George does a sea watch early
on, then covers the large grove of Italian Cluster Pines and loblollies
north of the lighthouse.  Jared walks the Yaupon trail down to Route 12. 
Of most interest: an American Bittern, 38 Tricolored Herons, 38 White Ibis,
2 Brant (scarce here), 2 Merlins, 22 Long-billed Dowitchers, 1003
Bonaparte's Gulls, 6 Sedge and 10 Marsh Wrens, 31 catbirds, 1 ea. of
Blue-headed & White-eyed Vireos (both by George), 3 Orange-crowned
Warblers, 34 towhees, an Ipswich and 6 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows, and
22 large, unidentified alcids which Matt & George find in the afternoon by
means of energetic scopeing of the sea.  Matt is assigned to cover South
Pond on the refuge by himself and finds a couple of thousand Redheads
there.  Jared and I walk around North Pond of Pea I. NWR in the afternoon,
finding few dabbling ducks here, just as they are much scarcer than usual
at the Lighthouse Pond.  The compilation at Clara's is another fine meal,
although several of us, unrelatedly, are stricken with bad muscle spasms in
our legs.  It is Paul Sykes' 65th birthday and I treat him to din-dins. 
Interesting counts totals include: a record 2462 Brown Pelicans, 223 White
Ibis and a Green Heron.  Also seen today: 1 Monarch, 2 Raccoons and some
Dolphins.    

Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225.  215-248-4120.  Please, any off-list replies to: 
harryarmistead@xxxxxxxxxxx
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