FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Va. Beach, March 2

[Scott Baron <brnpelican@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sunday, March 2, I birded Back Bay NWR, Munden
Point Park, and the oceanfront area (Atlantic and
Pacific avenues) in Virginia Beach.  The birding
highlights were Sedge Wrens at Back Bay NWR and
Chipping Sparrows and Ospreys at Munden Point Park.  

The day started off foggy and drizzly.  The fog over
the ocean was especially thick.  In this dense fog I
couldn't see much around the motel but there were
flocks of Red-breasted Mergansers streaming north. 
Later in the morning I checked out the lakes along
Pacific Ave. and found waterfowl, including about a
dozen Lesser Scaup and 2 Ruddies.  The precipitation
had stopped by this time.  The surrounding
neighborhoods were bustling with activity and held
lots of grackles, among other songbirds.

I drove to Back Bay NWR next.  The thick fog was
present near the beach as I passed through the
community of Sandbridge, with only 1/10 mile
visibility.  I drove through lots of big puddles in
this stretch.  I'd say the undercarriage of my car got
a decent cleaning that morning.  I saw 2 Wild Ponies
here.

I was unaware of the American White Pelican sighting
the day before.  Nonetheless, I didn't notice anything
that unusual.  There was a nice mix of birds feeding
in the grass near the parking lot: American Robins,
Song and Field Sparrows, No. Cardinals and a Mocker. 
The Cardinals looked a little out of place, feeding on
short grass, not very close to cover.  Yellow-rumped
Warblers and other songbirds were in the shrubbery.

In the higher grass near the Visitor's Center, where
the Purple Martin houses are, I flushed a Snipe.  This
area is lower and is often soggy.  Today it was
downright wet, with lots of puddles.  Later, a Kestrel
perched on a pole, or maybe it was one of the houses. 
I forget.

I continued down the Bay Trail, which often has lots
of songbirds.  It felt good to be outside.  It was
mild, in the low 60s, and calm.  I frightened a Wild
Pig and a deer on this trail.  I could barely ID the
pig, as the vegetation was pretty thick, but I could
see black fur with some gray hairs, in it.  Besides
the Yellow-rumpeds, songbirds included 2 Sedge Wrens,
which I heard calling, and 2 Catbirds.  It's nice to
see this species in winter.  Up here in No. Va.,
Catbirds are scarce at this season.  I'm pretty sure I
heard a Winter Wren, which would make it a 3 wren day.
 Carolina, of course, would be the third.  I'd love to
get 4 or 5 wren species here someday.  This trail,
too, had lots of puddles.  I'm glad I wore my boots
this day.

I heard frogs calling around this trail.  They would
stop vocalizing when I approached.  I'm not sure what
species they were, I need to check my frog tapes when
I get home tonight.  I saw a turtle in the water
today, species unknown, and heard another one "plop"
into the water.  Red-winged Blackbirds were singing,
one of the classic signs of early spring to me.  17
Lesser Scaup were at the end of this trail, in the
bay.

I walked out to the beach, always a beautiful spot
here.  By this time, the fog was lifting but the
temperature dropped a bit and a breeze started
blowing.  It misted briefly.  It was here that I found
out my new boots weren't totally watertight.  There
weren't too many gulls here, but 2 of them were Lesser
Black-backed.  This species isn't hard to find along
the beach at this location.  I counted about 300
Gannets offshore during my short walk.  Other species
included both loons, 2 Horned Grebes and Red-breasted
Mergansers.  A few Forster's Terns hunted just past
the surf.  Lots of Brown Pelicans, one of my favorite
species, were flying by, as well as D.c. Cormorants. 
Most birds were headed north.

I wanted to check out Munden Point Park, which I had
never been to before but is listed on the coastal
portion of the Virginia Birding Trail.  It is located
just above the North Carolina line in southern Va.
Beach.  It's a pleasant little park, with Pine and
Sweetgum trees, river frontage and plenty of places to
picnic or toss a frisbee.  I saw my first Ospreys of
the year here, one of which was perched in a
Baldcypress eating a fish.  There were at least 600
scaup here.  All the ones that I ID'd were Lesser.  On
the lawn near where I parked my car was a really nice
mix of songbirds with about 15 each of Chipping
Sparrows and Juncoes, and smaller numbers of Pine
Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bluebirds and other
species.  Brown-headed Nuthatches fed in the pines
above.  The Chipping Sparrows were not quite in full
breeding plumage.  The lawn here, too, was wet.  The
sky started to clear before I left and by the time I
left at 4PM it had become partly cloudy.

On the way home around sunset, I saw what I'm pretty
sure was a Bald Eagle flying over Rte. 64 in New Kent
County.  It was getting dark but this large bird was
flapping continuously, probably more than a Turkey
Vulture would have.  It seemed to have the right shape
for an eagle as well.  It was a nice ending to a
pleasant day.

Scott Baron
brnpelican@xxxxxxxxx
Fairfax, Va.



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