FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Orang-crowned Warbler-Whitehurst Tract, Virginia Beach

[Chirp50@xxxxxxx]

Birders,
At noon today (3-1-04) my husband and I spent an hour & 15 minutes at the 
Whitehurst Tract (Back Bay area of Virginia Beach). We began by scoping out the 
watery fields by the parking lot and found a nice variety of waterfowl still 
present (Hoodies, GW Teal,Wigeon and Mallards. We then crossed the road to the 
first entrance. We went out a very short mowed trail to the right as you enter 
the area from the road when we came upon the OC Warbler feeding. It let us get 
fairly close to observe and fed about 5 minutes before flying to the line of 
trees across the road by the parking lot. Further down the path where the 
large pond is concealed by trees and there is an island in the center of the 
pond 
were the same waterfowl feeding as well as Pintails. We walked along the back 
areas before coming out near the rear entrance when we flushed an American 
Bittern out of the reeds.
Other highlights were about a dozen Bluebirds feeding near the road, several 
Meadowlarks singing, a Bobwhite calling, several Palm Warblers and about 6 
Wilson's Snipe. Raptors present were: Harrier, RT Hawk, Kestrel, Sharp-shinned, 
TV and BV. We observed about 30 species in the hour+ we were there.
On Sunday we made a trip to Hog Island & Chippokes Plantation where things 
were fairly quiet. Of course we always appreciate the eagles at HI and all 
tolled observed 40 species of birds.

Karen & Tom Beatty
Virginia Beach, VA


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