I would suggest Jamestown Island, and the area around College Creek. My
husband and I were down there last weekend, and here's an e-mail he sent to
our group Wildlife Watchers on what we saw. I'd be interested to know if
the Grebe is still around.
Holly Koppel
Sterling, VA
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
Wildlife Watchers--
We had some great sightings this weekend! We did Busch Gardens on Saturday
in Willaimsburg, VA, and saw Canada Geese, Mallards, Double-crested
Cormorant, and a bunch of songbirds in the park.
On Sunday, we went to historic Jamestown, and started off by going into the
temporary visitor's center, which is just a trailer since their large,
beautiful facility with artifacts, a theater, and a precision model of the
archeological site was damaged in Hurricane Isabel last year. We were only
in there a minute or two before someone came in to complain about a raccoon
that had just ambled over to the picnic area in the parking lot, and they
asked that it be chased away! We followed a nice ranger with gold capped
teeth out to the bench, and we got to take a picture of the cute little guy
before he had to do his duty. He said that "Old Bruiser" had a bad leg, and
he pointed it out as the raccoon ran back into the woods.
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/Raccoon.jpg
As we toured the ruins and the archeological site, we saw a lot of birds as
well, who seemed to be enjoying the 60mph + winds more than the humans in
the area. The ranger mentioned a Bald Eagle nest, with a juvenile, but we
didn't see them. What we did see were a ton of Osprey, Great Black Backed
Gulls, Ring Billed Gulls, Great Blue Herons, Robins, Blue Jays, a _lot_ of
Red-winged Blackbirds, Mockingbirds, Carolina Chickadees, American Crows,
Fish Crows, maybe some Pine Warblers (couldn't make them out), maybe some
Bluebirds (again, too far out to be sure), Grackles, and Canada Geese.
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/Osprey.jpg
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/Osprey2.jpg
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/GBBGull.jpg
Even though the visitor center and some of the other sites were closed, the
driving tour was open this time, so we got to go out to the other side of
the island. Good thing, too. I spotted a bird way out over the water,
about 100 yards away or so. Not having binoculars on me, I studied its
behavior as best I could. The stark white instead of gray caught my eye,
and I thought I was looking at a Common Tern. When it hovered for a minute,
and dived at the water, my suspicions were confirmed. A 10 minute wait in
gale force winds at a wind chill below freezing paid off as he flew close to
the beach and headed out to the opposite side of the river. I missed the
shot there, but as I followed him, I saw him fly toward another Tern!
(because, well, one good Tern deserves another).
Anyway, this one came right for us, and slowed down in the high winds. He
stayed right up next to us for a couple of seconds while flying against the
winds, and even seemed to be checking us out. Here is his picture:
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/Tern.jpg
Then, as we were starting to head back home, Holly and I noticed a head
sticking out of the water that I thought looked a lot like a Grebe just a
couple of miles north, at College Creek. Turned out to be a Cormorant whose
body was below the water.
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/DCCormorant.jpg
But, thank God we stopped, because Holly glanced to the right, and really
did find a Grebe. My Sigma lens doesn't do it justice, but I believe it was
a Horned Grebe in winter plumage.
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/HGrebe.jpg
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/HGrebe2.jpg
While I'd knelt down to steady my lens (no time to set up the tripod) for
the Grebe, a Laughing Gull made several passes right by Holly and I.
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/LGull.jpg
And we even attracted a Fish Crow, who I think was interested in the shiny
camera. He flew down several feet from us, and kept cawing at us:
http://www.hollyandjeremy.com/FCrow.jpg
So, this was a lesson to Holly and I that even if the wind is so high that
you're getting blown over, the birds don't seem to mind at all!
Jeremy Koppel
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Pjdunn1@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 8:55 PM
To: VA-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-bird] Birding Williamsburg
I will be visiting Williamsburg next weekend 4-16 to 4-19. Some of the time
will be spent birding. Saturday is the day where I will be able to spend the
most time in the field. Anybody know of any hot spots in and around the
Williamsburg area? As much as a two hour drive from the city is possible,
depending
on circumstances.
Thanks in advance,
PJ Dunn
Alexandria
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