This was a good week at College Creek Hawkwatch on the James River near
Williamsburg, as temperatures turned much milder. Since the last post on the
24th, we have tallied 178 hawks and vultures, over 6 days, with today, March
31st, the nicest weather, but the least migration, with only 5 birds and
virtually none of the many Ospreys and Bald Eagles we usually see milling
about anmd
fishing, if not actively migrating. We are apparently in between waves of
migrants, as even the Tree Swallows were not very numerous today.
Our total of 803 represents the second-highest February/March total and is
ahead of last year's pace when a new season record of 1445 was set.
Other migrants have included Rough-winged Swallows, Great Egrets,
Yellow-throated Warblers and hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants.
On March 27th, we found a White M Hairstreak butterfly, rarely seen around
here.
Brian Taber
Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory
