[va-bird] Dismal Swamp walk 29 Apr

   Yesterday was a gorgeous day in the swamp.  I was joined on the walk by Tom 
Tustison, Renee Hudgins, Paula Neff, and Rory Johnson.  We got started about 
6:30 and walked both north and south Jericho.
    We recorded 52 species.  New birds for the year for me for the swamp were: 
Summer (5) and Scarlet (1) Tanagers, Eastern Wood-Pewee (1), and Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks (4).  Other birds of interest included Yellow-billed Cuckoo (8, 
including a copulating pair), numbers of Cedar Waxwings and Myrtle Warblers, a 
Red-headed Woodpecker.  We recorded 13 warbler species.  They were Swainson's 
Warbler (6), Prothonotary Warbler (15), Black-and-white Warbler (6), Common 
Yellowthroat (9), Prairie Warbler (6), Yellow-rumped Warbler (32), Worm-eating 
Warbler (2), Northern Parula (7), Ovenbird (7), Hooded Warbler (8), 
Black-throated Blue Warbler (1), Palm Warbler (1), and Pine Warbler (1).  There 
is a very vocal Swainson's Warbler very near the small refuge sign on the 
righthand side of the Jericho Ditch entrance road.  You don't even have to get 
out of your car!
    The butterflies were really flying even though the early morning 
temperature was quite cool.  We saw 16 species not counting the cabbages and 
sulfurs seen outside the swamp.  The butterflies on Jericho Ditch were: Black 
Swallowtail (5), Palamedes Swallowtail (37), Carolina Satyr (26), American Lady 
(5), Pearl Crescent (39), Spring Azure (3), Southern Pearly Eye (2), Zebra 
Swallowtail (2), Buckeye (1), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (12), Juvenal's 
Duskywing (1), Henry's Elfin (1), Sleepy Orange (2), Common Checkered-Skipper 
(1), Red-spotted Purple (1), unid skipper (1).  The actual Pearl Crescent and 
Carolina Satyr numbers are probably significantly higher.  There were a lot of 
them.  I have an ammendment to a previous butterfly list.  On 19 April I 
reported a female Fiery Skipper; it was in fact a Carolina Roadside-Skipper.
   Next week I begin my surveys at Back Bay NWR so I won't have time to do any 
swamp walks.  After that I'll be scouting New Jersey for the World Series of 
Birding as part of the VSO Roving Ravens team (Please make a pledge in support 
of Virginia's Important Bird Areas Program!) and following that event I'll be 
scouting for a Virginia big day.  So I don't know when I'll next get into the 
swamp.  If I get there, I'll certainly post my observations to this listserve.
Cheers,
Bob
   
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.

Other related posts: