The cold northeast wind has really slowed down migration here on the coast.
On the walk there were only two new birds for me this year in the swamp. They
were Prairie Warblers which had been reported earlier by me in Norfolk and
Great Crested Flycatcher. We met Don Schwab during our walk who reported
hearing Veery and Black-throated Green Warbler from another part of the swamp.
The bird walkers included Gene Burreson from Gloucester, John Fox, Bev
Leuwenberg, and Jen Folts from northern Virginia, Susan Hubbard from Norfolk,
Shirley Bolanaga from Portsmouth, and Linda Atler from Suffolk. I hope I got
the spelling right for each name.
It was a little cool at 45F when we started at 7:00am but the sun warmed
things up as we went. We walked south along Jericho Ditch but failed to hear
any Swainson's Warblers in one of their prime locations in the past. The level
of bird song dropped significantly after about 10 am. The bird list follows:
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (11) in full song, Common Yellowthroat (13), Pileated
Woodpecker (4), Hermit Thrush (1) beautifully singing, Prothonotary Warbler
(11), Northern Cardinal (1), Red-bellied Woodpecker (7), White-eyed Vireo (4),
Black-and-white Warbler (5), Carolina Wren (5), Gray Catbird (3), Blue Jay (4),
Mourning Dove (1), Prairie Warbler (5), Northern Flicker (2), Downy Woodpecker
(4), White-throated Sparrow (4), Eastern Towhee (5), Brown-headed Cowbird (2),
Wood Duck (2), Carolina Chickadee (1), Laughing Gull (6), Hairy Woodpecker (2),
Ovenbird (10), Tufted Titmouse (1), White-breasted Nuthatch (2), Dark-eyed
Junco (2), Purple Martin (1), Turkey Vulture (2), Great Crested Flycatcher (1),
American Goldfinch (1), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2), Common Grackle (1), Great
Blue Heron (3), Red-shouldered Hawk (2), Pine Warbler (1), Yellow-rumped
Warbler (1).
Carpenter and Southern Leopard Frogs were the only amphibs heard during the
walk. The butterflies were a little slow in coming, but eventually we managed
ten species including Clouded Sulfur which was new for this year. The
butterfly list included: Zebra Swallowtail (15), Spring Azure (14), Eastern
Tiger Swallowtail (3), Falcate Orangetip (3), Henry's Elfin (2), Cabbage White
(2), Juvenal's Duskywing (10), Clouded Sulfur (1), Pearl Crescent (1), American
Lady (1).
My next walk in the Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Wednesday, April 20, will
leave from the Washington Ditch parking lot at 6:45 am. No advanced notice is
required; just show up. Please join me if you'd like.
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
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