A nearly full's day birding around the southern tip of the peninsula today
produced a Lapland Longspur at Capeville (for Todd Day, Brian Sullivan,
George Armistead), a marvelous juvenile light-morph Swainson's Hawk at
Kiptopeke that stooped right in on the lure bird at the hawkbanding station
(for Brian, Todd, George, Zach Smith, myself) in the morning, along with a
very nice flight of Bald (ca. 50) and Golden (3 juv.) Eagles around the
southern tip, and a good diversity of raptors otherwise. At one point at the
Eastern Shore refuge, we had 2 Golden Eagles overhead together for few
minutes, always a treat on the coast. Along the Butterfly Trail there, a
great number of sparrows, with the most noteworthy being about 12
White-crowned Sparrows, one of them a Gambel's (only the second record from
the Virginia coast). While studying swallows at the refuge, Brian Sullivan
and I saw a large white bird with black remiges soaring in the distance . We
at first assumed it to be an American White Pelican; but in truth, the shape
looked more like that of a Wood Stork. Sadly, the bird turned northward and
we lost it; it will have to remain unidentified. A scope would have settled
the question, but we were birding the pond with binoculars only! At
Mockhorn Island WMA (GATR Tract), Brian and I saw a Cave Swallow fly by among
the thousands of Tree Swallows here. In the woods here, Todd Day flushed a
group of five medium-sized owls, probably Long-eared Owls roosting
communally. At the entrance gate, an Orange-crowned Warbler fed in a
Baccharis bush with kinglets, sparrows, and Myrtle Warblers, seen by Todd
(his #334 for the year), Brian, George, and myself.
All in all, a good day.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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