Today while assisting Dorie Stolley with the beach survey at Back Bay NWR in
Virginia Beach I saw my first black-headed Laughing Gulls (4) of the spring. I
also saw my first Royal Tern for the spring. We estimated about 800 Northern
Gannets fishing offshore as well as about 100 scoters (mostly blacks), a
sprinkling of Red-breasted Mergansers, a few Horned Grebes, about 250
Sanderlings, 8 Black-bellied Plovers. Great Black-backed Gulls were the most
numerous gull, followed by Lesser Black-backed Gulls (about 50), Ring-bills,
and Herrings. About 150 Double-crested Cormorants, but relatively few loons
were seen along the approximately 11 mile survey. A Bald Eagle and an Osprey
were patrolling the beach.
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
