[va-bird] VA Bch Weekend - 104 species

Hello VA-Birders,

Larry Meade and I took part in this weekend's Patteson pelagic out of VA Be=
ach, and decided to bird the surrounding areas on Friday and Sunday as well=
.  On Friday, we took the long way from northern Virginia and started the "=
official" trip below Richmond on Rte 460, exploring a few of the pine fores=
t-filled back roads along the way.  We then made our way to Craney Island a=
nd then to find the Western Tanager and Painted Bunting, then to Stumpy Lak=
e and finally ending at First Landing SP.

Highlights were a WILD TURKEY, several PINE WARBLERs, GC KINGLETS, and BROW=
N-HEADED NUTHATCHES on one of the back roads along 460.  We also saw a PIED=
-BILLED GREBE and several TREE SWALLOWS while crossing over the James River=
 on Lake Prince Farms Road north of Suffolk.  On Craney Island things were =
fairly slow, but we managed to score a NORTHERN HARRIER, KILLDEER, 2 OSPREY=
 and some SURF SCOTERS.  From there we drove to Lambert Trail knowing the b=
ird is usually seen later in the afternoon to see the Painted Bunting and w=
aited for nearly an hour but it did not show.  While we were there, however=
, we saw 2 EASTERN TOWHEEs, and our trip's first BROWN THRASHER.  From ther=
e we went to Virginia Beach to Penshurst Road where the Proeschers were ver=
y gracious hosts to let us see the WESTERN TANAGER coming to their feeders.=
  While there, we had a flyover GREAT EGRET, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, and PILEA=
TED WOODPECKER.  From there, we went to Stumpy Lake which held GADWALL, YEL=
LOW-RUMPED WARBLERS plucking something from the water's surface, and I hear=
d an EASTERN PHOEBE calling in the distance.  Finally at First Landing we s=
aw the trip's first BROWN PELICAN, as well as hundreds of RED-BREASTED MERG=
ANSERS and DC CORMORANTS.  We tallied 66 species on this day including many=
 woodland and grassland species.

Saturday was the Pelagic and ended up being a fantastic time, with barely a=
ny winds and decent termeratures.  We were able to see many ATLANTIC PUFFIN=
S, DOVEKIE, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKEs, ICELAND GULL, and NORTHERN FULMAR amon=
g the hundreds of NORTHERN GANNETS and gulls.  We also had a close view of =
a large alcid skittering away that was likely a RAZORBILL, but there was no=
 way to be sure.  Trip species total thus far was 75.  Earlier, Larry poste=
d photos he took which are availableat the following site: http://www.msnus=
ers.com/Uberbirds/shoebox.msnw?Page=3D1

Sunday we decided to make the Eastern Shore run and the goal was to hit as =
many places as possible.  Therefore, we did not beat the bushes at any one =
location and possibly missed some opportunities.  We started at Lynnehaven =
and picked up SAVANNAH SPARROW, BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, and RED-BREASTED NUTHA=
TCH.  We then made our way to the CBBT where we picked up RUDDY TURNSTONES,=
 LONG-TAILED DUCK and the usual Loons, Scoters, and GREAT CORMORANTs on Isl=
and 1.  CBBT #2 yielded GREATER SCAUP and one RED-NECKED GREBE coming into =
breeding plumage.  CBBT 4 gave us 5 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, LESSER SCAUP, and the =
only WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs of the trip.  From there we went to the Eastern S=
hore NWR where we found AMERICAN WIGEON, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, BLACK DUCK, and =
the gorgeous EURASIAN WIGEON.  At Kiptopeke, things were slow but it sounds=
 like it picked up later in the afternoon.  We added BUFFLEHEAD and RUDDY D=
UCK here.  On to Cape Charles where we saw SANDERLING and DUNLIN among the =
usual suspects, and did not find the Wilson's Warbler or hummer in Ned's ya=
rd.  Oyster was slow, but Willis Wharf was quite good giving us dozens of M=
ARBLED GODWIT, several WILLET, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and GREATER YELLOWLE=
GS.  Our last stop was Chincoteague, and we rounded out our waterfowl count=
 with GREEN-WINGED TEAL, SHOVELER, PINTAIL, SNOW GOOSE, and TUNDRA SWAN.  W=
e also watched many AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS on the long drive before reachi=
ng the park.  This is a truly beautiful place to end a very successful and =
exciting trip.

In all, we tallied 104 VA species, which seems like a fine trip that yielde=
d some life birds for each of us and many additions to the year lists.  It =
sounds like we'll have to go back for a few missed birds, but we're satisfi=
ed with all that was accomplished on one jaunt.  A complete list of weekend=
 birds follows:

Jay Keller & Larry Meade

Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Northern Fulmar
Brown Pelican
Northern Gannett
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
American Black Duck
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
White-winged Scoter
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Wild Turkey
American Coot
Killdeer
American Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Black-legged Kittiwake
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Dovekie
Atlantic Puffin
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Western Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


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