PEA ISLAND & BODIE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE POND
Part 3. The Redeye Circuit. Five Christmas Bird Counts in Virginia and
North Carolina, December 26-31, 2003. Harry Armistead and Jared Sparks.
Sun., Dec. 28. Bodie Island-Pea Island N.W.R. Christmas count. George and
Marshall join Ricky Davis at Wanchese on the south end of Roanoke Island.
This is the only sector where many landbird species are found on this count
in spite of its yapping dogs and trailer park ambience. Here they find a
Clay-colored Sparrow, never before seen in the 39 years of this count,
which they photograph and sketch. With its dense Juncus roemerianus
marshes and stands of Loblolly Pines it very much resembles Dorchester
County, MD.
As usual I cover the Bodie Island Lighthouse Pond, giving me the chance to
try out the $19.99 hip waders I bought 2 weeks ago at Dick's Sporting
Goods. They're comfortable and pass with flying colors but we'll see how
long they last. Jared covers the road out to the hunt club dock, then down
the dike trail to Route 12, out to the sea, and back up the lighthouse
entrance road. Not nearly as many waterfowl on the pond as in most years.
No Snow Geese at all but I find 60 swans, 36 White Ibis (a little low; c.
173 seen on the count), 3 snipe, 12 Long-billed Dowitchers (low), 85 Tree
Swallows, 330 pintails, 145 Gadwalls, 5 sharp-tailed sparrows, 4 Marsh
Wrens, 1 Sedge Wren, 1 Willet, 60 hoodies, and 16 Blue-winged Teal. In
spite of the rains of 2003 the pond level is average, making the several
fordings of ditches and tidal guts of only average difficulty.
Returning to the lighthouse after four hours of walking in the marshes,
there is a Common Redpoll at close range on the grass around the Visitor
Center. It flies up into a loblolly. I call on the cell to George, who
has already seen 12. Later at dinner we'll find that 8 parties have seen a
total of 167. Normally just one is a cause for celebration. Also today
most of the coastally-located participants on the Ocean City, MD, Christmas
count see 186 plus 2 Hoary Redpolls, an unprecedented fallout for one day.
Striped Bass madness. I am overcome with exhaustion after the morning and
doze at the Oregon Inlet marina while Jared checks out the fishing boats.
There are over 300 vehicles parked here. Two men are cleaning most of the
fish caught, 20 to 30 pound striped bass. Their pickup truck is full of
fish remains just from today. There are 85 more vehicles parked at the
north side of Oregon Inlet per se. Most of the fish are being caught from
boats as opposed to the surf casters. I have never seen a frenzy of
fishing activity such as this on the 15 or so years I have done this count.
In the afternoon I traditionally walk around North Pond of the Pea Island
N.W.R. This year, because of my nap, I just walk back and forth on the
south side dike here. But there are 2 Common Redpolls here actively
feeding on Seaside Goldenrod. It is fun to show these birds off to various
birders. They are a little pudgy, delightfully tame - allowing close
approaches - and there is something in the aspect of their eyes, their
pudginess, and tameness that makes these little, wandering Arctic sprites
extremely engaging. Put simply, I find them cute as all get out. Normally
they are a rarity in North Carolina.
Later in the day George and Marshall return to spend the afternoon in our
area doing a sea watch and poking around the pond area. In the gathering
dusk I do not notice Audrey Whitlock, who carefully sneaks up behind and
surprises me. Marshall does a star turn a few minutes later when it's
almost dark finding a male Eurasian Wigeon and a Short-eared Owl from the
pond observation platform in the failing light. George plays his new tape,
made on Christmas night, in the gloaming prompting c. 20 Virginia Rails and
a Sora to reply.
Our party totals include 510 gannets, 138 Brown Pelicans, a Great
Cormorant, 26 Tricolored Herons, 200 Black Scoters, 25 avocets, 2 Horned
Owls (calling at dawn in the pond's Italian Cluster Pine forest), a Lesser
Back-backed Gull, 3 Razorbills, 400 Tree Swallows, 9 catbirds, 31 towhees,
and 14 redpolls and we've a total of 96 species. Italian Cluster Pines are
very similar to loblollies; their cones are more reddish-brown. Birds seen
by others on the count are 6 white pelicans, 2 Brant (scarce here), 1
Long-tailed Duck (also scarce here), 3 or more Merlin, 5 or more
peregrines, 12 Piping Plovers, 200+ avocets, 3 skimmers, 1,000+ Tree
Swallows, 27 Sedge Wrens, 17 yellowthroats, a Clay-colored Sparrow, 1
titmouse, and 20 Marbled Godwits. I see a Monarch in the Italian Cluster
Pine grove. It surprises some to learn that this count includes less land
area than the Cape Hatteras count.
The compilation dinner is at Nags Head at the Dunes Restaurant, where we
have a nice banquet area to ourselves. The count total is 161 species, an
all-time best by 2 species (the 1975 count recorded 159 species).
Best to all - Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
1919-1225. 215-248-4120. harryarmistead at hotmail dot com.
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