[va-richmond-general] CBCs; Eastern Shore 12/31/08

Yesterday I took part in my 2nd CBC ever.  I highly recommend getting
involved in this next year, whether you want to learn more, feel the need to
be useful and volunteer somewhere, or want to shake things up by adding
something new to your birding schedule.  It is fun, you are needed, and the
information you can help gather is valuable.

 

This morning I started at Willis Wharf on the way back to Richmond.  I was a
bit under the weather and the sun was behind most of the shorebirds, but I
was able to ID many of them as they moved and vocalized in response to
rising water.  After that I meandered down 600/Seaside to Rt. 13 and headed
to the bridge.  The trip home coincided with the onslaught of high wind,
which made things interesting to say the least.  There was no glaucous gull
at Oyster-probably dining at the dump when Hans Gabler, Doug Davis and I
were looking for it.  No time to wait for it.  Here's what I saw, though I
am sure I forgot a few and I did not count most of them:

 

Willis Wharf-Redhead (1), Field sparrow, House sparrow, Hooded Merganser
(8), Gr. yellowlegs, Willet, Marbled godwit (love the way the bill looks
when  the sun lights it up), Bufflehead, Herring gull, Gr. black-backed
gull, Belted kingfisher, Can. Goose, BV, TV, House finch, Lesser yellowlegs,
Mourning dove, Eurasian collared dove (1), Fish crow, Killdeer, Snow geese
(18+20), Common loon (1), E. starlings, Rock pigeons, Domestic geese, Ruddy
turnstones, Chipping sparrow, E. bluebird

 

Rt. 600-N. mockingbird, Am. Kestrel (almost 1 every 2-5 miles at times), Am.
crow, Bald Eagle-adult on a deer carcass in a field along with BVs (the
eagle clearly was in charge of that scene!) 

 

Red Bank Rd. and Public Boat Landing-ad. Bald Eagle, N. Harrier, N.
mockingbird, Crow sp. (many everywhere today), E. bluebird, Am. kestrel

 

Rt. 600-Am. kestrels (2)

 

Landfill-Ring-necked ducks (2), Bufflehead, CAGO (nothing unusual noted,
though I did not look that hard), Am. crow, Fish crow (many of both crows),
Song sparrow, White-throated sparrow, Am. black duck, Mallard, Gr.
black-backed gull, HEGU, BV, TV  Did not sort through gull plumages.

 

Oyster-no Glaucous, but it was seen in the previous 24 hours and made the
CBC list.  Red-tailed hawk, HEGU, Ruddy turnstone

 

CBBT-gulls, gulls, gulls, Br. pelican (1, very ungainly in the amazing
wind), one probable Lesser black-backed gull hovering briefly in front of
the moving car.  Spray was blowing across Isl. 1 and parts of the bridge,
did not bother to bird there.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Jan

Richmond

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