[va-richmond-general] Eastern Shore to Henricus

I birded from Richmond to the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland this last weekend. Waiting to meet friends to convoy, I saw an Osprey flying under the bridges near Belle Isle in the James. At Grandview Preserve in Hampton a Great Blue Heron seemed to admire its reflection as a flotilla of American Wigeon swam past in the marsh. On the beach eight Brant rested and fed. Several Bonaparte's Gulls sat nearby. As the fog rolled in a Common Loon dove never to resurface.
Double-crested Cormorants covered the rocks at the south end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel island that has the pier and restaurant. Several Brown Pelicans sat among them. Northern Gannets flew close in to the island. A pair of Harlequin Ducks preened on separate rocks affording incredibly close views. A half dozen Long-tailed Ducks drifted and preened, some even standing up in the water to preen their chest feathers. Four Purple Sandpipers and some Ruddy Turnstones worked the rocks covered with bright green "grass". A Song Sparrow and a Yellow-rump paused for a moment on a rock in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. Many Red-breasted Mergansers floated or flew by in small groups.
On Rt. 13 north of Cape Charles a row of Tundra Swans foraged in a field of small grain. One of our party spied Wild Turkeys in another field. I counted 34; someone else counted 42. The turkeys didn't seem the least bit discomfited by the deer running just behind them. The wind and rain intensified on our way to Willis Wharf. The tide was low and many Marbled Godwits and Willets were on the exposed flats. A dozen American Oystercatchers were mixed in. Dunlin and some peeps were barely discernible through the drizzle. A Bald Eagle sat on a dead pine tree.
Saturday morning we met at Ramp Road of the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. Some Gadwall, Green-winged Teal and Northern Shovelers swam on the pond. The edges of the road were busy with American Goldfinches, Carolina Wrens and Song Sparrows. A Downy Woodpecker tapped on a tree trunk while Pine Warblers trilled. A Northern Flicker flew up from the leaf litter showing the golden undersides of its wings.
Twelve members of Richmond Audubon assembled at the visitor center of the ESVNWR for a guided tour of Fishermen Island. Hardy friends, George and Jenny Budd, had signed on to lead our tour. They never blinked at the rain or said out loud we were crazy to be there. George told us some of the natural and military history of the island as we walked out to the beach. Jenny showed us fragments of Diamondback Terrapin eggs. Several Red-throated Loons flew over head as we walked the path to the beach. An Eastern Meadowlark was startled off a perch and flew. Two Sanderlings walked the edge of the sand. While we were out under the CBBT bridges the weather radio alerted us to a fast moving storm cell with high winds, heavy rain and imbedded lightening that was 15 minutes away from crossing our path. We hurried back to our vehicles, getting there before the deluge. Thankfully we never saw any lightening.
After lunch at Stingray's some of us continued north. We stopped at Willis Wharf for a replay of Marbled Godwits, Willets and Oystercatchers. A female Common Goldeneye was a treat found in the creek opposite the marina. Somewhere along Rt. 13 we saw hundreds of Snow Geese in a field.
Snow Goose Pool enclosed by the Wildlife Loop at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was full of water again, after being mostly dry when I'd seen it last summer, fall and winter. We saw some Tundra Swans, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, Black Ducks, Gadwall and Great Blue Herons. The howling wind made whitecaps on the pool.
Sunday morning dawned sunny and cold. An early morning drive to Tom's Cove earned us looks at Horned Grebes. To escape some of the wind we walked the Woodland Trail where we saw Brown-headed Nuthatches, Fox Sparrows and a Delmarva Fox Squirrel. Four Bald Eagles skirmished above our heads while a Red-tailed Hawk soared high above them. Seven or eight Great Egrets fed together in the marsh meadow of the Pony Overlook.
We left Chincoteague at mid-day and headed to Blackwater NWR where we saw the American White Pelicans that have been there most of the winter. Bald Eagles were everywhere. A pair of Osprey was seen on a nest platform. A quick drive of Elliott Island showed the beautiful landscape. At Deale Island Bufflehead and Ruddy Ducks rested on the water. A Great Horned Owl called and a Northern Harrier floated across the marsh.
At Henricus the next day the marsh was filled with ducks. Mallards, Gadwall, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeon and Canada Geese were joined by Wood Ducks and American Coots. An American Kestrel perched on the wire fence. The woodpecker suite was composed of Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers and a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers. Tree Swallows performed their ballet over the water. I saw my first of the day Hermit Thrush. An Eastern Phoebe called incessantly. I heard a Red-shouldered Hawk scream and watched as two flew to a branch and mated. A pair of Bald Eagles and some Black and Turkey Vultures soared on the wind.
Eastern Towhees called in the woods at Harrison Lake. Three Bald Eagles flew over with two immatures locking talons and tumbling.A Muskrat watched bright-eyed from Herring Creek. Eastern Bluebirds, Pine Warblers, American Goldfinches and Chipping Sparrows were spotted near the hatchery ponds. Juncos and White-throated Sparrows were singing bits of songs in the strong sunshine.
At Wilcox Wharf another Bald Eagle soared over the James. Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Robins and Song Sparrows scratched in the leaves.
3/12/08 saw my first of the season Fredericksburg Osprey hovering above the Rappahannock. 

Take care.

Lee Loudenslager Adams
Fredericksburg, VA
ladams42@xxxxxxx 

You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject 
field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, 
http://www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.

Other related posts: