Today I ran my second marshbird callback survey along the dikes at Back Bay
NWR. As far as the target birds were concerned, I recorded 6 KING RAILS and 2
LEAST BITTERNS. This compares with the North Bay canoe route I ran last week
and recorded 3 KING RAILS and 15 LEAST BITTERNS. Other birds of note seen
today included: WHITE IBIS, NORTHERN HARRIER (imm), WHITE PELICAN (been there
two weeks), WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, RED KNOT, BLACK-NECKED STILT (a pair in
suitable breeding habitat), and a variety of lingering shorebirds probably
totaling 150 birds. When I left the refuge I drove to a nursery in the Pungo
area. As I got out of my car a WARBLING VIREO was singing in the tree
overhead. The bird sang vigorously for the entire time I was at the nursery.
I have never recorded a breeding season occurrence of this species in the
Tidewater area. It was singing from some cottonwood trees that had been
planted by the nursery.
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
