Mike Boatwright is watching the Brown Booby at about 7:30 this morning, 6
August - the bird was perched about six poles in or so from the tip of the
pound-net assembly just off the 'tiki bar' of the Cape Henry Inn, at the end of
Kwajalein Road on Fort Story.
Remember that to gain access to Fort Story as a civilian, you must enter
through the eastern gate (near 89th St. on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront), not
the
gate nearer First Landing State Park entrance. Your person and vehicle are
subject to search, and you must have a state-issued photo ID or passport with
you (each person in the vehicle must have one). Driver's license is fine.
The MPs on duty usually just ask you to open your hood, vehicle doors, and
trunk or backwindow/hatch. They don't usually pat anyone down. It helps to
indicate that the purpose of your visit includes looking at the lighthouses -
that's what 99.9% of visitors to Fort Story want to do, and it's true that most
of us pause to admire them! When one indicates that 'birding' is the sole
purpose of the visit, it tends to confuse the rookie MPs somewhat, if not the
veterans - but veterans are not always on duty.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
