The Carolina Bird Club Virginia Beach winter meeting closed Sunday with 133
species observed. The CBC Executive Committee greatly appreciates all of
the Virginia and CBC leaders who made the meeting very successful,
especially Terry Jenkins, President of Virginia Beach Audubon, and Karen
Beatty, field trip leader of the Back Bay Bird Club, for their help in
organizing the meeting. I thank Ned Brinkley also furnished advice on trip
planning.
I also thank our speakers, Doug Pratt (Friday) and Michael Male and Judy
Fieth (Saturday) plus the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum and Crystal
Matthews, of the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, for making
this meeting very special.
A more detailed description and photos will be posted soon on the CBC
website and will appear in the upcoming CBC newsletter. Below are some of
the highlights:
On Friday, a group led by Bob Ake from Norfolk spotted a dark shearwater off
the beach at Back Bay NWR that was probably a Sooty Shearwater. The group
watched the bird cruise around the area for more than five minutes, landing
several times in the water. Other birds observed included Red-throated
Loon, Bonaparte's Gull, and Horned Grebe plus a Red-necked Grebe flyby.
The CBBT was a huge winter birding treat as usual, delivering Harlequins,
Scaup, all three species of Scoter, many Brant, and 1000+ Long-tailed Ducks.
There seemed to be about six different molt stages observable in the LTDs.
Other CBBT notable sightings included a submarine and 4 harbor seals.
Obviously, the crown jewel of the CBBT trips was the Iceland Gull. What is
astounding was that this bird was found on Friday and again on Saturday (by
groups led by Stephen Harris) on two different islands (3 & 2) and under
different circumstances. A couple of photos of the Iceland are already
posted in the CBC Photo Gallery (http://www.carolinabirdclub.org).
This past August in SE Arizona I met Barbra Reber of Newport Beach, CA. She
talked fondly about birding on the OBX and that she had taken 5 pelagic
trips a few months earlier so I invited her to the meeting. Barbara
observed her first Purple Sandpiper on the CBBT. It was her 724th ABA
species.
We very much appreciate CBBT security for making the trips possible and
assisting with the trips.
Again, I thank all of the above and the Ramada Plaza Resort for making this
a successful and fun event!
PS just because I am highly jealous of those who saw the Iceland Gull
doesnt mean that that is why I am not talking to several individuals.
Those who rubbed it in hurt my feelings. Ok, my sister saw it and I am
still talking to her. Hopefully, Ill get over it by the Asheville
Executive Committee meeting.
John Ennis
Leland, NC
910-371-9729
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