I spent the past week with my family at Sandbridge Beach, VA which is just
outside Back Bay NWR. The first bird of the visit was a Barn Swallow (they had
several nests under the deck of our rental), and the last was a House Sparrow
(odd not to have seen one till this morning). The best bird would have to be a
female Magnificent Frigatebird seen yesterday at the south end of Sandbridge
Beach, and I didn't even have to get out of my beach chair (although I did). It
spent the better part of the afternoon soaring around the beach side of an
extremely ugly condo complex being built just north of Little Island Park, with
eye-popping views as it flew over head. At one point, it passed over me low
enough that its wings were touching the sides of the view through my
binoculars.
The most numerous gull seen was Lesser Black-backed gull. There was a flock
of 17 (2 adult, 4 2nd year, and 11 1st year) hanging about the beach at Back
Bay NWR. Occasionally one would do a fly-by at Sandbridge Beach. The most
numerous tern was Royal Tern, followed by Sandwich Tern, with a few each of
Common and Little Terns, a pair of Black Skimmers, and one each of Caspian and
Forster's Terns thrown in. Other highlights were Northern Gannet and Common
Loon seen from the fishing pier at Little Island Park; Willow Flycatcher and
Prothonary Warbler at False Cape SP; and Little Blue Heron at Back Bay NWR.
Scott Priebe
Springfield, VA
