My son Cassidy and I made a quick trip to Portsmouth and Virginia Beach on
Friday afternoon (15 Feb.) to twitch a couple of the recent attractions. The
Snowy Owl was still at Craney Island, apparently near where it has been seen by
many observers - near the northeast corner of the middle section (impoundment)
of the area, roughly 200 meters south of the road. We didn't spend much time at
Craney after finding the owl, but we did see Bufflehead, gannets, pelicans,
harriers, a Red-breasted Merganser, some Lesser Scaup, the usual gulls and some
other ducks....
In Virginia Beach, on the pond in Christopher Farms (Pleasant Acres Drive) off
Holland Road, the drake Eurasian Wigeon was also still present. It took a
little while for the wigeon to appear because when we first arrived he was in
the far end of the lake, hidden from view from anyone looking from the platform
near the fountain. I also saw this bird last Friday; he hasn't been associating
with a female wigeon on either occasion when I saw him. Last week he was
vocalizing frequently; this week he was silent but the American Wigeons were
calling. Also on the pond were Mallards, 2 Double-crested Cormorants, and a
couple of Green-winged Teal, and there was a Common Snipe hiding along the
shoreline.
Mike Stinson
Prospect, VA
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