VA BIRDers,
Marc Ribaudo, Rich Rieger, Jay Keller and I did a state-wide Virginia Big
Day run Saturday the 7th. We tallied 178 species (170 shared) which
according to the ABA sets a new state record.
Several of us have discussed strategies for a Virginia Big Day; these
discussions lead to an attempt in late May 2004 where we used the breeding
locations for many species to determine our route. Last year's route by
Ake, Gaskill, Spahr, and Williams began in the early morning hours in No.
Virginia and met dawn in Highland County after which we moved east, leaving
Afton Mtn at the Augusta Co. border at about 1240. This approach has many
advantages in terms of total number of species that can be tallied.
Unfortunately, this year brought a few complications in our schedules and
the late spring this year (esp. in Highland Co) argued against an early May
run, the time slot for the group.
Another group had considered a route dependent on Northern Virginia morning
migration hotspots, mainly the area along Possum Pt and Cockpit Roads ("the
Point"), Leeslyvania SP, Julie Metz Wetland Mitigation Bank and Occoquan Bay
NWR. Coupling this approach with pre-dawn birding at various wetlands and
Prince William Forest Park and Nokesville (pre-dawn hotspots?) was thought
to be viable. A dry run of the described area by Kim Peacock, Jay Keller
and I last week demonstrated that a team could tally in the mid-120's by
noon, albeit the species mix would be different from the 2004 effort. This
should give sufficient time to travel to hit Eastern Shore hotspots and
suggested the end result may be similar to last year's attempt. We choose
May 7th to test the idea; this was also a Saturday in the hopes that traffic
would be light (not to mention that we all had to work Monday!). We prayed
for good weather - which we sort of got, it was not wonderful, but the wind
was down, the sky was clearing, and the front had past!
We left our rendezvous a bit past midnight and headed a short distance to
Dyke Marsh (Fairfax Co). Here we were met by avian silence plus many cars
on the GW Parkway. We drove to Tyson's Corner and the traditional Common
Nighthawk spot; we found the bird closer to the lit up buildings just to the
east. Motoring then to Neabsco Creek on the east side of Julie Metz we
heard the King Rail as we got out of the car. Nothing else at this location
so we went to the Metz parking lot and managed a brief call from a Least
Bittern plus a distant Barred Owl (which only one us heard). To our
delight, as we left an E. Screech whinnied! We then headed to Joplin Rd
that bisects Prince William Forest Park (a unit of NPS). Here two of us
found a distant Whip-poor-will.
Continuing on, we stopped along Parkgate Rd in Nokesville (Pr Wm Co) hoping
for Bobolink. Nope! Just Mockers. Near the hard left turn we stopped and
quickly heard a close Black-billed Cuckoo. Then, a peculiar insect-like
noise started that went on and on..what was it? Just then, a Barn Owl
hissed and Rich caught the bird going into the silo - the insect noise
interrupted - it was young Barn Owls making begging calls! And, just then
the Black-billed Cuckoo called as it flew over our heads. Amazing!
We headed to an old farm field outside of Haymarket. Here we noted Virginia
Rail and Sora, everyone got on another Barred Owl,a Wild Turkey and heard a
juvie Great Horned call from the woods. We had just finished off the
freshwater rails and all the owls just past 3 AM - Great!
We sped back to Nokesville and went to our Grasshopper Sparrow spot, finding
the ammodramus plus the nearby Am. Woodcocks. Next stop was Cedar Run
wetland which added Wood Ducks, Wilson's Snipe and Swamp Sparrow. A nearby
stop added LA Waterthrush, White-throated Sparrow plus common edge birds as
the sky was now lightening. We headed to another spot for E. Meadowlark,
then back to Parkgate Rd finding American Kestrel, several dozen Bobolinks
plus a White-crowned Sparrow at feeder. Pre-dawn was now over and off we
sped to the Point!
We passed a No. Harrier flying over Rt 1 and drove into the Point at about
0630 and had a fantastic 3 hrs tallying migrants and breeders. I don't know
how many Yellow-rumped Warblers were there but certainly over a hundred!
Highlights were Lesser Scaup, Bald Eagles, Osprey, some Solitary and Spotted
Sandpipers, YB Cuckoo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, an amazing Red-breasted
Nuthatch (we pointed it out to Bev, June and Gerry - saw the Gant's later up
the road: sorry we couldn't stop and chat guys!), Veery, and in addition to
the common migrants a couple of Nashville Warblers plus Palm, Cerulean, a
few Blackpolls, and Wilson's Warblers and Northern Waterthrush. Many Summer
and Scarlet Tanagers called and displayed, a few White-throated Sparrows
were seen, an excellent push of Red-eyed Vireos and Indigo Buntings were
noted, a couple of Blue Grosbeaks, and both orioles. The Point yielded over
90 species; 23 of which were warblers.
We headed to Leesylvania SP where we added Ruddy Duck, some vultures, Purple
Martin, and Chipping Sparrow. Metz brought in Red-shouldered Hawk and
Forster's Tern and we saw a fantastic flight of hundreds of Chimney Swift
swirling over the Neabsco marsh! We next found an amazing Common Merganser
(male) near the mouth of Occoquan River plus Belted Kingfisher and
Broad-winged Hawk, and Occoquan Bay NWR added Cooper's Hawk and Prothonotary
Warbler. We then headed to a fueling station, gassed up, and joined
southbound traffic on I-95. We had 133 species and the time was 1220.
That's when the proverbial "cow paddie hit the fan".
Slow drive, stop and go, then speed up, then slow down. It cleared by the
time we hit Fredericksburg, 30+ miles to the south. Ughhhh! But, clearing
the gridlock, we moved quickly south attempting to make up time until -
Williamsburg! Geez Louise, would someone tell these people to stop with the
fender benders! A multi-mile backup, we clear it and soon are into Newport
News where ... you guessed it, we need to slow down - and stop a mile plus
from the Hampton Roads tunnel. Now folks, this is a nice tunnel, not too
dirty (nothing like up in the Big Apple) and straight as an arrow going up
and then down. So why do you have to stop? Arghh! Yet, as we inch along in
line we find Bill William's Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a flock of Cedar
Waxwings and then, clearing the tunnel we spot Common Terns on our left and
we are now heading for the Rt 13 exit. We make the CBBT toll station a
miraculously 45 min. behind schedule - its 4 PM.
We hit the islands - 1, 3, and 4. We find a few goodies. Common Loon,
Great Cormorant, Northern Gannet, Brown Pelican, Black Scoter (two islands),
American Oystercatcher, Pectoral Sandpipers northbound. Purple Sandpipers,
Ruddy Turnstones, Bonaparte's Gull, and Royal Tern. Fisherman Island nets
Boat-tailed Grackle. And many RB Mergansers coming off the CBBT at the last
turn out.
We go to Ramp Rd on the Eastern Shore of Virginia Refuge and find Gadwall,
and a calling No. Bobwhite as we leave. We head north - no E. Collared Dove
but a surprise Horned Lark flyover along Rt 600. We bypass Oyster (high
tides) and hit Willis Wharf - high tides too! Darn - too late! Yet, we
extract a single Marbled Godwit mixed in with dozens of Willets. Yes! A
Spotted Sandpiper flies across the inlet as we leave.
Drive to Chincoteague. We hit the causeway. Frantic. Tricolored Heron.
Little Blue. Glossy Ibis. Whimbrel, Whimbrel, Whimbrel. There are many!
Black Skimmers. Seaside Sparrow. A Northern Harrier. Short Dow.
Semiplovers. Black-necked Stilts. Dunlin. YES!
Into CNWR - man it's late! The wildlife drive is still open (huray!) - Green
Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler,
Green-winged Teal, more RB Mergansers, Marsh Wrens. We check Tom's Cove and
pass a Chuck-will's-widow calling at 750PM. Nothing new at the Cove. View
the surf - which is quite heavy and awe-inspiring I should add - and nothing
new. It's dark. We leave.
We eat a warm meal and head out again. We go to Saxis marsh and find ..
nothing new. Oh, well! Lots of VA Rails, a few Seasides and Marsh Wrens
and that's about it. We quit the day. We tallied 178 total, 170 shared
after 550 miles and 23+ hrs. Lots of misses.
Biggest miss up north for this route? E. Wood Pewee - we hear it at the Pony
Trail the next day. Also, Swainson's Thrush ! It seems like the Point
should have produced a Blue-winged Warbler. Oh, well! Down on the shore,
Cattle Egret, Piping Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Least Tern, and
Brown-headed Nuthatch were all easily found the next morning and all missed
Saturday!
The team thanks Bob Ake and Bill Williams for the valuable scouting info and
advice and John Spahr's encouragement!
Below is the species list.
Kurt Gaskill
Common Loon
No. Gannet
Brown Pelican
Great Cormorant
DC Cormorant
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
C. Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Am. Wigeon
Mallard
No. Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Lesser Scaup
Black Scoter
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
No. Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Am. Kestrel
Wild Turkey
No. Bobwhite
Clapper Rail
King Rail
VA Rail
Sora
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Am. Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Am. Woodcock
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barn Owl
E. Screech Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chuck-will's-widow
Whip-poor-will
C. Swift
Ruby-throated Hummer
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied WP
Down WP
Hairy WP
No. Flicker
Pileated WP
Acadian Flycatcher
E. Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
E. Kingbird
Horned Lark
White-eyed V
Yellow-throated V
Warbling V
Red-eyed V
Blue Jay
Am. Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Sw
No. Rough-winged Sw
Bank Sw
Barn Sw
C. Chickadee
T. Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Marsh Wren
RC Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
E. Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
Am. Robin
Gray Catbird
No. Mocker
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
E. Starling
Nashville
No. Parula
Yellow
Chestnut-sided
Magnolia
Black-throated Blue
Yellow-rumped
Black-throated Green
Yellow-throated
Pine
Prairie
Palm
Blackpoll
Cerulean
Black & White
Am. Redstart
Prothonotary
Worm-eating
Ovenbird
No. Waterthrush
LA Waterthrush
Com. Yellowthroat
Hooded
Wilson's
YB Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
No. Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
E. Towhee
Chipping Sp
Field Sp
Grasshopper Sp
Seaside Sp
Song Sp
Swamp Sp
White-throated Sp
White-crowned Sp
Bobolink
Red-winged BB
E. Meadowlark
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard O
Baltimore O
House Finch
Am. Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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