A President’s weekend trip to Virginia Beach was just the ticket to waterfowl abundance for some Forsyth Audubon members. The weather forecast for Friday was dire. And the drive from WS to Virginia Beach was a mix of light rain to torrential downpours. However, after arriving at the Back Bay NWR there was no rain!! Fortunately for us, it only rained a little during our tram tour. We had an open air tram with an overhead canopy. The tram provided a platform for Deidre to set up her scope in the aisle. We were allowed to get out to scope the ducks and geese.
And we had birds, – a few thousand tundra swans, hundreds of snow geese and a great variety of dabbling ducks with a few diving ducks mixed in. For those looking for a shorebird challenge, we had both greater and lesser yellowlegs and at one point- both species were side by side. Now, how about winter dowitchers – short-billed or long-billed – we didn’t hear any vocalizations and didn’t see any undertail coverts. Chances are, these were short-billed dowitchers. So, for those that needed one or the other for your life list, better study up before the next trip!! While a few folks stopped on the way out of the park, to look at a bald eagle, the more savvy birders like Ga were looking the other way and focusing on a merlin.
Thankfully, Saturday was clear and sunny. Our first stop was on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Island #4. Here we were treated to at least 85 razorbills. These were flying both north and south out of the Chesapeake Bay. We also had several close razorbills on the water. Black scoters and long-tailed ducks provided for close views. Craig McCleary picked out a great cormorant in flight to complement the hundreds of double-crested cormorants that were perched, flying around and swimming in the water. Eagle-eyed Chuck Thompson picked up four close common loons. The talkative Sven spotted a purple sandpiper and another one joined it just before our time with our police escort was up.
Northern gannets put on quite a show. At one point, someone estimated there were a 100-flying around a large container ship.
We stopped at Kiptopeke State Park where Jane McCleary spotted a white-winged scoter in perfect light and close enough for good binocular views. Most accommodating were a number of common loons and red-throated loons that allowed everyone to see the differences in body and bill size, and shape. Thanks to Jean Chamberlain, we found about 6-7 fox sparrows in a thicket near the parking lot. And Catherine Wandell picked out a few white-throated sparrows and a Cooper’s hawk.
After a hearty lunch, we drove up to Chincoteague NWR.
Thanks to a lucky conversation with a Virginia birder, we were informed that there was a black-headed gull in the pond next to our parking spot (but it had just flown). After a half hour on the causeway, we saw a few horned grebes, bufflehead, and some fantastic close oystercatchers. Ann Newsome found our only (un) common goldeneyes of the trip. Just before we were ready to leave, guess what was back! The black-headed gull gave us a nice display. Sven, a native of Sweden, confirmed our id of black-headed gull and all had close binocular views.
In Chincoteague NWR, Sven called out marbled godwit. Once again, we had a comparison of the sizes of shorebirds. This time it was godwits vs willets with a lone dunlin thrown into the mix. Northern shovelers and Tundra swans were the other stars of the show. Thanks to Chuck, we had good views of a bald eagle on a nest a 100 yards or more from the wildlife drive. One group even got to see a red fox and some poor behavior as a visitor chased it, trying to get a cell phone photo!!!
On Sunday, after sunrise services we met at First Landing State Park. Here we were treated to a red-breasted merganser convention. For good measure, we had a large number of lesser-black backed gulls mixed in with the more abundant herring, ring-billed, and great black-backed gulls. Folks were polite as Bernie pointed out the differences of the various gulls in adult and juvenile plumages. As Catherine, quoted a famous author, “they are birds too”. After working the beach, we moved across the street to the campground area.
While Craig did not want to be a leader of this winter extravaganza, he did serve to point out a near invisible brown creeper in the pine trees at First Landing SP. Overall, mid-morning birding in the woods wasn’t as exciting as looking at gulls. After a short walk at Pleasure House Point Natural area we stopped for lunch. We went back to the Back Bay NWR as it offered the possibility of some new birds. Once again Craig gave folks a patient lesson in “birding every bird” – carefully pointing out that the “ring-necked ducks” were actually lesser scaup. We had a few yellow-rumped warblers on our walk to the dunes. Also, at the dunes, northern gannets, common loons, red-throated loons, and razorbills flew by. A few lucky folks, saw a merlin streaking down the dunes as we walked back to the vehicles.
We had our trip countdown and fantastic seafood dinner at Maggie & Ray’s Crab House.
On Monday morning, a few diehards walked the beach to look at some “parking lot” gulls and three close lesser black backed gulls. Gannets, loons, bald eagles, and bottlenose dolphins made for an added bonus. Thanks to all those that attended and especially to Jean Chamberlain who made the arrangements for the hotel, restaurants, and schedule.
Bernie Carr
Shelley Rutkin
The Smiling Birder
Jean Chamberlain
Forsyth Audubon 