[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

CBBT / CHINCOTEAGUE RESULTS



This past weekend I led the annual fieldtrip for Greenville, NC's River Park 
North Bird Club up into Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, 
Kiptopeke SP, Eastern Shore NWR and Chincoteague NWR.  We had ten 
enthusiatic NC birders this year, and as always, we had a great trip!  We 
left Greenville, NC in short sleeve shirts early on Saturday morning with a 
heavy threat of rain.  We avoided the rain, but had to bundle up for the 
dramatic drop in tempurature and higher winds on Saturday afternoon and 
Sunday.  Overall numbers of birds were low this year, so we had to work hard 
for our trip list.  Our weekend netted us approximately 80 species.  
Highlights were as follows.

The CBBT produced the expected Winter species of this more northernly 
region.  Many Ruddy Turnstones were in the parking lot of Island #1 as usual 
providing for a close study of this species.  PURPLE SANDPIPERS were in good 
numbers wandering between the rocks below us.  Small rafts of LONG-TAILED 
DUCKS were present around all of the islands, as were individual 
Red-throated and Common Loons.  We had great looks at numerous adult and 1st 
year GREAT CORMORANTS with Double-crested Cormorants close by for 
comparison.  GANNETS and small numbers of SURF SCOTERS flew by us on the 
islands.  Our return trip across the CBBT on Sunday produced a couple of 
exciting birds.  We saw three close range HARLEQUIN DUCKS (1 male & 2 
female) on island #4.  There was a large flock of BRANT on the shore of 
Fisherman's Island, as well as some flying by island #4.  We spotted an 
adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on island #2.  We added a raft of Lesser 
Scaup to our list on island #1.

Eastern Shore NWR helped us round out our "puddle ducks" and raptor list.  
We were able to enjoy our observation from the comfort of the interior 
viewing station.  Not to mention, it has nice clean restrooms.

Kiptopeke SP provided us with one of the more exciting events of the 
weekend.  We watched an adult PEREGRINE FALCON chase and successfully 
capture a Pigeon on the conrete ships moored off the shore of the park.  The 
Peregrine proceeded to jump up and down on the pigeon until it was dead, and 
then began to pluck and eat it.  I have seen many Peregrines chasing 
pigeons, waterfowl and shorebirds, but this is the first time I ever saw one 
succesfully catch it's prey.  In the water below we had COMMON GOLDENEYE and 
HORNED GREBES.

Chincoteague NWR provided us with views of a mixture of waterfowl and 
passerines.  Our highlight was a male EURASIAN WIGEON that we scoped in 
Black Duck Pond on Sunday.  A BALD EAGLE was seen flying by.  One other 
observation I made while at Chincoteague is the complete lack of Mute Swans 
which normally are there in large numbers.  Have these birds been 
eradicated?  If so, was this done to support the Trumpeter Swan 
reintroduction program that is in full swing on the East Coast of US and 
Canada?

In any case, we had a great weekend!  I always look forward to birding the 
Eastern Shore region each winter.

-Brad Carlson
Winterville, NC
Brad Carlson1@hotmail.com


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com