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CBBT / CHINCOTEAGUE RESULTS
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: CBBT / CHINCOTEAGUE RESULTS
- From: "Brad Carlson" <bradcarlson1@hotmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:04:17 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
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
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