virginia birding trip report 2006

8/12/2019 Virginia Birding Trip Report 2006

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Virginia Trip ReportJune 2014 Andy Walker 1http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk

Virginia, US Birding Trip ReportStopover Birding

January 5th 7thand 26th 28th2006

Andy Walkerhttp://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk

Snowy Owl, Virginia


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Outline Itinerary

I spent most of January 2006 guiding a birding tour around Costa Rica. On the way to and from CostaRica from the UK I spent a couple of days birding in Virginia, United States. I was guided by Virginiabirder Mike Boatwright. This was a great option to break up a journey and offered me the chance tosee plenty of interesting birds.

We focussed our attention on seeing many resident species that are found throughout the EasternStates and also a number of the many migratory species that overwinter in the area. The majorhighlight was easily Snowy Owl.

Below is a daily report, followed by a systematic list of the birds that were recorded.

Daily Log

PART 1 (5th-7thJanuary 2006)

5thJanuary 2006

My flight arrived at Washington DC, Dulles airport early afternoon, on time, and Mike was sat at theairport waiting for me. We wasted no time and got on the road, after getting looks at Red-tailedHawk, Fish Crow, Ring-billed Gull and Northern Mockingbird all in the airport parking lot!

Our destination was the Virginia Beach area, but en-route the aim was to maximise our daylightbirding time. We headed along Route 3, to some quarry ponds in King George County where wefound many target waterbirds, including Canvasback, American Wigeon, the stunning HoodedMerganser, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead,Common Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck and Greater Canada Goose with a singing Eastern Meadowlarkoverhead providing some distraction from the ducks. Other birds in the area included Cedar Waxwing,Red-shouldered Hawk and an adult Bald Eagle that glided over, giving incredible views of this giant

bird.

A little further on we made a stop-off at George Washingtons Birthplace National Monument,Westmoreland County. The area consisted of a large creek, with the Potomac River passing by.There was also woodland, agricultural fields and scrub to bird in. Getting out of the car it wasimmediately evident how peaceful it was, except for birds singing and calling, and especially that ofthe Tundra Swan whose calls echoed all around. It didnt take us long to find some interestingspecies, a couple of Great-Horned Owls called from the forest but we couldnt see them. CarolinaChickadee and Carolina Wrens both responded to pishing and showed well and Red-belliedWoodpecker (my first of five MelanerpesWoodpeckers that I was to see in January!) called and thenshowed well.

As we looked across Popes Creek at calling Tundra and Mute Swans we also found several LesserScaup, Long-tailed Duck and Ring-billed Gull. As I looked across the creek at the reedbeds on the farside I thought of Norfolk back in the United Kingdom and I thought that if I were there I would belooking at Hen Harriers. At exactly that moment a ring-tailed Northern Harrier (the Nearcticequivalent of the Palearctic Hen Harrier) came up, out of the reeds and spent several minutesgracefully gliding around showing incredible well.

We moved to the next parking lot where en-route we came across our first fast-moving feeding flock.There were a lot of birds moving through the scrub on the edge of the agricultural fields and it washere we got our first look at the State Bird of Virginia, the mouth-watering Northern Cardinal. Wehad at least two pairs of these stunning birds moving with the flock, generally staying low butoccasionally perching at eye level. The majority of the flock was made up of American Robins

(flashbacks to Grimsby, UK!) and there was also Northern Mockingbirds, Slate-coloured Dark-eyedJunco, White-throated Sparrow, and a single Fox Sparrow that sat up for a moment allowing forcareful study. A Brown Thrasher was a fleeting glimpse as it moved through the base of the scrub;


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Yellow-rumped Myrtle Warblers were everywhere, in a variety of guises and a large herd of White-tailed Deer, including some giant bucks passing by made for interesting viewing. We reached the finalparking lot late-afternoon, where we scoped the river and found over 50 Surf Scoter, and manyLesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck and Bufflehead, a distant flock of Lesser Scaup seemed to include acouple of Redheads but by this time the light was fading and clinching their ID had to wait foranother day!

Our drive back to the highway produced an impressive aerial battle between several Bald Eagles, twoof whom came crashing through the woodland canopy, providing ample entertainment. As by now itwas getting dark, we continued the main section of our journey southwards to the Virginia Beacharea, where we found a hotel and got some sleep, full of excitement for the coming days.

6thJanuary 2006

We woke before it was light, had a traditional US breakfast and were disappointed as the rain froman approaching front started to arrive. We got our rain gear on and headed the short distance to FirstLanding State Park, Virginia Beach, where we met up with one of Mike's birding friends, AdamD'Onofrio. This location has turned up Clarks Grebe in past winters, our hope was that it was going

to be present during our visit but unfortunately it wasnt to be. Whilst we were scanning for theGrebe we did however have Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle,Common Loon and a couple of Surf Scoter.

We walked around the scrub and dunes along the beach but the weather meant everything waskeeping very low, the only species breaking cover was a couple of White-throated Sparrows. Wewalked back to the vehicles to drive over to the more forested section of the park. As we were doingso a Coopers Hawk broke cover and flew low past in front of us. Back at the parking lot we foundCarolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal and American Crow. A brief walk in the forested sectionproduced nothing, by now it was raining quite heavily and we decided to try our luck further alongthe coast but as we were driving through the forest to get to the highway we came across someactivity on the roadside. The main makeup of the flock was American Robins, of which there must

have been around thirty. A tiny Hermit Thrush kicked off the road before we could all get a look at it;it then disappeared in the undergrowth. As we were looking for this Adam found a stunning Blue-headed Vireo, my bird of the trip (until the 27th!). A little further still down the road a brief pausein the weather resulted in some more activity, namely Yellow-rumped Myrtle Warblers, CarolinaChickadee and Brown Creeper. As we were searching through the Yellow-rumped Myrtle Warblers

Adam found the subtle Orange-crowned Warbler, a good wintering record. This bird perched at eye-level, in similar fashion to the Blue-headed Vireo just minutes previously and showed fantasticallywell. We worked hard for our birds here, due in no small part to the weather, but the final couple ofbirds made us leave very happy!

A brief stop at Lynnhaven Inlet produced Boat-tailed Grackle, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk,Turkey and Black Vulture, Red-winged Blackbird, Ring-billed Gull, Common Starling, another adultBald Eagle, a group of Bufflehead and a Belted Kingfisher.

We decided to venture to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, which meant a crossing along theChesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT). This is a toll road so for economic (and environmental)reasons we piled into one car and headed to CBBT Island 1 (the only place you can now stop withoutbooking in advance and paying a ridiculous sum of money, this is a major US Navy shipping lane sosecurity is paramount!). It was incredibly windy here, and cold. We found birds immediately, for methe highlight was a flock of over 100 Bufflehead fighting against the tidal currents. A single PurpleSandpiper sat on the tunnel support boulders showed well, and was later joined by a small flock ofRuddy Turnstone. Out at sea we watched Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Greater andLesser Scaup and a single Pale-bellied Brent Goose. Large numbers of Bonapartes Gulls were notedout to sea, with Greater Black-backed, Ring-billed and American Herring Gull being a little closer in.

By now we needed to get out of the wind, so we moved on to the Eastern Shore of Virginia NationalWildlife Refuge, Northampton County where the rain eased a little. This beautiful area produced an


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interesting mix of species, both water- and land-based. Our first loop of the reserve produced acouple of showy Song Sparrow, more Northern Cardinals and a large flock of Snow Geese. We madeour way to a viewpoint that overlooked a large reedbed, on the way here we came across anotherHermit Thrush, again on the path in front of us, but this time it landed where we could all see it well.

As we looked across the reedbed at another Northern Harrier a Grey Catbird called right below us, it

then jumped up into view and continued to show for several minutes, a great bird and fantastic viewstoo. As we continued round to our car a very fast moving flock produced the dainty Tufted Titmouse,Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Myrtle Warbler and Downy Woodpecker. Aswe progressed around the reserve we came across a small pool that held Little Blue Heron, GreatBlue Heron, Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Willet along the watersedge. On the water several American Black Duck, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard and NorthernShoveler were present. Brief glimpses of a Sedge Wren proved frustrating, as the bird would notcome out for long before jumping back into safety. A dashing Coopers Hawk flew through puttingmany small birds up before it went out of view.

We left the reserve satisfied with the good birds that we had seen and headed off to our next stop,Magotha Road Marsh, Northampton County. Along the way we found several Northern Yellow-

shafted Flickers, the immaculate Eastern Bluebird sat on wires along the roadside, along with a fewadult Pine Warblers and a large flock of Mourning Doves. As we progressed, a number of WhiteSnow Geese flocks flew over, some of the flocks contained Blue Snow Geese. Once at the Marsh wefound Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Marsh Wren, Belted Kingfisher, Savannah Sparrow and a briefSwamp Sparrow that flew away without looking back! A brief glimpse skywards resulted in greatviews of a Peregrine Falcon mobbing a Bald Eagle, an awesome sight. The Peregrine falcon chasedthe Bald Eagle for a couple of hundred metres before it did an about turn and flew out towards thesea, getting lower and lower and then, out of sight, for the time being

We decided to try another area as we still had plenty of light left in the afternoon. We climbed backinto the cars, drove about 100 metres before we spotted the Peregrine Flacon again, this time it wassitting in a roadside tree ripping apart what appeared to be a female Bufflehead! We sat and watched

it disgorge its prey for about 10 minutes before it flew off low with most of the Bufflehead goingalong for the ride! A roadside stop at Townsend Post Office, Northampton County produced a greatbird for the United States, one that I had no trouble in confidently identifying, Eurasian CollaredDove! Several more Eastern Bluebirds were sat along the wires and they were joined by a couple ofdainty American Kestrels. A brief stop at a small pond at Cape Charles, Northampton Countyproduced an adult Forsters Tern, Pale-bellied Brent and Greater Canada Goose and a couple of

American Coot.

Our final stop of the day was Kiptopeke State Park, Northampton County. Out in the bay here wefound several Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Double-crested Cormorant and a couple of Common Loon. As darkapproached we headed for some food at the renowned Stingrays, en-route we called in briefly at theEastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge where we walked through some fields and threw up

about a dozen of the delightful American Woodcock, the last bird of the day! We made it toStingrays, had a wonderful fish supper then dropped Adam off at the CBBT before heading north fora couple of hours towards Washington DC.

We stayed near the airport, in a town called Manasas, Prince William County where we went throughour lists and had a good nights sleep.

7thJanuary 2006

We awoke early to make the most of the couple of hours we had before my flight to San Jose CostaRica. The previous days weather front had passed by and the clear skies overnight had sent thetemperatures plummeting a long way below freezing. A small area of scrub around the Days Inn

Hotel, Manasas, Prince William County produced Fish Crow, American Robin, White-throated, Songand House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Northern Mockingbird and Mourning Dove.


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Our final stop was actually at Dulles Airport, Loudon County Virginia where a very small area of cat-tails produced Song and Swamp Sparrows. A small pond near the terminal produced Greater CanadaGoose, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck and Ring-billed Gull, while aKilldeer flew overhead calling before landing in the roadside verge with several Fish Crows and a Red-shouldered Hawk in attendance. A small patch of woodland on the edge of a runway produced Downy

Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Field Sparrow, Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker, CarolinaChickadee, Carolina Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Yellow-rumped

Myrtle Warbler and Slate-coloured Dark-eyed Junco.

We left the birding and headed into the terminal building where I thanked and said goodbye to Mikefor a few weeks before I boarded my flight to San Jose to spend the next 3 weeks guiding in CostaRica. I left looking forward to returning to this great state.

PART 2 (26th-28thJanuary 2006)

26thJanuary 2006

My flight from San Jose arrived at Washington DC, Dulles airport mid-evening, again on time andagain Mike was there waiting for me with some interesting news We made our way to a hotel veryclose to the airport.

27thJanuary 2006

Mike and I woke early, probably due to excitement, and were up and ready to go for first light. Mygreat friend Mark Larson, joined us for a days birding and we wasted little time before making ourway back to the airport. It didnt take long to find our target bird, sat up on a lamppost, a stonking1st-winter Snowy Owl. Mike and I had previously discussed the possibility of travelling for up to sixhours for a Snowy Owl if there was one in Virginia or any other nearby state! This was a dream cometrue one being so close to where we were! We all stood on top of a multi-storey parking lot and

scoped this giant bird, less than 100 meters away! At first it was sat facing away from us, its headmarkings suggesting it was facing us with its eyes closed. In a flash it had turned around to face uswith its bold yellow eyes looking across at us on the roof! As the sun rose in the sky the colours onthe owl changed slightly. We were all mesmerised by this owl, watching its behaviour was a real treatand one that will stay with us all for a lifetime. It didnt seem too bothered by all of the aeroplaneactivity going on, it would occasionally turn its head all the way round behind itself which provedhighly entertaining! Easily bird of the trip for me! The rest of the day was going to have to be veryspecial to keep up this level of birding!

It proved very difficult to pull ourselves away from this bird, how can you walk away from a SnowyOwl? We did however as there was potential today for some (more) great birds.

We moved on to the Lucketts Area, Loudon County where almost immediately we came across Blue

Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Belted Kingfisher, Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker, Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse. Ahighlight here came in the form of two day-active Great Horned Owls that reside in the woodlands.

As we drove along the small lanes we found some good habitat and some interesting birds, such asPurple Finch, House Finch and American Goldfinch. A little further we came across a field containingSong, White-throated, House and the crisp White-crowned Sparrows, the trees overhead were filledwith hundreds of Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird and CommonStarling, making for a great deal of noise!

Further still a small scrub patch produced Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren,more White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows and a huge crow-sized, calling then fly-overPileated Woodpecker.


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After seeing many great birds and spending most of the morning driving around here we decided tomove on a little. We made our way to Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Fairfax County where alarge area of water contained around 30 Common Mergansers, a fair few Greater Canada Goose, amedium sized flock of Tundra Swan, many Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead and thousands of backlit LesserScaup.

A feeding area here produced cracking looks at American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, House Finch,Brown Creeper, around 20 Slate-coloured Dark-eyed Junco and several White-breasted Nuthatches.

A large number, probably around 100 American Robins were actively feeding along the forest edge,careful observation of the flock also produced great views of Carolina Wren, Hermit Thrush, TuftedTitmouse and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Bald Eagles were much in evidence here and we saw a couple of adult and sub-adult birds kickingaround. Our final stop of the day was the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Fairfax County, anda fantastic place to end the day. We soon found a decent mixed feeding flock that contained

American Tree Sparrow, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow.Also seen within the flock were Slate-coloured Dark-eyed Junco, Carolina Chickadee and NorthernCardinal. Savannah Sparrows were also recorded, one such bird sitting out on top of some grass

allowing for prolonged views of this dapper bird. As we left the refuge we came across a small pondand marsh that contained Great Blue Heron, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, American BlackDuck and Ring-necked Duck.

After another fantastic days birding in Virginia we said goodbye to Mark who made his way home aswe headed back towards our hotel near the airport. We reflected on what had been a trulyremarkable and successful January and enjoyed a celebratory meal before I got ready to go back tothe UK.

28thJanuary 2006

We were up early again, we both wanted to see if the Snowy Owl was still present. As this was a

Saturday morning some of Virginias twitchers were out and about looking for the owl, including Mikesfriend Adam that Id met on my first trip. It didnt take us long to get back to our viewpoint where weimmediately found the bird once again, on the same lamppost, just on the other side of it! We againwatched the Snowy Owl for about an hour before I had to go and check-in. I very reluctantly pulledmyself away from the owl and made my way inside (I could still actually see the bird from inside theterminal buildings!).

Snowy Owl, Virginia (Photo: Adam DOnofrio)


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I said farewell to Mike and thanked him again for such an awesome few days. After an hour or so Itook one last look at the Snowy Owl before getting on my plane, as we taxied along the runway I hada beautiful male Grey Ghost Northern Harrier glide past my window, two incredible birds to end amonth to remember!

Below is a list of bird species (114) recorded over the stopover birding period.

Summary

This was a very enjoyable way of breaking a flight up and provided a great introduction in to anumber of Nearctic species and getting the Snowy Owl was a real bonus!

If you would like any further information please drop me an email to andywalker1000 AT hotmail.comsubject Virginia Birding.

Thanks, Andy18thJune 2014.

NB: This is a 2014 update/edit of a 2006 trip I made. Note Ive not gone through updating taxonomyof the birds names, order etc.

Species List

Common Loon Gavia immer

Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena

Northern Gannet Morus bassanus

Brown Pelican Pelicanus occidentalis occidentalis

Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus auritus

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodiasGreat Egret Ardea alba

Snowy Egret Egretta thula

Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea

White Ibis Eudocimus albus

Snow Goose Chen caerulescens

Greater Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Pale-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

American 'Whistling' Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus columbianus

Gadwall Anas strepera

American Wigeon Anas americanaAmerican Black Duck Anas rubripes

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis

Canvasback Aythya valisineria

Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris

Greater Scaup Aythya marila

Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis

Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata

Black Scoter Melanitta nigra

Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis

Bufflehead Bucephala albeolaCommon Goldeneye Bucephala clangula


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Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus

Common Merganser Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus

Turkey Vulture Cathartes auraBald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus

Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Eastern Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus lineatus

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

American Kestrel Falco sparverius

Tundra Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus tundrius

Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris

American Coot Fulica americana

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Sanderling Calidris alba

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima

American Woodcock Scolopax minor

Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri

Rock Dove Columba liviaMourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Eastern Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus virginianus

Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca

Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon

Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius

Eastern Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens pubescens

Eastern Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus villosus

Northern 'Yellow-shafted' Flicker Colaptes auratus auratus

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius

Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus

North-east Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis extimus

Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor bicolor

Eastern White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis carolinensis

Eastern Brown Creeper Certhia americana americana

Northern Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus ludovicianus

Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis

Eastern Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris palustris

Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa satrapaNorthern Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis sialis


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Eastern/Taiga Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus faxoni

Eastern American Robin Turdus migratorius migratorius

Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos

Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum

European Starling Sturnus vulgarisCedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata

Yellow-rumped 'Myrtle' Warbler Dendroica coronata

Pine Warbler Dendroica pinus

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea

Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla

Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis

Atlantic Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni subvirgatus

Red (Taiga) Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca iliaca

Eastern Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia melodia

Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

Eastern Taiga White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys

Slate-coloured Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis hyemalis

Eastern Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis

Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna

Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula

Atlantic Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major torreyi

Eastern Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater ater

Eastern Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus purpureus

House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

American Goldfinch Carduelis tristisHouse Sparrow Passer domesticus

virginia birding trip report 2006

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