Folks,
*Quick Notes*
Back Bay NWR - 3:30 - 6:15 PM - Hot, humid, windy & overcast. Heard my FOY
Prairie Warbler but couldn't put eyes on it. Saw my very first Bobcat in
the wild (photos at link below)! Birds were generally hard to come by, one
Tricolored Heron and a pair of Greater Yellowlegs were nice to see. One
Northern Harrier, and a few American Kestrels also seen.
*Outing Photographs*
*http://www.rbnature.com/galleries/we-20150412/
<http://www.rbnature.com/galleries/we-20150412/>*
*Last Week's Recap*
*http://www.rbnature.com/blog/we-20150405
<http://www.rbnature.com/blog/we-20150405>*
*Full Outing Details*
With last week being one of the nicest weather-wise that we've had in
Virginia all year, this week has been somewhat the opposite. Since Monday
evening, today was the first day that the sun made any sort of appearance,
though it was mostly cloudy/overcast this evening when I got off work and
went hiking down at Back Bay NWR. Arriving at 3:30 PM, I parked on the east
side of the visitor center and headed quickly south down the Loop Road en
route to the newly opened East Dike Trail. My first observation on the
roadway was just how many people were around. Being that it was about 85
degrees out, apparently it was a good day for folks to get outdoors.
Fortunately, the crowds thinned by the time I reach the East Dike gate for
the most part, as the vast majority of folks walk just the near trails to
the parking area, and out on the beach. Along the east side of the Loop
Road I heard the distinct call of a Prairie Warbler, but was unable to put
my eyes on the bird. This was the first I've heard this spring here in
Virginia Beach, though it should become a common call over the next few
weeks. Birding along the East Dike was pretty slow on my southward journey
towards False Cape State Park. A pair of *American Kestrels* provided
entertainment as they swirled around on the winds and hunted over the
impoundments at the north end of the trail. It was actually the reptiles
that stole the show on my trip southward, with at least 4 Eastern
Cottonmouths, a pair of Northern Watersnakes and even a very large Black
Racer being seen. The Racer had it's front half in the ground, with just
the tail section sticking out, so I'm not sure just how big it was, but the
girth was quite impressive, I would guess the snake to be at least 5 or
more feet long. Several Cottonmouths were seen in the ditches that parallel
the east side of the trail, and a couple were also seen on the roadway
itself, given how hot it was today, I expect activity to be high.
Throughout the southward walk, I added a few *Great Blue Herons*, *Great
Egret*, a single *Tricolored Heron* on a flyover, an *American Coot*,
a few *Yellow-rumped
Warblers* and a number of *Savannah & Song Sparrows* that were feeding on
the trailside, before flying off into the brush as I walked past. I stopped
once I reached the False Cape sign, turned around, and then headed back
northward.
On the northward trek, snakes again were showing up often, with several
more Eastern Cottonmouth being sighted. After I'd reach the
double-90-degree-bend portion of the trail (about 1.75 miles south of the
parking area), I began thinking that it'd been quite a quiet day for the
birds. I did have a female *Wood Duck* fly over in this area, but that was
the only waterfowl species seen on the day. Additionally, a single Northern
Harrier flew past heading south, which is a bird I don't see much this time
of year, moreso in the winter around here. Without a scope, its very
difficult to spot anything out on the impoundments to the west
unfortunately. Continuing north about a half mile or so, I was walking and
happened to glance to my right (east) towards the dune line that is visible
a couple hundred yards away. I noticed a brown shape on the dunes and
immediately assumed it was a White-tailed Deer, so I put the camera up just
to snap a shot. As the lens focused, I became quickly aware that what I was
seeing was no deer, it was a Bobcat! (see photos at link above!) I should
have known instantly from the size, but at the distance, the color
overwhelmed my brain apparently. This was the first time I have ever
encountered a Bobcat in the wild, or any species of wild feline for that
matter! As a kid growing up in Minnesota I'd always wanted to see a Lynx,
and ever since I moved to Virginia, I've wanted a shot at seeing their
smaller cousins, so I was incredibly excited! I actually felt a chill run
up my back as I was photographing it! After about 30 seconds or so, it
glanced across the marsh at me, laid down briefly on the ground, and then
sped off forward to the south along the dune line. After this, I could have
seen nothing for the rest of the outing and been perfectly fine with it,
but, there was a few other animals that showed up to keep things rolling. A
pair of *Greater Yellowlegs* flew in and landed on the northernmost marsh
to the west of the trail, and I caught a few *Eastern Towhees* & *Blue Jays*
along the Loop Road, once again hearing but not seeing a *Prairie Warbler*.
I took the southern boardwalk out to the beach, only to find that the waves
were pretty strong, and there was no shorebirds to be found. A few
Forster's Terns were flying out over the breaking waves, diving in the
water at every opportunity. *Gulls (Ring-billed, Herring, Lesser & Great
Black-backed)* were seen in the air, and I could see tons up on the
'northern mile' of beachfront which is inaccessible to anyone other than
park staff. Hundreds of gulls were situated on that part of the beach,
along with a massive ball of probably a thousand *Double-crested Cormorants*.
A single *Common Loon* was seen off the beach, and sadly there was a
deceased Red-throated Loon washed up on the beach. It was sad to see just
how beautiful these birds are up close, and unfortunately this is by far
the closest I've ever been to one to see. I headed up over the dunes and
back to the parking area, then walked out on the Bay Trail on a really
quick out and back. Birds were again quiet along this trail, not so much as
a Yellow-rumped Warbler showed up. One Eastern Cottonmouth was resting on a
branch overhanging the waters of the small pond at the west end of the
trail, and this was really it for the wildlife. But, seeing that Bobcat was
probably the most amazing sighting I've had this year, so it just goes to
show, sometimes wildlife isn't about quantity, but quality! Hopefully this
weekend, more birds show up though, as I have a long list of migrants I'd
love to spot!
Rob Bielawski
Virginia Beach, VA
www.rbnature.com
