Folks,
*Highlights (The Short Version)*
Pleasure House Point Natural Area - 3:40 to 5:15 PM - FOY Spotted
Sandpiper, Least Sandpipers, Willets, Greater Yellowlegs, American
Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, Sandwich Terns, Least Terns, Palm Warbler,
Common Loon.
*Outing Photographs (will post this evening hopefully)*
*http://www.rbnature.com/galleries/we-20150517/
<http://www.rbnature.com/galleries/we-20150517/>*
*Full Species List(s) (photos will be added this evening to report)*
*http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23432016
<http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23432016>*
*Outing Details (The Long Version)*
Temperatures in the low 70s and sunny weather made for a beautiful evening
to get out and do some birding last night here in Virginia Beach. Thanks to
a site visit at work that ended a bit early, I was able to shoot up to
Pleasure House Point and start my outing about 3:40 PM. While crossing the
Lesner Bridge I could see there wasn't much of a sand bar showing, but was
unsure whether the tide was rising or falling. I opted to park along Marlin
Bay Drive so as I walked eastward towards the sandbars I'd have the sun at
my back, giving my clear vision on anything in front of me over the
mile-ish walk. The first wildlife I spotted wasn't birdlife, but was a
Six-lined Racerunner that came scampering across the sandy trail from
Marlin Bay Drive towards the shoreline trail. This speed demon paused a
couple times for some photographs before dashing off into cover. Having
seen a few last week at Back Bay, and some here on Sunday they seem to be
all out for the summer season. At the shoreline trail junction I headed
eastward. Through the first section along the second largest pond and the
ditches leading up to the deer carcass pond I got a few *Chimney Swifts*
and *Barn Swallows* flying overhead, with *Red-winged Blackbirds*, *Common
Grackles* and *European Starlings* flying in from varying directions. At
the deer carcass pond, an adult Green Heron was standing along the
shoreline, though it flew up towards the Marlin Bay Drive end of the pond
as I raised my lens. I tried to work my way around the pond along the
western shoreline but it must have flushed as I never re-spotted the bird
while circling the pond clockwise. A hundred yards or so southeast of hear
near the northwestern point on the largest cove of Pleasure House Creek, I
'spotted' a collection of 4 *Spotted Sandpipers* that were feeding in the
high tide grasses near shore. The birds scattered pretty quickly and flew
southeast, but I got a few ID-worthy photographs. Adjacent to the birds was
a grouping of about a dozen tiny *Least Sandpipers*, showing their bright
yellow legs to help identify them.
Walking around the cove, I ran into Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins, who
had a *Greater
Yellowlegs* feeding in a small pond to their east. While talking, we had
several flocks of Least Sandpipers cruise past, and a few Barn Swallows as
well. This was the first time I've seen peeps in continuously circling
flocks at the park. At the next point to the south, where folks often stand
to search out rails, I could see a grouping of shorebirds out in the marshy
islands nearest to the trail. Greater Yellowlegs, and what turned out to be
*Willets* in breeding plumage were out in the high waters around the
islands. Also, one *Dowitcher* was seen in the group. From here eastward to
the pier area where the sandbars are viewable it was pretty quiet, with a
few *Northern Mockingbirds* and grackles flying around. At the pier area
though, it was obvious that while there wasn't much space available on the
sandbar given the tide level, there was a ton of birds occupying it. *American
Oystercatchers* were numerous with at least 11 birds, and *Black Skimmers*
were also abundant. 4 species of *terns* could be seen on and around the
sandbars including *Forster's* (showing white underparts tails longer than
wings held back), *Least, Sandwich* (2 of them), and many *Royals*. *Herring
Gulls* were also abundant, with *Laughing Gulls* to a lesser degree, and
just one *Ring-billed Gul*l on the northern side of the group. One *American
Crow* was sitting amongst all the birds. While viewing the sandbar, I
noticed a *Common Loon* sitting on the sandy shore across the boat channel.
The bird was later reported as returning to the water, so hopefully it was
not injured, I've never seen one just casually relaxing out of water.
Walking back westward from the pier area, just a few Greater Yellowlegs
were observed and the Willets had moved onward. Around the largest cove of
Pleasure House Creek, many Least Sandpipers were again observed, and a pair
of Spotted Sandpipers was back in the same spot as before. I ended up not
walking all the way to the western extent of the park, but instead took the
same route back to my vehicle that I'd come in on. On the entry trail, in
the group of skinny pine trees, one *Palm Warbler* was seen and
photographed, making it the second of the species I've seen in the last
week out here, possibly the same bird given it was only a hundred yards
away from the previous sighting. This bird is slightly outside the Gold
Book's listed 10 Apr - 5 May spring transient period, though still within
their extreme 27 May date. A nice bird though to end the day on!
Rob Bielawski
Virginia Beach, VA
