Fellow Birders,
*Highlights*
3:40 to 6:20 PM - Gull-billed Tern, juvenile Peregrine Falcon. A couple
photographs are posted at the link below, many more photographs to go
through before I post everything over the weekend.
*Photographs*
*http://www.rbnature.com/galleries/we-20150816/
<http://www.rbnature.com/galleries/we-20150816/>*
*Additional Notes*
Walked the beach to False Cape SP & back again this evening in the hopes of
getting another look at some Black Terns, or possibly seeing an early
Marbled Godwit somewhere along the beach. Shorebirds were almost
nonexistent at the park over the first mile walking south along the beach
towards False Cape SP, however, the further I got along on my walk, the
more they began popping up. Semipalmated Plovers were down in number from
last Friday, but Black-bellied Plover & Ruddy Turnstones were both present
in much higher numbers than I've seen on any outings over the past 5 weeks.
Lots of immature Laughing Gulls flying along the coastline, with plenty of
Lesser Black-backed Gulls as well. Herring, Ring-billed & Great
Black-backed also present in low numbers. Royal, Common, and Least Terns
all present in high numbers with a few Sandwich Terns, and the 1
Gull-billed Tern also having been seen. The Peregrine Falcon was sighted on
the way back north, roughly a mile south of the turtle nest that has been
protected with fencing. The bird was seen speeding across the beach and
harassing a set of gulls before flying off south along the dune line on the
strong winds. A pair of Greater Yellowlegs, a Willet, Great Blue Heron &
Snowy Egret were all seen in the marsh next to the parking area. This week,
there was no Whimbrels, Piping Plovers, or Black Terns noted, but I was
greatly excited to get my first photograph of a Gull-billed Tern here in
Virginia Beach on the year (only the 2nd I've seen in 2015).
*Full Details & Photos (Posted each Monday for the previous Mon-Sun
Timeframe)*
*http://www.rbnature.com/blog-index/ ;<http://www.rbnature.com/blog-index/>*
Rob Bielawski
Virginia Beach, VA
