The Bird, Butterfly and Coastal Ecology Workshop, sponsored by Coastal
Virginia Wildlife Observatory, was held on August 23rd. Thanks to the
participants
and to co-leader Dot Field of the Virginia Natural Heritage Progam. The weather
cooperated with a mild cold front, which produced a few early migrant birds,
including a Canada Warbler at the songbird banding station. Thanks to Jethro
Runco there for his excellent presentation.
Kiptopeke is a great place for ecology lessons, as the various environmental
zones are well delineated and the related wildlife is easy to see. The group
also examined a 7-foot long shark carcass on the beach. The list of
butterflies was impressive, with more than 20 species, all at very close range,
especially in the butterfly garden.
Birds at Kiptopeke on August 24th were even more numerous, with an excellent
flight of many species past the observation platform. There were hundreds of
Bobolinks and blackbirds, several Baltimore Orioles, hummingbirds, Martins,
warblers, Solitary Sandpipers and much more. At one point, 3 Red-tailed Hawks
circled high above the platform with 3 Bald Eagles, all headed south.
Eastern Kingbirds stole the show, however, with 517 passing low from 8-10
a.m. An apparent family group of 3 Eurasian Collared Doves was on the power
line,
near the entrance to Kiptopeke.
There will be hawk identification workshops in September and October,
sponsored by the Observatory. More details will be out shortly.
Brian Taber
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