BLACKWATER (Nov. 12) & VIRGINIA EASTERN SHORE (Nov. 12-17) 2015. A time of
purple finches, goldfinches, shorebirds, and certain large white birds. On the
go for 12 hours for 7 consecutive days. Consequently, most evenings I turn in
at 8 or even earlier.
ABBREVIATIONS, DRAMATIS PERSONAE & GAZETTEER (not intended to be a complete
list), all in one rather random, cluttered sequence: ABCRC, Anheuser-Busch
Coastal Research Center in Oyster. BCNH Black-crowned Night Heron. Bob
Anderson. Brian Taber. CBBT, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. cormorant =
Double-crested Cormorant. CVWO, Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory. Eli
Gross birder extraordinaire and CVWO hawkcounter at KSP. ESB&WF (Oct. 8-11),
Eastern Shore Birding & Wildlife Festival. ESVNWR, Eastern Shore of Virginia
National Wildlife Refuge (I wish they’d stuck with the original name of Cape
Charles N.W.R. … biopolitics wins again). FINWR, Fisherman I. N.W.R.
hawkcount.org, go here to find all daily and hourly totals for KSP and 100s of
other hawk count sites. Gargatha Landing Road N of Onley & Accomac and on the
seaside. George Armistead. HTA, himself. Katie Rittenhouse CVWO Baywatch
Observer. KSP, Kiptopeke State Park, specifically the hawkwatch platform.
Magotha Road goes to Magothy Bay (note disparate spellings). Ned Brinkley.
Ramp Lane, goes to the saltmarsh and landing from the S side of ESVNWR.
Roberta Kellam, organizer of ESB&WF (307 registrants this year, 227 in 2014).
Sunset Beach Resort (just N of the North Toll Plaza of CBBT on the Bay side;
ominous signs say it’s closed, not “closed for the season”, but closed).
(JAMES) TAYLOR POND in KSP. TT, Thuy Tran. Willis Wharf just E of Exmore, a
seaside harbor with extensive flats. YCNH, yellow-crowned night heron. Zak
Poulton.
NOVEMBER 11, WEDNESDAY. RIGBY’S FOLLY, FERRY NECK, MD. Arrive 1 P.M. but not
much time to goof off due to talking with the contractor for the new dock and
performing various chores. Cedar waxwing 24, American robin 30, Canada goose
200, red-winged blackbird 140. Winter wheat is up 2-3”. Fields very wet.
Gray squirrel 2, eastern cottontail 1, deer 9 (1 6-pt. buck, another with a
small right antler, the rest does). Dinner at Osteria Alfredo in Easton with
Bob and Thuy.
NOVEMBER 12, THURSDAY. One doe and 1 2-pt. buck at Rigby’s Folly, 5:57 A.M.
In DORCHESTER COUNTY. EGYPT ROAD, 6:45-7:30: northern harrier 1, Cooper’s hawk
1, red-tailed hawk 1, laughing gull 40, ring-billed gull 2,175, herring gull
35, mourning dove 18, and European starling 350 plus a fox squirrel and 2
d.o.r. Virginia opossums. BLACKWATER N.W.R., 7:30-10:30, mostly overcast,
SW15, 51-56°F.: Canada goose 575, tundra swan 2, gadwall 5, American wigeon 2,
black duck 1, mallard 70, shoveler 2, pintail 375, green-winged teal 2,
bufflehead 1Ø, double-crested cormorant 6, white pelican 1, bald eagle 27,
harrier 1, red-shouldered hawk 1, red-tailed hawk 1, greater yellowlegs 7,
laughing gull 12, ring-billed gull 400, herring gull 12, Forster’s tern 32,
kestrel 1, and bluebird 9. Anthony Vanschoor sees c. 10 marsh wrens (one he
photographed) on lower Maple Dam Road plus 8 horned larks on Egypt Rd. and
brown-headed nuthatches at the refuge. Bev Middleton shows me her photograph
of a male ring-necked duck seen today coming out of eclipse plumage. When I
enter the Visitor Center, not knowing who each other is (or is it are?), she
says to me “Harry Armistead has seen wood ducks.” Before introducing myself I
said: “He doesn’t know what he is talking about.”
Elsewhere in Dorchester. DECOURSEY BRIDGE ROAD: 3 bald eagles, one landing
near its nest. FORK NECK X DECOURSEY BRIDGE ROADS: 2 bald eagles. MIDDLETOWN
BRANCH ROAD: 2 bald eagles, 11:05 A.M. Then it’s on to Virginia.
GARGATHA LANDING ROAD, 1:35-2:35, 62-64°F.: scoter unID’d 35, bufflehead 1,
double-crested cormorant 14, great egret 2, glossy ibis 6, bald eagle 5,
northern harrier 3, red-tailed hawk 1, greater yellowlegs 11, dunlin 70,
mourning dove 55, American crow 19, boat-tailed grackle 11, and brown-headed
cowbird 275. Clearing at day’s end, tides low but waters are high at
Blackwater. Windy. WILLIS WHARF, 3:15-3:45, tide DEAD low, willet 21, bald
eagle 1, great blue heron 3, sharp-shinned hawk 1, oystercatcher 1, and
double-crested cormorant 8 plus 6 gray squirrels along Ballard Road. BOX TREE
ROAD (Machipongo), 4-4:30, low tide and falling, 68°F., SW15, fair becoming
clear: willet 60, bald eagle 2, brant 275 (flushed by a helicopter), bufflehead
1, northern harrier 2, Forster’s tern 30, great blue heron 4, and oystercatcher
1. Dinner at Don Valerio’s. A doe at OYSTER at 6:41 P.M. 197.0 miles today.
Spend this & the next 4 nights at the Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center in
Oyster.
NOVEMBER 13, FRIDAY. Am at the KSP hawkwatch platform 7:30-12:30. (Totals
today and most for later dates are not the “official” ones – unless indicated
otherwise) robin 250, waxwing 25, gannet 55, pigeon 80, merlin 1, common loon
1, cormorant 45, and turkey vulture 65. Not much and the official raptor count
is a mere 35. Eli sees a parasitic jaeger. Ned & Eli go to CBBT for 1.5 hrs.
and see some Franklin’s gulls, a cave swallow, and a snow bunting. I
contribute 8 raptors in their absence. Today, George, working his way down
here from Rigby’s Folly, sees 375 BROWN PELICANS from Hooper’s I. TAYLOR POND:
bufflehead 1, ruddy duck 1, sharp-shinned hawk 1, and 3 redbelly cooters. RAMP
LANE: black duck 2, sharp-shinned hawk 2, bald eagle 2, snowy egret , and
little blue heron 1. Run into Suzanne Miller and Tony Quezon who I have not
seen for several years.
What with 100s each of Franklin’s gulls and cave swallows seen at Cape May a
bunch of us spend the afternoon out on the CBBT with not much luck for those.
I’m there 2-5:30 P.M. and see a white-winged scoter, a meadowlark (in the midst
of an extensive stay there), great cormorant 3, oystercatcher 2, brown pelican
14, cormorant 32, BCNH 1, black scoter 3, laughing gull 120, and SANDERLING 99
(the most I’ve ever seen here; 28 on one small rock with an especially
luxuriant growth of algae below the high tide line; VERY low tide today) plus 1
monarch. Common loon 1, and 2 monarchs. Among those present: Zak, Katie, Eli,
Roberta, James Fox, Matt Anthony, Erin Chapman, Suzanne, Tony, and Jason
Strickland. Temps in the 60s., clear, SW20, a perfectly beautiful sunset. I
stay late and enjoy the glow in the western sky as the lights of Norfolk and
Hampton Roads come on, dining on clam chowder and a grilled cheese sandwich in
the CBBT restaurant. The New Moon seems to have its effect on making for
extreme tides right now. Long after the last light has faded from the west
there are 12 great black-backed and 1 herring gull resting on the inside rail
(west rail) of the northbound CBBT (6:20 P.M.) and before that ring-billed
gulls actively foraging close to the restaurant at 5:45 P.M.
NOVEMBER 14, SATURDAY. Join George at Sunset Beach Resort 7-8:45 where there’s
a pretty good landbird flight. c. 1,340 robins, 3 sharpies, 8 wood ducks, 2
ospreys, 900 cowbirds, 6 common loons, a phoebe, 60 turkey vultures, 9 black
vultures, a Cooper’s hawk, 40 waxwings, 4 bald eagles, a sapsucker, 5
bluebirds, 40 dunlin, 350 starlings, and numerous goldfinches, some siskins,
chipping sparrows, myrtle warblers, purple finches, and a palm warbler or 2.
George will (has?) post (posted?) a more complete list on eBird. FINWR, 8:45,
turkey vulture 55, great blue heron 6,, black vulture 6.
Out to CBBT again where the FRGU – CASW hysteria seems to be diminishing. I’m
there 9:07-10:36 and see: sanderling 81, oystercatcher 7. Clear, NW15, low
50s, high tide, so there shorebirds are roostin’ ‘n’ restin’ in the sun. The
Maersk Iowa and the Maersk Missouri, both from Norfolk, and the MSC Paola from
Valletta (Malta) pass. Several gannets fly right over the highway, not put out
by this as a barrier. A very loud naval hovercraft passes close by. RAMP
LANE, 11:09, snowy egret 1, white ibis 1 imm., greater yellowlegs 49, and 1
buckeye. Clear, NW15, 53°F. George sees an imm. golden eagle near Oyster
(Sunnyside Rd. X Rt. 600) and gets a good photograph. Up at Custis Tomb (road
goes off from the N end of Arlington Road) he finds 2 late warblers: a prairie
and a black-throated green (both also photographed).
Spend noon – 3:15 at KSP where Eli sees a cave swallow, 23 red-tailed hawks, 7
bald eagles, and a total of 43 raptors, plus we witness the passage of a very
good tundra swan flight, over a wide front, many directly overhead thousands of
feet up yet we can hear their calls, while other flocks are 3-4 (possibly more)
miles to the east and west. Eli’s total is 955. To see these great white
birds in impressive formations going over so high is one of the most stirring
spectacles I know of. Still gets to me and I’ve witnessed it hundreds of
times. Where do they come from? Probably northwest Canada or even Alaska. I
see flocks I estimate/count of: 34, 75, 80, 45, 34, 85, 50, 95, 45, 50, 60, 45,
60, 35, 40, 35, and 28. A flock of 8 Canada geese has the look of “real” CGs,
high and distant. A kettle of 26 black vultures. 2 monarchs.
MAGOTHA ROAD: 3:45-4. Dunlin 2,200, bufflehead 80, greater yellowlegs 8,
tundra swan 40, and black duck 2. RAMP LANE 4:10-5:10, clear, NW 10, 52-49°F.,
cool: boat-tailed grackle 45, great blue heron 5 (2 with “real” fish, not just
minnows), tundra swan 125, common loon 1, gannet 3, bald eagle 4, harrier 3,
greater yellowlegs 1, great egret 10, mourning dove 1, herring gull 190 (going
to roost at FINWR), cormorant 190, brown pelican 6, red-winged blackbird 1,750,
tree swallow 12, bufflehead 3, and white ibis 0 plus 5 deer.
NOVEMBER 15, SUNDAY. 3 does at Capeville 7:30 A.M. Cold, 34°F., clear, calm
becoming WNW 5-10. Return to KSP 7:45-12:45. More today. Eli’s totals
include 1,794 goldfinches, 248 purple finches, 13 cave swallows, a dickcissel,
and 21 wood ducks, and 2 red-breasted nuthatches plus 64 raptors, 38 of them
red-tailed hawks. I see a flock of 11 killdeer, an ad. Bonaparte’s gull, 45
waxwings, 16 common loons, and 47 tundra swans (flocks of 38 and 9), a royal
tern, a red-throated loon, 14 bluebirds, and 100s of robins, common grackles,
and redwings, good nos. of chipping sparrows plus 2 dolphins, 2 buckeyes, and 2
monarchs. Among those present are Roberta (and her niece), Teri Holland, Ned,
and Don Freeman.
A DIGRESSION. I recognize the ‘When and If’ as it sails past headed south in
full view of the KSP hawkwatch platform, a lovely 63.5’ schooner that belonged
to General George S. Patton. It had been featured in the Eastern Shore Post of
November 13, 2015, p. 1. John M. Camper, who with his father farmed Rigby’s
Folly’s fields for decades, once bought a bureau from Patton’s son. Inside was
a photocopy of a handwritten poem by Patton, ‘Fear’. I took this to a
handwriting expert at Sessler’s (formerly; 1308 Walnut St., Philadelphia), but
he said it was not Patton’s handwriting. The poem has some unusual turns of
phrase and I memorized it years ago. Here are 2 stanzas: … I know no mercy and
no ruth./The young I blight, the old I slay./Regret stalks darkly in my
wake./And ignominy dogs my way. … I spare no class or creed or cult./My course
is endless through the year./I bow all heads, I break all hearts./All owe me
homage: I am fear.”
Unrelatedly, I run into Nick and Elisa (Enders) Flanders along Route 600. With
them is their appealing child, 4-month old Maisy. I find many young infants
grotesque, but this one Gerber would die to have model. Beautiful blue eyes.
As we talk a bald eagle flies over. Then it’s on to BULL’S POND S of Bull’s
Drive, which is loaded. 9 species of dabbling ducks incl. gadwall 275,
shoveler 4, American wigeon 190, mallard 46, wood duck 10, green-winged teal
12, pintail 22, black duck 2, and a male EURASIAN WIGEON (I’d wager one of the
best places in Virginia for them) plus 3 ring-necked ducks, a pied-billed
grebe, and 60 Canada geese. Also present: an imm. little blue heron, 28 black
vultures, a great blue heron, a kestrel, a merlin, a harrier, 8 bluebirds, 150
starlings, 3 meadowlarks, a red-tailed hawk, 6 peafowl, 2 goats, 2 buckeyes,
and an orange sulphur. All best seen, today at least, from the W side of the
pond viewed from WITHIN the refuge signs on the posts at a respectful distance
so as not to flush any of the birds. Do NOT go past the signs or into the
yard. The owner is VERY hostile. Unless, of course, you agree with Churchill
that “nothing is more exhilarating than to be shot at without effect.” BUT …
best of all, a flock of 20 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS in majestic, low flight over
the ½ mi.-long stand of mature loblolly pines, in the blue sky, with the sun
behind me. Ponderous and massive, their flight seems labored, galumphing
along, but they have probably come from at least as far away as North Dakota.
Huzzahs for them then.
Just N of Route 600 X Capeville Road: 2 does. A gray squirrel on the grounds
of Rock’s Auto Body Shop W of Route 600. OYSTER, 4:30-4:50, Tide VERY low,
visibility good, so that the spikey tower on the S end of Cobb I. is easily
visible 6-7 miles distant as is the brick chimney 2 miles away where there is a
peregrine hacking structure. Well … that’s all very fine, but there are few
birds: greater yellowlegs 6, dunlin 4, great blue heron 1, cormorant 3, and
that’s it. 54°F., clear, light NW wind.
NOVEMBER 16, MONDAY. Slip on down briefly to the KSP old ferry slip area and
count 180 brown pelicans on the 9 concrete ships. Then up to the nearby KSP
hawkwatch platform from 7:30-4:30. 42-60°F.+, clear, NW5 or calm. Today Eli’s
totals include 2,153 goldfinches, 232 purple finches, 31 rusty blackbirds, a
great cormorant, 2 snow buntings, 12 red-shouldered hawks, 30 red-tailed hawks,
and 9 bald eagles (a total of 89 raptors). Most of these totals will be
surpassed on Tuesday, so I’ll miss them after I leave. Someone blurts out:
“white pelicans anyone? There are 4”. I see 2 red-breasted mergansers the
others miss. Am surprised to count 8 monarchs. Less surprised by 3 buckeyes
and 2 cloudless sulphurs. Brian sees 17 cave swallows at TAYLOR POND. I think
it was yesterday that Eli found c. 30 there. In the afternoon gulls and to a
lesser extent pelicans and gannets are in a feeding frenzy rather close in to
the concrete ships.
On the platform today are: Ned, Todd Day, Bob, Thuy, Brian, Jason Strickland,
Matt Anthony, Eli, and yours truly prompting Bob to playfully paraphrase JFK:
“Never has so much talent been present in one place at one time except when
Thomas Jefferson dined alone in the White House.” Unusual to have this many
present on a weekday in mid-November. To be sure the quips, witticisms, and
bon mots filled the air, and, with a minimum of character assassination. Thuy,
Bob, and I dine at Kelly’s (a martini, a dozen local clams, good shepherd’s
pie, and vanilla ice cream for me).
NOVEMBER 17, TUESDAY. If one has to go back to the big city there might as
well be a prolonged dénouement on the way, and there is. OYSTER, 8:10-8:30,
50°F., clearing from the NE, low tide and rising. What a delightful difference
from Sunday: oystercatcher 63, willet 22, greater yellowlegs 14, dunlin 110,
bald eagle 3, peregrine falcon 1, bufflehead 4, black-bellied plover 6,
bluebird 3, Forster’s tern 4, great blue heron 1, harrier 1, brant 2, cormorant
6, common loon 1, fish crow 8, and kingfisher 1.
OYSTER LANDFILL. (Note, winter hours are now in effect, 8-12, incl., I think
Saturdays). 8:40-9:15. Loaded, to wit: BCNH 51 (only 1 an adult), YCNH 1
immature, pied-billed grebe 4, hooded merganser 31, ring-necked duck 11, black
duck 12, starling 20, Canada goose 258, herring gull 165, fish crow 60, black
vulture 55, turkey vulture 6, bald eagle 1 immature, American wigeon 4, gadwall
12, mallard 8, coot 6, bufflehead 4, ruddy duck 2, cormorant 1, lesser scaup 2,
American crow 3, and green-winged teal 1 male plus 1 redbelly cooter. 51°F.
BOX TREE ROAD (Machipongo), 9:49-9:50, 54°F., fair, NE10. Greater yellowlegs
54. Dunlin 28, willet 3, bald eagle 1, harrier 1, and great blue heron 2.
Middle tide and rising. Tad Beach, who did pewter sculptures and other artwork
of birds and animals, I learned has died. His studio was at Webb’s Island.
TREHERNEVILLE: 9:54 A.M., Merlin 1, bluebird 7 and 1 d.o.r. gray squirrel.
WILLIS WHARF. Was dead last Thursday but lots of action today. 10:08-11:01.
I get here JUST on time as the big shorebirds are standing in the water on the
mud and will all take off in a few minutes and disappear down the Mchipongo
River to wherever their high tide roost is out towards (or in?) Hog Island Bay.
To see a flock of c. 442 big waders (c. 280 MARBLED GODWITS, 2 whimbrel, and
160 willets) wheeling around in a tight group is impressive. Also here:
greater yellowlegs 8, bald eagle 1, Canada goose 44, dunlin 24, ruddy turnstone
16, fish crow 3, turkey vulture 16, western sandpiper 2, bufflehead 1, great
blue heron 1, wood duck 2, and hooded merganser 1, plus painted turtle 2 and 1
gray squirrel, the latter 4 species of creatures seen in the wooded, freshwater
pond area adjacent to Ballard Road. Near full high tide, 63-64°F., fair, wind
increasing to NE10+. Après godwit it’s always good to purchase a pint of
oysters from Terry’s seafood. The local turnstones often can be seen gleaning
scraps from the huge piles of clamshells there, resting on the workboat
gunwales or docks at high tide, or scurrying around Terry’s wet and pockmarked
parking areas in between the pickup trucks.
Route 600 X Bell Neck Road: a d.o.r. Raccoon. At Quinby, the tide has become
very high, 1-2’ above normal: bald eagle 2, turkey vultures 36 in a
recently-worked field, and another d.o.r. raccoon. Wachapreague: 1 bald eagle.
Locustville: 11 bluebirds, 5 chipping sparrows, meadowlark 1, and a d.o.r.
gray squirrel. Drop in to the Reigers (not home) and visit briefly with
Michael Male. GARGATHA LANDING ROAD: 1:30-2:21, fair, NE15-20, 61-59°F., tide
c. 1.5’ high above normal but has been letting out for a while. Not a great
deal here, but it’s a nice place to make one last stop and look-see: snowy
egret 2, bald eagle 1, cowbird 80, starling 45, harrier 1, black duck 6, unID’d
scoter 16, bufflehead 1, chipping sparrow 3, pied-billed grebe 1, American crow
12, and bluebird 5.
Best to all. – Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.
