Report and link to pictures for CBBT & Surry County field trip - January
24, 2004
Five members of Monticello Bird Club spent a morning of birding the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel where we met up with group from Richmond
Audubon Society.
It was a beautiful morning that started out with mostly cloudy skies
clearing with periods of bright sunshine. (By 12:30 clouds were rolling
back in and wind increased substantially.) Although morning temperature
hovered around 38-39 degrees the fact there was virtually no wind (in the
morning) made for very pleasant conditions.
There's no way to adequately describe the tens of thousands of scoter
observed all along the CBBT. They were on the water and in the
air. Although majority were Surf, there was a good representation of Black
and White-winged Scoter. A single Brant was found on Island 3 along with 2
Harbor Seal resting on the rocks. It was here we also observed four Common
Eider and a single imm. male King Eider. On Isl. 4 we were finally
successful in locating 3 Harlequin Duck (2 female and 1 adult male) along
with Canvasback and 2 Redhead.
Greater and Lesser Scaup were observed in smaller numbers mixed in with the
scoter.
Not one loon or Northern Gannet could be found!
Around noon our group broke up going our separate ways. Lois Gebhardt and
I headed over to Hog Isl. and were very disappointed to discover access is
restricted. Although national alert has been lowered, it remains "orange"
for facilities including nuclear power plants. One cannot drive in as
access to Hog Is. requires driving on property owned by Surry Nuclear Power
Plant.
Near the town of Surry we ran into Mike Iwanik who gave us directions to
Sunken Garden Meadows (I believe that's the correct name) located on Rt.
626 in Surry County. There we found the area chock full of ducks. Road is
very narrow with only one small "safe" pull off area. Don't venture into
woods as there was considerable nearby gunshots. Didn't seem to bother the
ducks, including Pintail, Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, a single
Blue-winged Teal and a female Goldeneye.
A complete trip list is below.
Brenda Tekin
Charlottesville, VA
For few pictures taken at CBBT, click on link:
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/Birds_of_the_Commonwealth/image_links/CBBT2004Field_Trip.htm
Trip List:
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Brown Pelican
Tundra Swan
Canada Goose
Brant (1 on CBBT Isl.3)
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal (1 at Sunken Garden Meadows)
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider (4-CBBT Isl.3)
King Eider (1 imm.male-CBBT Isl.3)
Harlequin Duck (4-CBBT Isl.4)
Long-tailed Duck
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter (Tens of thousands easily!)
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye (1 female - Sunken Garden Meadows, Rt. 626, Surry Co.)
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Great Egret (1 near Fisherman's Isl.)
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle (1 at Eastern Shore NWR and 3 adults at Sunken Garden Meadows)
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
crow species (possibly Fish)
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin (large numbers both at ESNWR and Hog Is.)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet (1 at Hog Isl. Carlisle Track)
Carolina Chickadee
Yellow-rumped Warbler (extreme low numbers! Total of 3 - 2 at ESNWR and 1
at Hog.Is.)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
*****Total: 69 *****
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