In the last two trips to the CBBT and Fort Story (yesterday 10 January and
also 7 January), extreme cold and wind produced difficult birding conditions
and
little of interest, other than larger scoter flocks than we've had, mostly
around the Chesapeake Channel (about 1700 birds, mostly Surf Scoters). These
could be the combined groups from the Thimble and Chesapeake Channels, as there
were few scoters around the southern CBBT islands yesterday at all. Gull
numbers continue very low, in the few thousands there, with only three species
seen yesterday. No eiders or Harlequins were apparent, but the heavy seas
could
have hidden them, and I didn't spend very much time birding at all (salt spray
came well over the tops of the islands yesterday). An adult female Peregrine
Falcon was hunting along the span south of the third island yesterday, always
a nice sight. Fort Story and the northern Virginia Beach coast had little to
recommend it -- only a handful of loons, none fancy, and no grebes of any
kind on either afternoon. With calmer weather today, other birders have
hopefully had better luck!
The American Woodcock show at Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR was middling last
evening between 5:30 and 5:50 p.m. (only about 23 birds), but a Short-eared
Owl in silhouette flying to the south near the head of the Butterfly Trail was
some compensation. With the ground frozen here this week, it's hard going for
woodcocks, but I had thought the colder weather to our north might have
pushed a few more down this way.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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