December 26-28, 2005, to Virginia & North Carolina with Jared Sparks.
Dec. 26. VIRGINIA. WILLIS WHARF east of Exmore, VA. Noon. 45 degrees F.
Overcast. MUCH rain last night. W winds at 15 m.p.h. Tide low but
coming in fast, concentrating the shorebirds. 139 Marbled Godwits (some of
them extracting 6-7" worms from the tidal mud). 144 Willets. 32
Short-billed Dowitchers. 25 Dunlin. 8 Hooded Mergansers. 14 Brant.
Willis Wharf is included in the area of the proposed Nassawadox Christmas
Bird Count to be conducted on Sunday, December 17, 2006. Come and see this
shorebird spectacle for yourself!!
CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE & TUNNEL, Island 1. 1:30-2:45 P.M. 240 gannets. 2
White-winged & 2 Surf scoters. 3 Greater Scaup & 22 unidentified scaup.
25 Long-tailed Ducks. 5 Brant. 7 Rock Pigeons. 1 Double-crested
Cormorant. 20 turnstones. 105 Buffleheads.
NORTH CAROLINA. On the way to Cape Hatteras. 4 Glossy Ibis wheeling over
a distant saltmarsh at Aydlett, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse at Corolla
visible in the distance. A dead Gray Fox, a mammal I never see in life, at
Harbinger.
CAPE HATTERAS CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, Dec. 27. My favorite Christmas count.
7 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. Jared, Aaron Simon and I are assigned the Hatteras
village area, about the 12th year I've worked this area. Of most interest
we find: 3 Redheads, 5 female Greater Scaup (I think these were the only
GRSC reported today), a female Common Goldeneye (only COGO on the count),
10 Pied-billed Grebes, 6,500 Double-crested Cormorants (great skeins of
them over the sea), 1 imm. Little Blue Heron, a sharpy carrying prey, 3
Merlins, 2 Clapper Rails (both of them Aaron & I flushed), 18 Willets, 10
knots, 2 Least Sandpipers, 2 Royal Terns, 1 Sedge & 5 Marsh Wrens, 1
Orange-crowned Warbler (by Jared), 5 Palm Warblers (Westerns), 1 Seaside &
4 unidentified sharp-tailed sparrows, 1 female Brown-headed Cowbird (only
BHCO of the count, I think) and 53 House Finches (seems like a lot for way
down here). As usual we start the day at Isaac Pond where there are
wigeon, Pied-billed Grebes, Mallards, hoodies, Redheads, coots, and 2
Nutria.
The "inlet" at Hatteras village, which leads into the marina and Oden's
Dock, with its rock jetties, distant marsh, and expansive views of Pamlico
Sound is a great spot to spend an hour or more, which we did, adding 6
species to our list at mid-day, and having fine, views of Common Loons,
Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers, the Greater Scaup, and other
waterbirds at very close range. A hundred yards or so distant dozens of
Brown Pelicans sit basking in the sun, sheltered by a grove of Red Cedars
from the 20+ m.p.h. NW wind coming off of the sound. A first for me here
was a 2nd winter Ring-billed Gull feeding in a Red Cedar on the tree's
berries (which I think are technically cones). A few winters ago Bob
Anderson saw ring-bills doing this after a major snow storm in January.
Cape Hatteras per se including Cape Point and the Salt Pond, 1-5 P.M.
Winds gradualy diminish, becoming dead calm. It is sunny and warm and
lovely. Let my tires down to 19 pounds and drive down the beach to Cape
Point and around various prospects giving fine views of the saltpond. As
splendid a winter afternoon is there is with talks with a couple from
Ontario birding there, and a couple from Chester County, PA, who are
fishing and know Bob Shutsky and who knew and worked with Alston Jenkins,
prominent Pennsylvania naturalists and conservationists. Many 2-3+' Spiny
Dogfish are being caught but very few fish.
1 female Canvasback, both scaup, 90 Black Scoters, 75 Duddy Rucks (a Chan
Robbins term), 5 EARED GREBES (killer, simultaneous looks through 3 scopes
with the sun behind us; a Horned and numerous Pied-billeds present for
comparison; there may have been 6 eareds!!), an American Bittern, 5 imm.
White Ibis, a big Cooper's Hawk, a King Rail calling at sunset from the
cattails, 2 ad. Lesser Black-backed Gulls (very poor numbers of all gulls
present at Cape Point today and the count missed any species other than the
"basic 6."), 1 bedraggled Tree Swallow, 350 robins (flocks of them pitching
into the dense vegetation of Buxton Woods). 1 Nutria at the Salt Pond.
The count's unofficial total was 142. As usual Paul Sykes and Audrey
Whitlock did a star turn back in the interior of Hatteras Island - they
have most of the woodlands in the count circle - turning up a
Chuck-will's-widow (photographed), a Cattle Egret, a parula and 3
Yellow-throated warblers. Others saw a Razorbill, an unidentifed jaeger,
and a Glossy Ibis. The "best" bird of the count was an Ash-throated
Flycatcher, seen by many today. A delicious compilation dinner at the
Catholic Church in Buxton featuring clam chowder, chili, and much very good
company.
Dec. 28. BODIE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE POND sector, Bodie-Pea Island Christmas
Bird Count. 7:15 A.M. - 12:45 P.M. Jared, Neil Moore, Chris Eley and I
draw this party area. Jared does a sea watch, Neil & Chris walk the trail
and dike S of the pond out to Route 12, and I shamble and teeter across the
marsh S of the pond to the highway.
Right off as we walk out the boardwalk to the pond a subtle, furtive little
flit flies in front of us into the dense shrubs at close range giving its
call notes, then pops out and approaches in full view, looking at us and
singing = great looks at a Sedge Wren. About the first of the waterfowl we
see on the pond is a male Eurasian Wigeon, sitting on the water at close
range. Neil scopes the marsh edge intently and spots a Sora and a Virginia
Rail feeding in the open in the south-facing vegetation where pond and
marsh meet. I've found that such sun-warmed marsh edges, especially in the
morning, are where rails can actually be SEEN occasionally.
Some of our party totals include: 125 Tundra Swans, 1,200+ ducks on the
pond including 182 Gadwall and 225 black ducks, a female Long-tailed Duck,
36 hoodies, 5,600 gannets and 1,371 Brown Pelicans (Jared's seawatch), 3
American Bitterns, 42 Tricolored Herons, 60 white Ibis, 1 Clapper, 1 King
and 10 Virginia rails, 32 Long-billed Dowitchers (always seem to be at the
pond on this count, even when it is frozen), 6 avocets, 1 Tree Swallow, 1
House, 3 Sedge & 10 Marsh wrens, 475 robins, 10 catbirds, 1,200 Myrtle
Warblers, 1 Nelson's Sharp-tailed (great view) and 6 unidentifed
sharp-tailed sparrows.
This morning I learn that my mother-in-law, Mary Mallam, died last night at
age 90, so Jared and I leave for points north. We secure a rental car for
Jared in Norfolk so he can finish some of the cycle.
A gem on the way up to Norfolk is Mel's Diner in Granby, a chrome-style old
diner full of 1940s to 1960s memorabilia, Presleyiana, framed magazine
covers including "Look", license plates from all over, and other
collector's items.
Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel there is a very dark Peregrine
Falcon, which for a while I think will fly right in front of the car. It's
in the middle of the C.B.B.T. span and sports jesses. Ned Brinkley says it
has been there a while and is the dark pealei race from the Pacific
Northwest. Ned and Steve Hairfield feed me dinner (incl. venison chili) at
their attractive B&B, a big Sears house in Cape Charles, and I'm back in
Philadelphia by just before midnight after delegating the Cape Charles
count (tomorrow) management to Ned & Jared. 425 miles today.
Dec. 29, 2005, to Jan. 3, 2006, from Philadelphia to Canton, NY, and back.
NEW YORK. On the way up to Canton in upstate New York for her mom's
memorial service Liz and I get a phone call on her cell. It is from George
in New Zealand, who sounds as if he is in the seat right next to us. Just
back from his 3-week tour of various island groups in the Southern Ocean
the trip has had days with up to 28 or so tubenose species
(Procellariiformes) and has seen 8 species of penguins. He will make it to
Canton in time for the service, had one calendar day that because of the
International Dateline was 42 hours.
Dec. 31. Upper & Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area, St. Lawrence
County, NY. 11 A.M. - 1 P.M. All of 10 species. All still water frozen.
5-6 in. of snow on the ground. Temps in the low-mid 20s. Wind 20 m.p.h.
and cold. 2 Hairy Woodpeckers. 4 Common Redpolls at a feeder at 228 Irish
Settlement Road. 9 American Tree Sparrows. Any feeders in this area just
swarm with Black-capped Chickadees. Found a fresh roadkill, a male Ruffed
Grouse. A doe right in town in Liz's sister's, Dorothy's, yard, stalking
around and briefly entering her garage.
January 1, 2006. 11 A.M. - 3 P.M. 103 miles. Overcast with light snow.
Area around Massena in extreme northern New York including Massena, the
Barnhart Island Boat Basin and Robert Moses State Park, the Massena Intake,
and Haddington. Much of this is close to or else right on the St. Lawrence
River with some splendid prospects including views of its great waters, at
least those not frozen. Temperature 13 degrees F. just before noon.
Crossed above latitude 45 degrees where there is a sign saying you're
halfway to the North Pole. Glare ice was so firm in some of the parking
areas it was difficult to walk without falling down.
20 species including a Common Loon, 3 red-tails, c. 1,250 Common Mergansers
on the river, 95 Common Goldeneyes, 19 black ducks, 57 Mallards, 835 Canada
Geese, and, probably the most unusual bird, a tardy Northern Flicker. A
Muskrat was out in the river, gathering vegetation for its lodge. 1 deer
(a doe) in the state park. 3 Gray Squirrels. Close views of 2 Common
Ravens at the Eisenhower locks, one of them calling. The river is full of
islands, most of them forested, and some with last summer's leftover
Double-crested Cormorant nests.
January 3. 383 miles from Canton to Philadelphia. 18 Red-tailed Hawks
along the way. Rained most of the trip.
Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225. 215-248-4120. Please, any off-list replies to:
harryarmistead at hotmail dot com (never, please, to 74077.3176 ....)
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