KIPTOPEKE STATE PARK & ENVIRONS, September 24-October 13, 2009.
Part 1, September 24-October 4.
UN-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. During my 17 full days the lowest daily
raptor count total is 227. 133 peregrines the highest daily count, as were 311
Merlins, these 2 highs higher than any of Cape May’s days. Up to 426 White
Ibis present. Poor year for kestrel, flicker, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,
Broad-winged Hawk (I didn’t see one decent kettle), Blue Jay, Purple Finch. As
of the time I left just 1 each of Golden Eagle, goshawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Lark
Sparrow, and Clay-colored Sparrow. 2 Cave Swallows. Only a few Red-breasted
Nuthatches. Monarchs didn’t start in earnest until my last few days. Perhaps
only one Long-tailed Skipper. I didn’t hear of any Gulf Fritillaries. Rain
was a minor factor on just 3 days. Heard fewer horned and screech owls than
usual. In the entire fall, mostly due to weather, I didn’t have one good
warbler day.
ABBREVIATIONS & GAZETTEER: C.V.W.O., Coastal Virginia Wildlife
Observatory. ESVNWR, Eastern Shore of Virginia N.W.R. K.S.P., Kiptopeke State
Park. MAGOTHA ROAD, a nice road out to Magothy Bay on the Seaside with much
marsh and broad water, one of those idiosyncratic spelling variances as in
Accomack County vs. the town of Accomac. OYSTER (compare with Bivalve, NJ),
harbor c. 10 miles to the north on the seaside. RAMP LANE, goes off of the
south end of ESVNWR and has a nice little pond plus a well-designed launching
area at the end where the Intracoastal Waterway (known locally as the Federal
Cut) is. SEASIDE HAWKWATCH (a.k.a. Bull’s Drive, Bull’s Landing, or, simply,
Seaside, now officially Seaside Hawkwatch, a segment of ESVNWR, off limits,
restricted area. WILLIS WHARF, waterman’s village 25 miles to the north,
sometimes fondly referred to as “Willets’ Wharf” since Willets are sometimes
there by the 100s.
C.V.W.O. FALL SEASONAL STAFF et al.: Susan Bastarache (C.V.W.O.
intern, songbird banding assistant). Calvin Brennan (raptor counter). Bob
Chapman (raptor trapper). Peter Doherty, songbird bander. Ann Gilmore
(principal songbird bander). Georgia Karns (Monarch researcher, “Madama
Butterfly”). Zach Poulton, Seaside hawk counter. Assisting the songbird
banders on many, many days are Joe Beatty, Kit Fechtig, Gerri Howe, Nan LaRue.
VISITORS (incomplete list): does not include persons mentioned
above under C.V.W.O. or all of the folks mentioned in the report below: Bob
Ake, Tom & Debbie Bodenschatz, Charlene Brennan, Larry Brindza, Harold Burks,
Kim Cook, Robert & Ruth Cook, John & Martha Dillard, Phil Doerr, Carl &
Carolyn Drasher, Scott Dupue, Marty & Sandra Edmonds, Jennifer Elmer, Chris
Foster, Herb Gaskill, Mike Gray, Tom & Joan Grunwald, Bobby Howe, Renee
Hudgins, Rich Kantor, Buck & Cindy Keller, Robert Klages, Clyde LaRue, Bob &
Kathy Loomis, Bob & Judy Lynn, John & Carol McGonigle, Mark McCaig, David
McRuer, Bart Paxton, Kurt Plowman, Sue Rice, Kelly Rourke, Fletcher Smith, Ruth
Ann Weidel, Beth Wright, John Young.
ON THE INTERNET: Interesting (fascinating, actually) locations:
www.cvwo.org for all things C.V.W.O. www.hawkcount.org has all the 100s of
hawk count sites in America and their results in excruciating detail.
birdingonthe.net carries most state listserves.
MISSED. This year I do not see Bernie and Janie Shaaf, Gary Casey,
and Betty (“the bone crusher”) Lemley. I miss the late Bill Minor and his wife
Maureen.
IN THE NEWS. Journalist John McGonigle and his wife Carol are
present for several days. John brings photocopies of 2 articles he wrote last
year celebrating C.V.W.O. in his Lancaster, PA, Sunday News “Outdoors” column:
“Birding as a hobby: teen helps as a volunteer at Kiptopeke,” December 28,
2008, p. C9 (concerns Margaret Odell, with a great shot of her holding a
peregrine), and “Hawks, beauty on the Eastern Shore,” about the Seaside &
K.S.P. Hawkwatches, October 12, 2008, p. C13.
MISTAKES: Probably some here, but after c. 5,000 words it’s time
to move on. Let me know, though, if you notice any mistakes.
Unless stated otherwise all observations, especially the raptor
totals, are from the hawkwatch platform at K.S.P. Raptor totals below are
unofficial.
During the course of this trip on behalf of C.V.W.O. I deliver
copies of Shorebirds at Chincoteague (C.V.W.O., 2008) to the libraries of
Washington College (Chestertown, MD), Accomac Public Library, Salisbury
University, and the Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center (Oyster, VA). In
the near future I’ll also mail one to Patuxent Wildlife Research Center,
Laurel, MD. Few copies remain but some are still for sale at the excellent
Visitor Center of Chincoteague N.W.R.
September 24, Thursday. My meager notes from this travel day are
misplaced but I do remember seeing just 1 Willet and 1 Killdeer at Willis
Wharf. Get in after dark. Take 14 trips up the ramp to unload my gear into
the yurt.
September 25, Friday. Best Merlin day of the year with a splendid
311 including 64 from 3-4, 98 from 4-5, and 95 jetting through from 5-6. Six
in sight simultaneously once. An imm. female capture is shown to those on the
platform, one of 12 trapped today. Great Blue Herons pass over in
configurations of 17, 14, 4, 1, 1, and 3. Four Common Nighthawks. Eric and
Sue Wood from Nunthorpe, England, are on hand.
osprey 147. bald eagle 6. northern harrier 24. sharp-shinned
hawk 291. Cooper’s hawk 61. broad-winged hawk 1. red-tailed hawk 1.
American kestrel 319. merlin 311. peregrine falcon 25. TOTAL 1186. Hugh
Sargent, his S-I-L Ted Corcoran and grandson Liam Corcoran arrive plus Marilyn
and Langhorne Smith (loosely dubbed the Philadelphia crowd).
September 26, Saturday. Today is the Kiptopeke Challenge. I do
not participate since I just did a similar marathon on September 19. Besides,
I have “guests” today. But during the challenge Brian T., Calvin, and Paul
Nasca find a very early Cave Swallow near the Ramp Lane pond; I think their
species total is 114. Bob Anderson and Thuy Tran do the hawk count.
I go with Hugh and his family to Seaside where we see 225 White
Ibis, 2 Whimbrel (foraging at very close range for an extended period), 2
Glossy Ibis, 7 Willets, and 4 Tricolored Herons. We also visit Ramp Lane and
see 1 Least, 1 Spotted & 1 Semipalmated sandpiper, 2 Green Herons, 1 Snowy & 1
Great egret. It’s been sparse at Ramp Lane this fall. Perhaps the new road
has inhibited the exchange of water between the pond and the tides.
At K.S.P. there is a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a Scarlet Tanager,
Bobolinks, and a Baltimore Oriole. I learn from Seaside hawkcounter Zach
Poulton that in the 3rd week of September up to 428 WHITE IBIS were present at
Seaside, a new Virginia high count by over 100. Marilyn Smith identifies some
common, widespread flowers as Boneset (Eupatorium).
osprey 114. bald eagle 1. northern harrier 11. sharp-shinned
hawk 352. Cooper’s hawk 56. broad-winged hawk 2. red-tailed hawk 4.
American kestrel 124. merlin 109. peregrine falcon 58. TOTAL 831. Hal
Wierenga & Lynn Davidson arrive. See a doe with 2 fawns east of Rt. 600 and
north of ESVNWR. Someone, I forget who, saw a few flying Snow Geese and Mute
Swans today, the latter unusual for here. 33 peregrine pass through from 3-4.
George Armistead is at our Maryland place today where he sees 6 Bald Eagles and
will see 6 gain on September 27.
September 27, Sunday. Go up to Oyster with Hugh Sargent and family
with Marilyn and Langhorne Smith, finding 25 Marbled Godwits and 4 Barn
Swallows, after which those folks leave. See, briefly, Margaret and Abby
Odell, down for the Kiptopeke Challenge. Three peregrines are captured today,
including one that comes in with a broken leg. That bird is transported across
the Bay for treatment by veterinarian David McRuer. 1 Common Nighthawk. Lots
of Palm Warblers. Buck and Cindy Waller are on hand.
osprey 264. bald eagle 4. northern harrier 13. sharp-shinned
hawk 170. Cooper’s hawk 15. broad-winged hawk 1. red-tailed hawk 1.
American kestrel 63. merlin 34. peregrine falcon 108. TOTAL: 673. From 2-3
we see 29 peregrines.
September 28, Monday. Scott Barnes and Linda Mack from Sandy Hook
Bird Observatory visit. 5 Wood Ducks. 7 peregrines are captured, 2 shown to
the platform crowd plus a Merlin. Deb & Keith Gingrich arrive. Two of the
peregrines have a strange, bluish gray leg color, the result Bob Chapman says,
of variable nutrition. 3 deer. Large, sinister-looking Assassin Bugs attract
our attention stalking along the platform railings. Buck Keller, who works in
a boatyard in southern MD, says that because of the recession boat sales have
fallen from the usual 300-600 a year to 35 in 2009.
osprey 149. northern harrier 4. sharp-shinned hawk 151. Cooper’s
hawk 13. broad-winged hawk 10. American kestrel 252. merlin 27. peregrine
falcon 76. TOTAL: 682. Some best hourly totals: peregrine 26 from 1-2,
kestrel 75 from 12-1, and Osprey 33 from 10-11. After some rain a Green Tree
Frog calls half-heartedly outside of the yurt, where I serve cocktails to Hal &
Lynn, Deb and Keith, and Sue Ricciardi followed by dinner at Sting-Ray’s. A
strong WSW wind of 10-20 has many raptors catching the updrafts low and above
the Bay bluff. 68 flickers, 1 Blue-winged Teal. A sapsucker.
September 29, Tuesday. osprey 136. bald eagle 7. northern
harrier 9. sharp-shinned hawk 246. Cooper’s hawk 46. broad-winged hawk 19.
American kestrel 303. merlin 74. peregrine falcon 59. TOTAL: 899. A small
flock of Great Blue Herons goes over high. Jeremy Scheivert from Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary is here. Bob Anderson and Thuy Tran count raptors at Seaside, call
me on the cell phone right after seeing a Golden Eagle at 10:52 A.M. Cold,
70s, NW 20-25.
September 30, Wednesday. 244 flickers. 6 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4
Black-bellied & 1 American Golden plover, a sapsucker. I do chores 11-2, the
1st of only 2 times I do them in hours of daylight. 4 Brown Pelicans seen high
to the east and east of Route 13; unusual to see them in this tangent from the
hawkwatch platform.
Osprey 117. bald eagle 10. northern harrier 8. sharp-shinned
hawk 253. Cooper’s hawk 149. broad-winged hawk 5. red-tailed hawk 5.
American kestrel 134. merlin 4. peregrine falcon 17. TOTAL: 702. Marty
Daniels and Sue Ricciardi arrive.
October 1, Thursday. osprey 113. bald eagle 21. northern harrier
15. sharp-shinned hawk 374. Cooper’s hawk 171. broad-winged hawk 35.
red-shouldered hawk 1. red-tailed hawk 20. American kestrel 79. merlin 22.
peregrine falcon 88. unID’d raptor 2. TOTAL: 939. Liz Armistead arrives. A
high flight today but 2 captured Merlins are shown. The currently approved way
of handling such raptors is not to pull their wings out for display to
photographers nor to grasp them only by their legs (“thighs”) but instead to
envelop their wings, legs, and the base of their tail with one or two hands,
sort of like holding a large popsicle or ice cream cone. This is less
satisfactory for us viewers but safer for the birds.
See a kettle of 6 Bald Eagles plus 4 Wood Ducks, a Baltimore
Oriole, Calvin spots a Yellow-breasted Chat, a hummingbird, a golden plover, a
Cape May Warbler, a Red-headed Woodpecker, plus 439 flickers. Lynn identifies
a bug that lands on my shoe then transfers to my shirt as a red and black Plant
Hopper. Sue Ricciardi leaves but 10 of us residues dine at Don Valerios. Next
to the feeders 2 Gray Squirrels indulge in a major dustup, leaping
acrobatically into the air and doing battle with their paws.
October 2, Friday. osprey 75. bald eagle 4. northern harrier 5.
sharp-shinned hawk 150. Cooper’s hawk 40. broad-winged hawk 11. red-tailed
hawk 3. American kestrel 25. merlin 16. peregrine falcon 90. TOTAL: 421.
32 peregrines passed through from 1-2, 8 in sight simultaneously. The
temperature has risen over night: 54 at 9 P.M., Oct. 1; 57 at 1 A.M.; 59 at
3:30 A.M.; 63 at 6:45 A.M. SW @ 10 with broken cloud cover today. 51
flickers. See a sharpie harassing a peregrine (!).
10 small egrets are sitting down on one of the concrete ships. Far
off but I think they are Cattle Egrets. It would surprise me to see snowies
resting on such a structure. Paul Nasca is present with members of the
Fredericksburg Bird Club. Bill Williams is here with one of several
Williamsburg high school student groups. Very nice that 3 sharpies and a
Merlin are brought over for them to see up close. This same day 2 peregrines
are shown around. Plus a harrier and an additional sharpie are shown to the 75
students.
October 3, Saturday. osprey 54. northern harrier 3.
sharp-shinned hawk 139. Cooper’s hawk 54. broad-winged hawk 6. red-tailed
hawk 3. American kestrel 24. merlin 9. peregrine falcon 133. TOTAL: 425.
Each fall there is a day or two when peregrines are the the
commonest raptor. This year it is today, except they are outdone by sharpies
by just 6 birds. 2 peregrines are shown around today. 37 pass by from 2-3.
Best day of the year for them. Late in the day Hal & Lynn et al. visit Oyster,
where they find swarms of mosquitoes and approximately 50 Willets, 100
oystercatchers, and 15 Marbled Godwits. Six Eurasian Collared-Doves are on the
wires along Cedar Grove Road.
Go to Seaside 10-11:30 with John McGonigle, Liz, and Bob Rineer.
See 45 Boat-tailed Grackles, 125 White Ibis, 7 Clapper Rails, 3 Tricolored
Herons, 6 Snowy & 11 Great egrets, 5 Royal & a Caspian tern, a kingfisher, a
peregrine, 2 Savannah Sparrows, a Least Sandpiper, and, on the way in, Liz sees
4 Vesper Sparrows. There is a Northern Harrier hunting very low and close over
the dike road.
October 4, Sunday. osprey 56. bald eagle 10. northern harrier 8.
sharp-shinned hawk 163. Cooper’s hawk 93. broad-winged hawk 7. red-tailed
hawk 3. American kestrel 133. merlin 51. peregrine falcon 36. TOTAL 560.
Jethro Runco, Shannon Ehlers et al. see a Lark Sparrow at ESVNR. Will spots an
early Cave Swallow. Hal & Lynn and their Audubon Naturalist Society group go
to Willis Wharf, finding 50 Willets, a Whimbrel, and 7 Short-billed Dowitchers.
Captured by Bob Chapman (with demos by Marty Daniels) are: 2
Merlins, a peregrine, a Cooper’s, and a Sharp-shinned hawk. Deniz Aygen
visits. Will & Beth Russell and Brian Finch (from Kenya) arrive, Will & Brian
fresh from their visit to Monhegan I., Maine, where they had 8 Clay-colored
Sparrows in sight simultaneously. Beth Wright arrives.
Best regards to all. – Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.
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