Nothing unexpected but a few birds of note after a weekend of BBS'ing in nice
weather conditions in Southside VA. Coming into VA in the pre-dawn early
morning hours of 6/7 I heard a couple Whip-poor-wills along Prince George Dr.
in Prince George Co. and then a couple of Chuck-wills-widows near the start of
the Newville BBS Route around the Prince George/Sussex/Surry Co. border. On
this BBS, completely in Sussex Co., I had 4 Wood Thrush, 5 Black-and-white
Warblers, 8 Cedar Waxwings, 1 Scarlet Tanager, and 2 Kentucky Warblers. The
Kentucky Warb.s were at the crossing of the swamp just downstream of Belsches
Millpond and Cabin Point Rd./SR 602 just west of 35; one was still singing
there when I passed back through after the survey around 10:30AM. I was unable
to find any Mississippi Kites around the crossing of Cabin Point Rd. and
Rowanty Cr. where I've had them the past 2 years.
Today I helped Peggy Rommen-Waterfield with her Newsoms BBS route, almost
completely in Southampton Co. ending in Greensville Co. just west of the
Meherrin River. Notables on this route were 1 Scarlet Tanager, 1 Am. Redstart,
and then 2 Mississippi Kites putting on a good show off SR 730 about a mile
east of Little Texas.
Nick Flanders
Portsmouth, VA
