I was fortunate to spend the weekend birding the lower eastern shore with Paul
Glass and Tina Trice as part of a larger effort by some Virginia birders to
locate rarities. We came across a few good birds on Saturday including an
immature GOLDEN EAGLE circling with 2 BALD EAGLES over the ESVNWR. A stop at
Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve in the afternoon proved fruitful as a nice
flock of 26 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS appeared over our heads during our walk,
circled for a few minutes and then headed north where some other birders in the
area were able to view them from a distance. A pond adjacent to the preserve
held a number of waterfowl dominated by AMERICAN WIGEON but also including good
numbers of GADWALL and GREEN-WINGED TEAL and lesser numbers of AMERICAN BLACK,
RUDDY and RING-NECKED DUCKS, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN COOTS and HOODED
MERGANSERS. However, the highlight duck in this group was a beautiful adult
male EURASIAN WIGEON. Two VESPER SPARROWS on route 600 between Latimer Siding
Rd. and Jones Cove Rd. were cooperative both Saturday and today. Other
noteworthy birds found by others included 2 COMMON GALLINULES at Lake Foster in
Cape Charles, first reported to me by Todd Day and the continuing BAR-TAILED
GODWIT seen by a group from New Jersey Audubon led by Scott Barnes and Linda
Mack. The godwit was at its favored location on the west side of Swan Cove very
close to the road providing excellent photo opportunities. Good birding.
Adam D'Onofrio
Dinwiddie Co.
