Greetings, VA Birders,
Barbara Houston drove and I rode along to 4 locations in Mathews County on the
VA Birding and Wildlife Trail:
Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve (two visits -- morning and afternoon!)
Horn Harbor Landing
Winter Haven Harbor
New Point Comfort Observation Deck
Barbara Houston has some awesome photos from the day's adventure:
http://public.fotki.com/bhouston/miscellaneous/nature_pics/20110715-mathews-va/
With a full moon and incoming tide, neither we nor the birds had beach, mud
flats, or sand bars to work with all day. Nevertheless we got 37 species on our
driving tour. We did walk down Bethel Beach to the sand bar and tide pool on
the right. We ate lunch sitting on the dock at Winter Haven Marina where we saw
two Diamondback Turtles in the water near the dock. The Barn Swallows were
swirling all around as they swooped in to attend to their young under the dock.
One of the highlights of the day was a very cooperative Clapper Rail that posed
for us on a large rock near the bridge over the creek to the parking area at
Bethel Beach. Heard several others at each stop but only saw one.
Also, at Bethel Beach, a pair of American Oystercatchers, one of which had a
red band, easily observed.
Other highlight was observation of 2 immature Sandwich Terns on the pilings off
the observation deck at New Point Comfort. They were hanging with Royal Terns.
Ospreys were the dominant bird of the day. Surprising to see 5 perched in one
tree with other ones and twos perched in nearby trees in the marsh around
Bethel Beach road. Lots of newly fledged Osprey out and about!
If you're interested in the details, the five checklists from eBird are below.
These are great birding spots and you can be surprised by just about anything
along the Chesapeake Bay.
Shirley Devan
Williamsburg Bird Club
http://williamsburgbirdclub.org/
Board member, Virginia Society of Ornithology
http://www.virginiabirds.net/index.html
Ph: 757.813.1322
I'm now on facebook ...
Begin forwarded message:
From: do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxxBegin forwarded message:
Date: July 16, 2011 1:39:35 PM EDT
To: sedevan52@xxxxxxx
Subject: eBird Report - Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve - CMT04, Jul 15,
2011
Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve - CMT04, Mathews, US-VA
Jul 15, 2011 1:55 PM - 2:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Barbara Houston and Shirley Devan. Tide going out but still
high.
11 species
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 4
Osprey 10
Clapper Rail 4 heard only
Barn Swallow 8
Eastern Bluebird 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 6
House Sparrow 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org/VA)
From: do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxxBegin forwarded message:
Date: July 16, 2011 1:42:52 PM EDT
To: sedevan52@xxxxxxx
Subject: eBird Report - Horn Harbor Landing - CMT06, Jul 15, 2011
Horn Harbor Landing - CMT06, Mathews, US-VA
Jul 15, 2011 11:00 AM - 11:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Barbara Houston and Shirley Devan. High Tide
7 species
Great Egret 1
Osprey 5
American Robin 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
Northern Cardinal 3
Indigo Bunting 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org/VA)
From: do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxxBegin forwarded message:
Date: July 16, 2011 1:47:57 PM EDT
To: sedevan52@xxxxxxx
Subject: eBird Report - Winter Haven Harbor, Jul 15, 2011
Winter Haven Harbor, Mathews, US-VA
Jul 15, 2011 11:20 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Barbara Houston and Shirley Devan. High Tide. Also observed 2
Diamondback Terrapins near dock
10 species
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 5
Clapper Rail 6 heard only
Killdeer 2
Laughing Gull 6
Eastern Kingbird 2
Barn Swallow 12
Brown Thrasher 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org/VA)
From: do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxxBegin forwarded message:
Date: July 16, 2011 1:55:17 PM EDT
To: sedevan52@xxxxxxx
Subject: eBird Report - New Point Warf - CMT07, Jul 15, 2011
New Point Warf - CMT07, Mathews, US-VA
Jul 15, 2011 12:35 PM - 1:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments: Barbara Houston and Shirley Devan. High tide
17 species
Double-crested Cormorant 4
Brown Pelican 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 1 Adult
American Oystercatcher 2
Laughing Gull 4
Least Tern 1
Common Tern 1
Royal Tern 50
Sandwich Tern 2 immatures hanging out with Royal Terns on pilings near
observation platform
Mourning Dove 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Barn Swallow 36
Carolina Wren 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org/VA)
From: do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx
Date: July 16, 2011 2:12:08 PM EDT
To: sedevan52@xxxxxxx
Subject: eBird Report - Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve - CMT04, Jul 15,
2011
Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve - CMT04, Mathews, US-VA
Jul 15, 2011 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Barbara Houston and Shirley Devan. Rising tide on full moon.
19 species (+1 other taxa)
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Osprey 14
Bald Eagle 1 immature
Clapper Rail 6 photos of one near bridge in marsh
American Oystercatcher 2 one with red band
Least Sandpiper 1
Short-billed Dowitcher 2
Laughing Gull 12
Herring Gull 2
Least Tern 14
Common Tern 19
Royal Tern 2
crow sp. 1
Barn Swallow 12
Eastern Bluebird 1
Blue Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird 6
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org/VA)
