What a pleasant surprise today to discover Sherwood Lakes (just north of the
Pungo light on Princess Anne Rd.). When you first enter the sub-division you
see the big lake. there is another smaller lake also. Last year all we saw
on the big lake was Ring-billed Gulls and Canada Geese...today...a much
different story!
We saw several rafts of *Ruddy Ducks* (totaling perhaps 75), perhaps 50 *
Scaup*, 10 to 20 *Pied-billed Grebes* (mixed in with the rafts of Ruddy
Ducks and by themselves), about 30 *Hooded Mergansers*, 20 some odd *Coots*,
at least 150 *Canada Geese*, 6 *Mallards*, 30 Ring-billed Gulls, one Great
Blue Heron, one Great Egret and the best...one lone *Redhead Duck*. There
were a few assorted birds in the trees and shrubs around the big lake as
well. we observed an adult and a juvie Red-tailed Hawk, heard a hairy
Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Carolina Wren and saw an Eastern
Phoebe. We really didn't study the sidelines much as we were mostly
interested in the birds of the lake.
A lady we spoke to while walking her dogs told us egrets roost in the trees
there and ducks were also present in it as well. Today we only saw a few
scaup in the small lake. Another man stopped to ask what ducks were on the
lake and he told us they enjoyed seeing Bald Eagles near the lake also.
Tom & Karen Beatty
Virginia Beach, VA
