I was at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Saturday (12/20/03) from 11am
to 3pm. Each of the north 3 islands had a mixed flock of scoters and other
sea ducks on the bay side. Each flock had about 400 birds, but this number
was often hard to estimate due to the wind, waves, and active diving by the
ducks. Island 1 had a nice flock of Long-tailed Ducks (~40) and some
Bufflehead. I looked over the gull flocks hanging around, but could find no
rarities. Great Cormorants and Purple Sandpipers were seen too.
2 Harlequin Ducks (1 m, 1 f) were with the Island 4 flock. 4 Common Eiders
(1 f, 3 juvenile/1st winter) were with the Island 3 flock. One of the 1st
winter birds looked a lot like the female, but the breast had a whitish
color and there appeared to be white spots on the back. I may have been
seeing things with all the wind and waves. The other two young birds looked
similar to the 1st winter male (Atlantic) in Sibley. A female King Eider
was at the jetty on Island 2 with a female Surf Scoter. I was surprised at
how certain I was that this was indeed a female King Eider. I don't have a
lot of experience with them, but it showed the short bill nail, white mark
above the eye, and dark barring on the sides. I saw this bird as I was
headed back south on the CBBT, and was surprised by how different it was
from the Common Eiders I saw at Island 3.
On Sunday, I spent some time owling in the early morning (6am) and then
spent a about an hour at Chesapeake Ave in Hampton and Newport News.
Chesapeake Ave is listed in the coastal portion of the Virginia Birding
Trail. Part of the avenue and the nearby city parks were closed (due
Hurricane Isabel, I assume). I was able to see a Common Loon at a distance
of about 100 feet. There were many Bufflehead, Red-breasted Mergansers,
Horned Grebes, and American Wigeon. I saw my target bird, Common Goldeneye,
at the east end of the avenue while looking to the east. It was a terrible
view, but hopefully, next time, they will be closer. I saw about 15 Surf
Scoters off the avenue. I have never seen that many there before. While
owling that morning, I heard a Great Horned Owl and some American Woodcock
near Route 337 in Suffolk.
Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA
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