TO HOME VIA 600 & 679
Part 6. The Redeye Circuit. Five Christmas Bird Counts in Virginia and
North Carolina, December 26-31, 2003. Harry Armistead and Jared Sparks.
Wed., Dec. 31, 2003. A beautiful, clear day with north winds c. 5 m.p.h.,
temps climbing to the low 50s. George and Marshall swing west into
northern Virginia on a successful quest for 2 rarities seen there, present
for some time: Black-throated Gray Warbler (Clarke County) and Harris's
Sparrow (Prince William County).
A slow, relaxing trip back to Philadelphia up bucolic Route 600 (Seaside
Road) from ESVNWR to Accomac and on Route 679 from Accomac to the road in
to Chincoteague. This is one of the loveliest drives I know of on the
Delmarva Peninsula. At this late date the American Hackberries still
retain their bright green leaves, these having regenerated after being
blown off by Hurricane Isabel on September 18, looking now as they do at
the end of May. There is still a little mustard blooming yellow in the
fields as if it's April. Crazy, aseasonal plant behavior. Some cotton
fields remain unharvested.
A mile s. of Routes 600 X 627 at Machipongo there is a small group of 2
Western and 6 Yellow Palm warblers right on the west road shoulder,
compulsively pumping their tails.
Big group of 3,100 Snow and 75 Blue geese feeding in fields west of Route
600 near its intersection with Route 620. They lift off and fly right
overhead in 3 big groups. Look over most of them carefully but can't find
any Ross's Geese. A farmer, seeing our interest, invites us to get closer
by going up his driveway. That is so Eastern Shore. His pecan grove is
full of Mourning Doves and also harbors a perched Red-tailed Hawk.
Willis Wharf. From c. 10- 11 A.M. we see 202 Marbled Godwits on the flats
in front of the Post Office. I count them 7 times and each time get
different totals as the tide comes in as well as more birds. Elegant as
any shorebirds, they are duck-sized with incredibly long, somewhat upturned
bills, bright carmine at the base. We also see here 167 Willets, 7 Greater
Yellowlegs, 12 Dunlin, 6 Short-billed Dowitchers, 2 Common Loons, 2
Semipalmated Plovers, 55 turnstones, 17 Hooded Mergansers, 20 Buffleheads,
2 great blues, a red-tail, a Bald Eagle, and a kettle of 28 Black Vultures
with 2 TVs. Jared talks with waterman Tucker Terry, who gives Jared a sack
of clams and points out the eagle nest visible from the docks. Terry's
generosity is also so Eastern Shore but so, unfortunately, is the landowner
who greeted Paul Sykes yesterday with a 20-gauge shotgun. I believe the
record Virginia Marbled Godwit count is 220 seen here in May 2002 by Calvin
Brennan when he was working for C.V.W.O. that spring.
On the way up from Virginia listen to Beethoven's symphonies 1, 2, 6 & 7
plus the 3rd, the Eroica, again but come off the Blue Route with oldies
blasting on 98.1. Arrive back in Philadelphia at 4:30 P.M., the Redeye
Circuit completed for about the 35th consecutive year, as always a great,
shambling, quasi-picaresque little adventure with a cast of characters set
amidst some of my favorite places. It can snow, rain, freeze, or blow now.
I won't care.
Best to all - Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
1919-1225. 215-248-4120. harryarmistead at hotmail dot com.
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