CAPE HATTERAS TO CAPE CHARLES, the 2012 REDEYE CIRCUIT, December 26-31, 4 Christmas Bird Counts in a row, as usual. A quasi-picaresque road swing. Too much rain, too much wind, most of the time. At least it is warm.
CORRECTIONS: 1- In a posting last December about idiosyncratic signage on the VA Eastern Shore the place in question was Webb’s Island, not Red Bank. 2- The Dickcissel Dan Cristol found on the Cape Charles Christmas count was in Oyster (Virginia’s answer to Bivalve, NJ), not Cheapside.
DECEMBER 26, WEDNESDAY. An overcast and rather grim start with rain beginning in southern Delaware and continuing all the way to Hatteras. I am alone, for once, Jared Sparks having to stay following the passing of a close friend. 430 miles from Philadelphia to Buxton. On arrival: thunder and lightning on the Outer Banks and sometimes torrential rain. 60-62°F.
7:01 A.M. Massive blackbird flocks, tens of thousands, wheeling and turning in unison at Churchmans Marsh, DE. Smaller flocks over the Delaware-Chesapeake Canal at 7:14 A.M. NO Snow Geese in DE, unusual. 900 Snows in a field W of Route 13 4 miles N of Onley, VA. An invigorating cheese burger with fries and pepsi at Sting-Ray’s. A pair of Hooded Mergansers in the Ramp Lane pond, ESVNWR. 2 miserable-looking Black Vultures on a lamp post, Fisherman Island. Lots of Northern Gannets plunge-diving in the hard rain and wind, close to islands 1, 2 and 3, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. 85 Snow Geese, Pea I. N.W.R., NC. Along Route 12 N of Buxton 2 d.o.r. Nutria and a likewise luckless Virginia Opossum.
After dinner at Hurricane Heather’s in Buxton, and a really strong, good martini, I am apprehended by a policeman on the way back to the Cape Pines Motel. Fortunately it is just because the lights that illuminate the license plate are out.
DECEMBER 27, THURSDAY. Cape Hatteras, NC, Christmas Bird Count. As nearly always I draw coverage of Hatteras village. Full moon. Very windy, winds W 40-20 m.p.h., but warmish, 40-50°F., and sunny. Sound water too high to enable walking in the marsh.
I join Brian Patteson, Kate Sutherland, and Fred Hareau. Fred is from Montreal. We always begin at Isaac Pond, small but mighty, where we see (or hear) 2 Blue-winged Teal, a Nutria, a ♀ Lesser Scaup, some Pied-billed Grebes, some Hooded Mergansers, coots, several Virginia Rails, and Great Egrets. We split into 2 sub-parties, Kate and Brian, Fred and me, for the rest of the morning.
Our totals include 23 Red Knots, 35 Willets, 27 Hooded Mergansers, 7 Pied-billed and 12 Horned grebes, 2 Tricolored Herons, 258 Brown Pelicans, 7 Black-crowned Night Herons, 10 Turkey Vultures (a lot for way out here), 2 Clapper Rails, 20 Sanderlings, 11 Royal Terns, 12 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 2 sapsuckers, 139 House Sparrows (a very high total for the Outer Banks), and a Lincoln’s Sparrow (well-seen by Fred), and a close MINK, the latter seen from the boardwalk of the lovely Sea Breeze Trail in Hatteras Village Park, which has an excellent 27-page brochure with color photographs of plants, reptiles, mammals, and birds. www.hatterasonmymind.com
In the afternoon I poach some. See 48 Ring-necked Ducks on the pond on the E side of the road in to the lighthouse, one a partially leucistic female with white on top of her head, 100s of gannets plunge-diving in a dramatic feeding frenzy perhaps 4 miles offshore, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Tundra Swans at the Salt Pond, and some dolphins.
The compilation as usual is in the Buxton Catholic Church. Good chili and companionship. Others see on this count (unofficial totals) an Eared Grebe (by Fred, on the Salt Pond), 20± Razorbills, a dozen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, c. 55 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 10 Eurasian Collared-Doves, some Brown-headed Nuthatches, 6 Orange-crowned Warblers, a Black-and-white Warbler, and 1 Ipswich Sparrow.
It was unusual for this count to miss Ovenbird and Painted Bunting. Chickadees, titmice, most nuthatches, Hairy Woodpecker, and some other “common birds” are virtually accidentals way out here. The land area of this C.B.C., 25 or more miles from the mainland, is actually greater than that of the Bodie-Pea I. C.B.C.
DECEMBER 28, FRIDAY. Bodie-Pea I. N.W.R., NC, Christmas Bird Count. It’s the Bodie Island Lighthouse Pond with Wes & Sue Earp, Michael & Grazina McClure. Winds 0-15 m.p.h., temperature 32-52°F., sunny. Perfect. Finally a decent day.
On the way N from Buxton I drive through surf breaking over Route 12 just S of New Inlet, where there is a rickety, temporary bridge as a result of the rehabilitation following Hurricane Sandy. The full moon is setting in the W, light building in from the E. Pretty.
With some reluctance and apprehension I don hipwaders for a mile walk in the marsh, where the water levels are higher than is optimal. Once I barely avoid falling over backwards in the tidal gut there that drains from the lighthouse pond to Pamlico Sound. This gut actually shows up in the NC DeLorme atlas, map 49, coordinates 6C.
An American Bittern and a snipe flush, a few Virginia Rails are heard, 9 Long-billed Dowitchers fly by, and in one Baccharis halimifolia bush a Sedge Wren, Saltmarsh Sparrow, and Nelson’s Sparrow perch long enough, at close range, so that they make a good simultaneous sighting within one binocular field.
The pond does not have the 1,000+ waterfowl that it usually does, but our party comes up with 85 Hooded Mergansers, 125 Tundra Swans, 45 wigeon, 103 pintails, 45 Green-winged & 11 blue-winged teal, and 8 White Ibis. The Earps and McClures split up, one couple doing a sea watch (where they see a Harbor Seal and numerous dolphins), the other walking down the overgrown, dike trail leading from near the lighthouse SE to Route 12.
Most of the early afternoon we all get together to continue the sea watch and are joined by John Fussell and Neal Moore, and, earlier, by Mike Tove. Highlight is a Manx Shearwater I spot flying S just beyond the surf line. We all get to see it well and Sue gets some shots of it with her big 600mm camera rig, which has a shape similar to the Stanley Cup. Other sea birds: 666 gannets, 29 Red-throated & 26 Common loons, 37 Red-breasted Mergansers, 16 Brown Pelicans, 140 Black Scoters, 40 Bonaparte’s Gulls, and, on the beach, 49 Willets.
Finally, we do the traditional poaching from mid-afternoon on at Pea I. N.W.R. and are rewarded with 170 American Avocets, 5 American White Pelicans, 175 Ruddy Ducks, and close views of a Lapland Longspur, found by others, which Sue gets terrific, close photographs of. We see 2 Peregrine Falcons that tangle with each other, one of which dives at a Bufflehead 6 times, but the little duck escapes.
The compilation dinner is at Pamlico Jack’s where we learn some of the grand totals and unusual species: Eared Grebe 1, Manx Shearwater 3, white pelican 97, Great Egret 85, White Ibis 128, Merlin 4, peregrine 5, Clapper Rail 47, Virginia Rail 25, Piping Plover 11, avocet 250, Marbled Godwit 80, Razorbill 151, Black Skimmer 15, White-eyed Vireo 1, Sedge Wren 19, Marsh Wren 21, Orange-crowned Warbler 7, Common Yellowthroat 23, Nelson’s Sparrow 15, Seaside Sparrow 13, Lapland Longspur 1, Snow Bunting 1, pintail 1600, and Black Scoter 595 (scoters are usually scarce on this C.B.C.). Species total - 149.
After dinner, fortified with 3 coffees, the 90-mile drive through mostly unfamiliar, small roads with a faulty Mapquest to the little Back Bay refuge safe house on an obscure, dark street in rural Virginia Beach. Arrive 10;05 P.M., fumble with the front door combination, and I’m in. But it’s free lodging.
DECEMBER 29, SATURDAY. Back Bay N.W.R., Virginia Beach, VA, Christmas Bird Count. Rain. 10-20 m.p.h. SE to E to NW winds. Rain stops c. 1:15 P.M. but has been heavy in the morning. Temperatures 40-47°F. Not much fun.
Back Bay N.W.R.: The refuge, bless them, esp. John Gallegos, provides Nick Flanders, Stuart Sweetman, Nancy Gruttmann-Tyler, and me with a vehicle from which we do a count into the early afternoon. Normally we walk N along the dikes from False Cape State Park to refuge HQ, a distance of c. 4.5 miles, but today’s nasty weather mandates otherwise.
Nick does a star turn, doing the driving, handling a scope, and spotting (and hearing) most of the birds. I’m tired and half sick, somewhat demoralized by the weather, and mostly stay in the back seat. But before we begin driving we see two American Bitterns from the refuge HQ. 54 species.
Highlights include (unofficial totals): best of all extended looks at 2 King Rails rather close by, fishing for minnows on the edge of, or else back in a few inches from, the dense Juncus roemerianus stands, plus a few others heard only, 14 Pied-billed Grebes, 300 Snow Geese, 175 Tundra Swans, 325 Gadwalls, 65 Ruddy Ducks, a Red-throated Loon (incongruously in an impoundment right next to the dike), 4 Great Egrets, 10 immature White Ibis, a Tricolored Heron, 3 Bald Eagles, 6 harriers, 12 coots, 2 snipe, 1 Bonaparte’s Gull, 4 Forster’s Terns, 11 Tree Swallows, 1 Brown Creeper, 3 Sedge & 4 Marsh wrens, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 12 waxwings, and a Rusty Blackbird plus a Nutria, 4 deer, and a Yellow-bellied Slider.
We learn this time from John Gallegos of the refuge staff that there are Bobcats on the here.
Other sightings on this count include 2686 Red-throated Loons, a Manx Shearwater, 7 white pelicans, 53 Great Egrets, 155 White Ibis, 12 King Rails, 25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Razorbills, 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove, 180 Tree Swallows, 15 Sedge Wrens, 14 Marsh Wrens, only 1 Hermit Thrush (hard to believe), and 320 Chipping Sparrows. 126 species total.
I leave at 2:30 to get up to Cape Charles in time to make certain the housekeeping details are in order for tomorrow’s count.
DECEMBER 30, SUNDAY. Cape Charles, VA, Christmas Bird Count. Gale force winds 25-45 m.p.h., finally diminishing to 15 after 4 P.M. Sunny. Mild temperatures.
Mary Elfner, Kim Voss, Steve Grimes, and I cover the sector of Bull’s Ponds that includes Bull’s Drive, Bull’s Landing, and the Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve, spending most of the day on foot.
Of most interest: 357 Snow and 1 Blue Goose, 70 Brant, 20 Ring-necked Ducks, a ♀ Common Goldeneye (on the unusual setting of freshwater Bull’s Pond, which is, uncharacteristically, almost bereft of waterfowl), 18 Hooded Mergansers, 7 Bald Eagles, a Peregrine Falcon, 1 Virginia Rail, 15 Willets, 5 Forster’s Terns, 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 9 Tree Swallows, 5 Brown-headed Nuthatches, 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets, an unID’d sharp-tailed sparrow, 31 Eastern Meadowlarks, and 15 Boat-tailed Grackles plus one Gray Squirrel.
It is a challenging day with the strong winds greatly hindering our species and individual bird counts. The cumulative total of the 3 Bull’s Ponds parties (Paul Sykes on ESVNWR, Chris & Betsy Foster working W of Route 13 and S of Route 704) is a scant 84 species. Often just the area Mary, Kim, Steve, and myself work today will find 90 or more species, the 3 groups together 110 or more. (Incidentally, by now Paul Sykes has participated in 461 Christmas counts, far more than anyone else).
DECEMBER 31, MONDAY. A nice, sunny day with light winds to waft me home for a New Year’s eve dinner with Rob & Emilie Harting at Cafette. The usual anticlimactic, cathartic trip back after an exhausting but rewarding 6 days, always one of the highpoints of my year.
Box Tree Rd. – Machipongo, VA. 10:30 A.M. 25 Greater Yellowlegs, 30 Dunlin, 2 Bald Eagles, 325 Brant in the distance out towards Cobb Island, 2 harriers, 12 bluebirds, a flicker, and 2 black ducks. Half tide.
Willis Wharf. 11 A.M. Tide too high = no shorebirds. 5 Common Loons, 260 Ring-billed Gulls, 3 Buffleheads, a Bald Eagle, 85 Canada Geese, and a ø Red-breasted Merganser.
A Pileated Woodpecker flying over Route 13 just N of Salisbury. A Sharp-shinned Hawk S of Dover. A Cooper’s Hawk at Camden, DE.
Best to all. – Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.
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