part 2.  September 25 through October 11, 2004.  Except for the first &
last day, spent at Kiptopeke State Park, VA, almost entirely on the hawk
watch platform.

Oct. 3, Sun.  The first real numbers of Monarchs today.  An excellent
raptor flight witnessed by Hal & Lynn's Audubon Naturalist Society group
among others.  1,409 raptors:  57 peregrines, 159 Merlins, 260 kestrels,
193 Coops, 429 sharpies, 7 Bald Eagles, 34 harriers, 189 Ospreys, 2
red-tails, 34 broad-wings,  7 TVs and 35 BVs.  Sam single-handedly extracts
2 Merlins from their Pringles cans at the same time.  Hal & Lynn et al.
find a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, a Marsh Wren, a Clay-colored and a
White-crowned Sparrow on the CBBT for their group.  The good Blue Jay
flight continues with c. 1,367 clicked.  I think this is the night we watch
the vice-presidentail debate in Hal & Lynn's room; disappointing that both
men failed to actually answer most questions.

Oct. 4, Mon.  Liz's Red Knot won't start.  F & G Automotive, Inc., comes
down from Onley compliments of AAA and fixes the problem, bad battery
connections.  12 Monarchs are tagged by Dave, Hal & Lynn.  A Merlin alights
on top of Deodora 2 and is eventually surrounded by 4 mockingbirds, often
only inches away from it.  Zach catches 2 imm. male peregrines.  Jethro
bands a Connecticut Warbler.  Flyovers include 1,260 Blue Jays, 6
Red-headed Woodpeckers and 863 flickers (nice, but consider that William J.
Rusling once counted 3,155 flickers IN ONE DAY here: September 25, 1936) .
Rusling remains a mystery.

Shortly before his death at close to 100 I corresponded a little with
Richard Pough, who had bankrolled Rusling's fall raptor count here, but
Pough could not remember anything about Rusling.  I spot a Traill's
Flycatcher perched on one of the feeder poles.  During a rainy spell we see
at close range 2 Red-eyed & 1 Blue-headed vireo, 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a
female Black-and-white Warbler, 3 catbirds, and 3 redstarts, all seen well
enough to note that they are unbanded.  Mixed flight results with 337
raptors:  37 peregrines, 65 Merlins, 17 kestrels, 4 Coops, 79 sharpies, 1
Bald Eagle, 3 harriers, 64 Ospreys, 25 Broad-wings & 42 BVs.

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER FLIGHT.  Would seem to be an oxymoron for this
generally-perceived-as-a-stick-in-the-mud species.  No one here has ever
heard of this before but rumours of similar events this fall from farther
north are trickling in.  There is a somewhat tentative mention of it in
Clifford E. Shackelford et al., pp. 3-4 (Birds of North America no. 500,
2000).  Today 56 passed over flying south, 12 on Oct. 5, 76
(Seventy-six!!!) on Oct. 6, 47 on Oct. 7 and 18 on Oct. 8.  Combined with
excellent numbers of Blue Jays and Red-headed Woodpeckers here this may
indicate a failure in the mast/acorn crop farther north.

Oct. 5, Tue.  Liz leaves in mid-afternoon.  Interesting flybys at the
platform include 4,360 Blue Jays, 450 flickers, 12 Red-headed Woodpeckers,
1 ad. Rusty Blackbird, the season's first adult Cooper's Hawk, 5 Brant, 138
Monarchs, and 121 Buckeyes.  Bill Williams brings a Rough Green Snake over
to the platform.  They're sometimes semi-aquatic and more arboreal than the
Smooth Green Snake, which is not found here.  Green snakes turn from bright
green to dull blue after dying.  This all according to the Peterson guide
by former Philadelphian Roger Conant, who with my good friend Peter Sexton,
who designed one of the zoo's concession stands, used to hunt wild Mallards
at the zoo duck pond here after hours.

Jethro bands another Connecticut Warbler (In the old days when the habitat
was better and there were many more banders and net-runners 9 were once
banded in one day).  The best raptor flight (probably for the entire fall)
so far:  1,939 with 55 peregrines, 59 Merlins, 292 kestrels, 264 Coops, 781
sharpies, 16 Bald Eagles, 27 harriers, 167 Ospreys, 10 red-tails, 198
broad-wings, 2 red-shoulders, 19 TVs and 56 BVs.  Talk to Bettye Field,
Mary Pulley & Fletcher Smith at the songbird station.  High count of 5 Gray
Squirrels in KSP  I am SO glad this entertaining, attractive species is
diurnal.  At day's end we see a green flash sunset, only my second ever.

Oct. 6, Wed.  Some winter arrivals, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Pine Siskin,
White-throated Sparrow.  Marty Daniels also arrives.  Flybys include 2,390
Blue Jays, 553 flickers, 54 Buckeyes, 10 Pectoral Sandpipers.  The
Butterfly Garden is lush this year and in a brief visit I find a Snout,
Painted and American ladies, several Cloudless Sulphurs, and various
skippers I do not know how to ID.  A slim flight of 290 raptors with 11
peregrines, 10 Merlins, 6 kestrels, 66 Coops, 100 sharpies, 1 Bald Eagle, 9
harriers, 8 Ospreys, 4 red-tails, 29 broad-wings, 36 TVs and 8 BVs.  Duane
Schilling was in the Pentagon during 9/11 and gives us a chilling account
of that day there.

Hal, Lynn and I head out for a great meal at Bob and Joyce Ake's in Norfolk
where they have splendid plantings for butterflies and a great view out
over the water.  Knowing some of my preferences, Bob has Brahms' Fourth
playing during dinner.  But on the way over we check out the CBBT and see a
Grasshopper Sparrow, a meadowlark, a Nashville Warbler, 4 House Wrens, 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglets, an Orange-crowned Warbler, an imm. Great Cormorant,
a junco, 2 Savannah Sparrows, and other passerines plus a great green and
yellow ship, the 'Saudi Hofuf', heading back to Hamman with 2 huge crossed
swords figured on the stack with a palm tree between them.

Oct. 7, Thu.  A moderate flight today with 970 Blue Jays, 320 flickers, 48
Monarchs and 49 Buckeyes.  First sightings today of Greg Dodge, Mary
Arginteanu and Larry Robinson.  Only 282 raptors but 9 peregrines, 7
Merlins, 16 kestrels, 63 Coops, 159 sharpies, 5 Bald Eagles, 6 harriers, 12
Ospreys, 4 red-tails, 1 red-shoulder and 3 BVs.   I am tired and weary and,
alas, skip Ned's party.  Instead Marty has me to dinner at her campsite 12
(crab cakes, avacados, salmon appetizers, great salad) and we talk about
old times, new times, and people.

Oct. 8, Fri.  The ESVBF begins.  I lead a 4 hour trip aboard Capt. Monty
Webb's 'Safari' that goes from Willis Wharf out and up the Machipongo River
as well as deep into Hog Island Bay and out the inlet between Cobb and Hog
Islands.  14 other partipants plus 2 crew.  Highlights seen in this wild
area:  90 Brant (a high count for so early in October), 67 Surf Scoters, 70
turnstones, 115 Black-bellied & 7 Semipalmated plovers, 3 Common Loons, 135
Willets, only 6 Marbled Godwits, 25 oystercatchers, 35 Dunlin, 16 Greater
Yellowlegs, 35 pelicans, and 25 Caspian Terns plus 16 Buckeyes, 4 Monarchs
and 30 Cloudless Sulphurs.  It was very calm allowing good views of many of
these but there are thousands of distant shorebirds to the south too far to
ID and in water too shallow to allow an approach.  Tide very low becoming
high by trip's end.

Later near the junction of Arlington Rd. & Rt. 704 there are 2 Western
Kingbirds and I stop to watch them with Sue Heath, Bev Leeuwenburg (What
would life be w/o being the target of her annual curtsy?), Tom Gwynn, Don
Schwab, Bob Ake and others.  At KSP:  216 Raptors:  23 peregrines, 16
Merlins, 16 kestrels, 43 Coops, 83 sharpies, 1 Bald Eagle, 4 Harriers, 7
Ospreys, 5 red-tails, 17 TVs and 1 BV.  Flyovers include 1,390 Blue Jays,
32 flickers, 26 Buckeyes, and 44 Monarchs.

Use one of my food chits at the ESVBF where I'm able to pick up freebies
and chat with Emily Grey, Quincy Dix, Kurt Gaskill, Val Kitchens, Mike
Erwin, Ruth Boettcher, Kendall Jenkins, Teta Kain, Paul & Ann Smith and
numerous others.  Sam and Duane find 4 mas o menos Brown-headed Nuthatches
near the platform.  It is heartening to know they still exist here plus a
few more at Wise Point.  The Cape Charles Christmas Count comes close to
missing them each year now.  Watch the 2nd presidential debate in Hal &
Lynn's Days Inn room with festival keynote speaker, Brad Andres (who Hal
once spent a summer with on Alaska's North Slope), Marty & Bob Ake.

Oct. 9, Sat.  Most of the day is taken up with leading, with Bettye Field,
a field trip from 8 A.M. - 2 P.M.  First we go out to the bluff behind
Sunset Beach Resort where 30 Sanderlings are the most I've ever seen at
that spot.  Our next stop is to the so-called Sustainable Technology Park
just s. of Cape Charles.  While providing beautiful walks through mixed
deciduous woodlands, a fine fresh water pond, and a terrific panorama of
the Bay, on this flightless day there are few birds.  Next we go to Oyster
and the landfill just north of there.  "Follow this road to the white
abandoned garbage truck, turn left at the truck and follow the dirt road
between the truck and the pile of discarded appliances."

Having done this we find another lovely trail through deciduous woods where
there is our only mixed species foraging guild with 6 or more parulas, a
Magnolia Warbler, a Hairy Woodpecker, and various other passerines.  The
trail segues onto a boardwalk and a raised platform providing stunning
looks across the vast saltmarsh and exposed tidal flats.  The sandy areas
of northern Hog Island, 6 miles distant, are visible as are 6 Marbled
Godwits, a peregrine, and 2 Bald Eagles.  In what remains of the landfill
pit/lake there are single Least, White-rumped and Spotted sandpipers plus a
Green-winged Teal and 2 Pied-billed Grebes.  The trail and boardwalk are
still under construction but will be finished soon.  8 participants in 3
cars, including Ann Smith and enthusiastic Californian Nathan Moorhatch,
who spots many of the best birds, plus several lifers for him such as black
duck and Magnolia Warbler.  71 species including 8 raptors, 10 shorebirds
and 5 warblers.

Revisited the ESVBF after our trip luncheon at Oyster harbor.  Nice to talk
with Laura McKay and briefly see Roberta Vallone, Sue Rice, Steve Parker,
Dick Roberts, Jerry Via, Bill Akers and others.  Raptors at the platform:
only 151 total with 9 peregrines, 2 Merlins, 19 kestrels, 34 Coops, 47
sharpies, 2 harriers, 1 Osprey, 3 red-tails, 7 TVs and 25 BVs.  Hal & Lynn
secure permission to tag Monarchs at Wise Point in the evening but find few
there.  However, they do see a bare minimum of 238 White Ibis (heading to
roost in the vicinity of Walkley Johnson's old cabin on Fisherman's Island;
probably a new state high count), 150 Sandwich Terns, and see a Ghost Crab
carrying what seems to be a shrew.

Oct. 10, Sun.  KSP  The day of the Big Sit with Hal & Lynn, Brian, Bob
Anderson & Sam as the principal sitters, dozens of visitors as well.  I get
there at 6 A.M. and call up 2 screech-owls, hear a Killdeer and
Black-crowned Night Heron.  We quit at 6:45 P.M.  78 species including 5
species of terns and woodpeckers, 6 of HEIBS (a DuMont term = Herons,
Egrets, Ibises & Bitterns).  Highlights:  a Black-billed Cuckoo (banded;
repeated looks at close range), Black-throated Green & Cape May warblers,
and these raptors:  12 peregrines, 19 Merlins, 73 kestrels, 73 Coops, 68
sharpies, 1 Bald Eagle, 7 harriers, 14 Ospreys, 1 red-tail & 1
red-shoulder, 14 TVs & 3 BVs (grand total: 273).

Species missed:  kingfisher, Palm Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet.  All of these were seen Oct. 11 plus siskin.  At dusk several
groups and species of herons are added by virtue of distant scoping - the
birds were perhaps 2 miles distant, probably east of Rt. 600, possibly even
over the seaside salt marsh - including 15 White Ibis.  I briefly visited
"Lake Maddox" (just east of KSP) finding 14 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 Ruddy and
2 black ducks - all missed during the Big Sit.  Bob Abramson brought a
Rough Green Snake up to the platform for all to see (and some to touch).
78 species is not bad for a day with not much of a flight.  There is an
exciting chase by 2 peregrines, one taking the prey away from the other.

KSP SEASON TOTALS (unofficial) through October 10:  peregrine 604.  Merlin
1,386.  kestrel 2,292.  Cooper's 1,211.  sharpie 3,250.  Bald Eagle 75.
harrier 269.  Osprey 1,514.  red-tail 56.  broad-wing 917.  red-shoulder 7.
 TV 168.  BV 348.  GRAND TOTAL:  12,095.  Sharpie and kestrel totals are
low.  Merlins and Osprey totals are good.

Oct. 11, Mon.  Rigby's Folly, Talbot Co., MD.  45 species.  Mostly
overcast, clearing in mid-afternoon, 52-65 degrees, winds NW 20-5, cool,
windy.  33 Common Loons (most well offshore in the Choptank River mouth).
18 Double-crested Cormorants.  163 Mute Swans.  8 black ducks.  3 Bald
Eagles.  5 sharpies.  1 Coop.  6 Royal Terns.  1 Pileated Woodpecker.  A
moderate influx of medium-distance fall migrants, to wit, 1 sapsucker, 3
phoebes, 1 creeper, 3 Winter Wrens, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 10 Chipping,
10 Song and 20 White-throated sparrows.  Butterflies:  2 Cabbage Whites, 1
Question Mark and 1 Common Checkered Skipper (the latter new for the
property list although not an uncommon species).  Mammals:  3 Gray
Squirrels, 3 deer (2 does and 1 fawn, lacking spots but not much bigger
than the spotted ones).  Fireplace tile work has been completed and the new
dryer vented.  Took a 2-hour nap, then joined Hal & Lynn for supper at the
H & G Restaurant in Easton.

Oyster, Virginia.  Oct. 11.  Hal & Lynn counted 83 oystercatchers at
Oyster, VA, today, an excellent total for there, but no Marbled Godwits.

Random notes:  A male Merlin streaking like a meteor along the KSP bluff
close to sundown or captured and in full cry in the hand has got to be one
of the world's most exciting and engaging creatures.  Others found Ocola
and Long-tailed skippers at KSP during my stay but no Gulf Fritillaries.
Next year I resolve to go on the Tangier I. and Oyster radar facility field
trips.  The sprucey eatery at the marina complex in north Cape Charles
lacks any semblance of local color.  This is where Bob Anderson and I
treated CVWO intern Wendy one evening.  It is pretty but could be anywhere
in the world where people want to lighten their wallets.  However, the food
was good.

MY THANKS to the dedicated and talented staff, officers, and board of the
Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory without whose efforts much of what
I've tried to describe above would not be possible.  Consider joining.  I
forget the annual dues but why not send at least $25 to C.V.W.O., P. O. Box
912, Eastville, VA 23347.  www.cvwo.org

Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225.  215-248-4120.  Please, any off-list replies to:
harryarmistead at hotmail dot com