December 31, 2020

I went out briefly this afternoon to Powhatan County and visited SR 613 and Powhatan State Park.  The highlights were an adult male Common Yellowthroat and a pair of Barred Owls.

December 28 & 29, 2020

I visited the Mattamuskeet NWR and Hyde County area over the last two days.   I always enjoy this area for its known abundance of waterfowl but also for the potential of western strays and lingering species.  This trip did not disappoint on any account.

On the 28th, I visited areas principally compromising the northern perimeter of the lake, the causeway and the refuge.  The causeway, wildlife drive and northern areas produced the expected good numbers of Orange-crowned Warblers (27+ for the day), Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (10+ for the day), Black-and-White Warblers (3), Blue-headed Vireos (10) plus a Yellow-breasted Chat.  In the late afternoon I traveled east on 264 toward Lake Landing and observed a Northern Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola) and had a river otter traveling up a canal.  (I confirmed the hawk ID with Brian Sullivan that this is a “lighter” abieticola as noted in the rosy leg feathering and under tail coverts.)

On December 29th, I covered the Middletown, White Plains and some sections of 264E for the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This area has many fields and some good woodland edge habitat.  The pre-dawn started with close to a full moon and bright skies but as the day progressed a cool wind out of the ENE made for some challenging times to land bird in exposed areas.  I found several areas with Screech Owls (12) active in the a.m., which is always enjoyable, with both red and gray morphs observed.  About an hour after daybreak, I had large flocks/waves of Redhead traveling from the Pamlico Sound area to I presume the center of the lake(?) to rest during the day.  I caught the tail end of an immature Peregrine trying to “take down” a Redhead near a flooded field.  The Redhead was driven into this shallow water making this immature Peregrine’s task challenging to complete as it proceeded to get harassed by a Northern Harrier.  (While I could not see the Redhead clearly it appears to have survived the assault.)  Later in the morning as I birded 264 between Lake Landing and New Holland I encountered an Ash-throated Flycatcher along the road responding to my pishing.  It provided leisurely observation from approximately 8 feet or less at times.  Another enjoyable moment was encountering a Common Goldeneye in a narrow canal near Middletown.

December 26 & 27, 2020

Over the last couple of days I have walked some areas in Hopewell and at Malvern Hill.  I also spot checked some areas in Charles City County and eastern Henrico County.  With the morning  temperatures hovering around 23/24 degrees and a slight breeze, it made getting out to the car “challenging”.  I ran into the Gatto’s at Malvern Hill this morning and I imagine they would be in agreement.

In Hopewell, Saturday, I observed three (3) Orange-crowned Warblers early in the morning along Water Street.  On Sunday, I continued to observe the Palm Warblers (6) that have been frequenting Shirley Plantation.  The sparrows continue at Malvern Hill but they have been challenging to “pish” up on the millet or other available vegetation for observation.  

December 23, 2020

I tried my hand at Malvern Hill Battlefield, eastern Henrico County, again this morning.  While it was an enjoyable morning I could not replicate Monday’s results again.  Sparrows were again in good numbers but not as high as the previous visit:

Lincoln’s Sparrow (1)
Song Sparrow (155+)
White-throated Sparrow (250+)
Dark-eyed Junco (4)
Fox Sparrow (11+)- It is very interesting to see them feeding in the middle of a millet field.
Chipping Sparrow (22+)
Field Sparrow (20+)
Savannah Sparrow (40+)
Swamp Sparrow (20+)
Rufous-sided Towhee (7+)

In the afternoon, I traveled to Goochland County and worked some of SR 618.  The highlights were relocating one (1) Common Yellowthroat and two (2) House Wrens.

December 21, 2020

What a challenging but enjoyable morning at Malvern Hill Battlefield in eastern Henrico County! The day started out overcast and foggy but that did not prevent two (2) Great Horned Owls from duetting near dawn.  I kept hoping for the light to hasten and the fog to lift but at 7:30 a.m. I started to walk the fields.  Sparrow activity was very good but with my glasses fogging over continually it made it a frustrating morning at times.  Finch activity was also good from the standpoint of having Evening Grosbeaks (4), Pine Siskin (7), American Goldfinches and Purple Finches (3).  About half way through the walk, I had an agitated Cooper’s Hawk calling repetitively.  Upon approaching closer, I noted it fly through the woods chasing another large bird.  As I rounded the turn the adult male Cooper’s Hawk was still actively calling and I then noted a Barred Owl perched nearby.  They soon took off with the Cooper’s chasing the owl into the woods.

I spent a most of my time walking the fields with the millet.  Sparrows were THICK.  Estimated numbers are as follows:

White-crowned Sparrow (1)
White-throated Sparrow (250+)- conservative count
Song Sparrow (250+)- conservative count
Savannah Sparrow (80+)- conservative count
Field Sparrow (23+)- conservative count
Swamp Sparrow (45+)- conservative count
Dark-eyed Junco (7+)
Fox Sparrow (9+)- conservative count
Rufous-sided Towhee (4)
Lincoln’s Sparrow (1)- not the individual or location of my previous sightings

Best of all and unexpected was a Blue Grosbeak.

On the evening of December 21 a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurred.  It was the closet observable alignment of these planets since 1226.

December 18, 2020

I got out to Charles City County this morning.  I started at the Harrison National Fish Hatchery at day break.  The highlight was good numbers of Pine Siskin (24+) and American Goldfinch (15+).  Before departing the hatchery two (2) Tundra Swan flew over heading to parts unknown.

I then went to the Westover Plantation area.  The large Canada Goose flock continues there and even as I was departing additional groupings continued to fly in.  Their location today, in the fields with all of the corn stubble and their density, made it challenging to review a good portion of the birds for ID beyond Canada’s.

I then traveled over to the Shirley Plantation/Shirley Plantation Road area.  The geese continue in good numbers in the “Pink-footed Goose” fields along Shirley Plantation Road.  I scanned them many times from many positions without finding any suspicious geese.  While in this area, I also had Evening Grosbeaks fly over and had one (1) adult Northern Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola).  I was able to photograph several of the grosbeak and the hawk.  At Shirley, the adult Northern Red-tailed Hawks continue thus with the one on the Shirley Plantation Road there are three (3) being found in a couple square mile area.  I was able to photograph, at a distance one of the adults in flight, note the banded tail with pale base that can be one of the characteristics of the sub-species.

Lastly, I leave you with a Graylag X Canada Goose which is moving around with the Canada Goose flock in eastern Henrico County.

December 14, 2020

I covered the Shirley Plantation area on the Hopewell CBC.  The day was raw with the temperature parked at 44 degrees and approximately 1.5 to 2 inches of rain falling.  It was not until 2:30 p.m. that the weather “broke” for some more far ranging excursions into the field.  Highlights were few in the Shirley area with Evening Grosbeaks, Least Sandpiper, Palm Warblers being noted as unusual by eBird.  Late in the day I drove quickly to Malvern Hill  Battlefield and was able to “pick up” the Lincoln’s Sparrow that has been present there.

December 13, 2020

I went to the Brandon area in Prince George County and for a short excursion to Claremont in Surry County this morning.  The weather was questionable at first with some showers but the horizon demonstrated we would get some sunnier weather.  A nice bonus was a complete rainbow at about the time the rain showers abated.

In the Brandon area good numbers of waterfowl continue with the majority of them being out of sight unfortunately.  That being said good numbers of Canada Geese and Ring-necked Ducks were to be found with a nice complement of additional ducks including 11 Blue-winged Teal.  A Peregrine put on a hunt and got the teal up at one point.

I then traveled to Claremont to “explore” the area.  The community has potential for some “good” birds with the thick hedges and undergrowth.  The highlight in the short time I was there was a Blue-headed Vireo.

December 12, 2020

I spot birded areas in Charles City County this morning.  It was good to see the “crew” covering the area for the Pink-footed Goose which still had not been seen upon my leaving the area about 11:30 a.m., at least to my knowledge.  My travels took me to the Shirley Plantation area, Westover Plantation area and to the Benjamin Harrison Bridge (which is currently closed to traffic).  Highlights include good numbers of Evening Grosbeaks being heard/seen by all/many, many Canada Geese at Westover Plantation with four (4) Ross’s Geese and continuing White-crowned Sparrows which are expected at Shirley.  One of the Ross’s Geese appeared to be an immature bird with duskiness streak from about the bill through the eye (3rd Ross’s from left in photo).

 

December 11, 2020

What a day!?  I first traveled to Prince George County for the early morning and then traveled to Charles City County to spot check a couple of areas.  The highlight of the day was a Pink-footed Goose found in Charles City County, VA on SR 608 or Shirley Plantation Road about 1/4 mile off of Highway 5.  The bird was first observed resting amongst a Canada Goose flock.  The sporadic white at the base of the bill puzzled me for quite awhile but it appears that can be present on this species(?).  The bird was first observed about 10:20 a.m. and I watched it for about 25 minutes.  This observation is also the first documented state record for Virginia. Comments are welcome and appreciated.  

Other birds observed today included Blue-winged Teal (7), Evening Grosbeak (8) and House Wren (1) in Prince George and continuing Common Yellowthroat,  Northern Red-tailed Hawk (abieiticola) in Charles City County.  I will also offer some some updates on ID challenges of immature Red-tailed Hawks to sub-species.

The following three (3) photographs are of an immature Red-tailed Hawk observed in Charles City County on December 6 of this year.  The bird was heavily mottled on the lower chest/belly, had some feather spotting on the legs and was noted to have a dark feathered chin necklace.  I considering a dark borealis until I noted the legs spotting which Liguori and Sullivan had mentioned may be characteristic of abieticola.  I followed up with Brian (Sullivan) and he shared the following:

“The young bird is harder. We haven’t worked out details on distinguishing these from typical borealis yet. I wouldn’t be sure how to tell what this bird was to ssp.”

So I caution individuals seeing similar type birds not to categorize them to ssp. as of yet.

 

December 9, 2020

I traveled to Highland County this morning in an attempt to locate any Rough-legged Hawks that might be present.  I was not successful in the endeavor but in my travels I did encounter two (2) Golden Eagles (immature- 1; adult- 1).  The immature bird presented itself for a couple of decent photographs which follow:

December 6, 2020

I spent some time this morning in Hopewell, Charles City County and eastern Henrico.  In the afternoon I spent some time in southwestern Goochland County.

The highlights in Hopewell were two (2) Orange-crowned Warblers and a Baltimore Oriole.  In Charles City County I observed the continuing Red-tailed Hawks (abieticola).  In eastern Henrico County I observed a Lincoln’s Sparrow at Malvern Hill Battlefield.

In Goochland County, this afternoon I observed a House Wren and immature male Common Yellowthroat.

December 4, 2020

I briefly visited some areas in Charles City County and eastern Henrico County this morning.  Activity was slow with the overcast skies.  Canada Geese numbers appeared higher today than in previous visits.  No unusual goose species were noted amongst the flocks today.  I viewed Curles Neck Farm from the highway and noted the Snow Goose flock being present in the distance.  Best I could judge their numbers were between 500 & 600 birds.  I possibly noted a suspicious smaller white goose amongst their numbers but identification could not be confirmed.

 

December 3, 2020

I traveled to Grandview Nature Preserve in Hampton today.  The weather was cooperative with almost cloudless skies, warming temperatures and minor to no wind in the morning.  I started right before daybreak and had two (2) Virginia Rails at the first pool/pond on the right as you enter the preserve.  Both Sedge and Marsh Wrens were noted on the walk out to the beach.  

I walked the beach to the inlet.  Bird activity on the bay was quiet with minimal waterfowl species noted.  A scattering of Red-throated and Common Loons were around and a couple of Horned Grebes were observed.  Shorebird activity was enjoyable with a couple species of note: Purple Sandpiper (1), Piping Plover (1).

As I neared the inlet I ran into several Savannah (Ipswich) Sparrows, one of which was banded.  

Some photographs from the day follow:

December 1, 2020

I stopped by the John Kerr Dam area in Virginia briefly after noon today.  I took the opportunity to photograph the Bonaparte’s Gulls feeding actively just downstream of the discharge from the dam.  Noted amongst the foraging Bonaparte’s and Ring-billed Gulls were two (2) Laughing Gulls.