Birding by Kayak

Sunday I spent 3 hours with my father-in-law and brother-in-law kayaking on the Rappohannock River near Fredericksburg, VA. Beautiful sunny morning, and though I wasn't there to bird, I managed to hear quite a nice list of birds, including a surprising number of warblers! We covered 6 miles on the river total. Most of the birds were heard, but not seen. Here's the e-bird list:

Rappohannock River-Hole in the Wall to Motts Run, Stafford, US-VA
Jul 3, 2011 9:45 AM

Mallard  1
Great Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  2
Mourning Dove  2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  2
Northern Flicker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  3
Acadian Flycatcher  4
Eastern Kingbird  3
Yellow-throated Vireo  1
Red-eyed Vireo  5
Tufted Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
Wood Thrush  3
Gray Catbird  1
Cedar Waxwing  6
Northern Parula  3
Yellow-throated Warbler  2
Ovenbird  2
Louisiana Waterthrush  4
Kentucky Warbler  1
Hooded Warbler  1
Scarlet Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Indigo Bunting  5
American Goldfinch  4

Virginia Woodpeckers and Warblers

It's been a while since I've gotten to bird much, but this past weekend Mom & Dad were visiting, and we were able to head out to Thompson WMA and Sky Meadows SP. Had some great birds, the highlights of which were Cerulean Warblers (4), Kentucky Warblers (2) and an extremely cooperative Red-Headed Woodpecker, which landed on a fence post before we even entered the park. Having gotten about as good a look as you can get of these guys, we decided that we had had our fill and didn't need to pay the $4 to enter the park!

Here is a video of one of the Kentucky Warblers. I suspect that this pair was defending young or a nest, because they were extremely vocal the whole time and almost seemed to follow us down the path. They also were in the same area 45 minutes later when we came back through.

Lisa snapped this great shot of the Red-Headed Woodpecker:

Look what surfed in at Sea Isle!

Dad and I went striper fishing down at Sea Isle today. What a gorgeous day!

Only caught two (non-keeper) stripers and several kingfish.

There were about two hundred shorebirds in assorted flocks at the water's edge, including Sanderlings, a few Least, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, and Semi-Palmated Plovers. Also saw one Osprey and the usual Laughing gulls fighting over the clam shells.

Suddenly, about 150 feet down the beach, about 30 feet out, I saw a large bird floating in the water and coming in through the surf. I grabbed my camera and ran down to see it. Unbelievably, the bird came right in, almost to my feet. It was a juvenile (first year?) Northern Gannet with perhaps a broken right wing.

I was able to get many great pics of it. Eventually two young gals came down and asked what it was and what we should do. They made a phone call and got connected to the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, who said put a wet towel around it and bring it in. Easy to say, when you're not looking at that strong bill. But that's just what they did.

So, Lisa, you can be extremely happy that this bird may not meet the same sad fate as the young Gannet of yesteryear!

Looks like it's smiling . . .

Willow Flycatcher & Cerulean Warblers

Saturday the Yeichs and I headed West to Thompson WMA and Sky Meadows State Park for some late spring birding. Our target bird was Cerulean Warbler, and they did not let us down! In fact, the first one we saw was on the ground in the path in front of us! Very unusual for a treetop species. We got looks at both males and a female. The other highlight at Thompson was a pair of Kentucky Warblers that were following each other through the understory and gave us excellent views. The whole time they were making a harsh chek note. Other highlights were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Scarlet Tanagers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. We also found a dismembered Luna Moth, whose body had been eaten, but whose wings were scattered on the path.

Our plan was to observe the Red-Headed Woodpeckers at Sky Meadows, however that quickly changed when we found out that we couldn't enter the main part of the park without paying $20, because of a strawberry festival that half of the people in Virginia were attending. So we went across the street to a different trail, and were pleasantly surprised with a life bird: a singing Willow Flycatcher beside a stream!

Some Pics From Our Family All Day Bird Trip Around South Jersey

Local Notes: Blackpolls and an Owl

Last night Lisa and I took a walk through a local nearby park. I had been told that at a place where the trail crosses a road Barred Owls had nested in the past, and so we headed that way to see if we could track one down. Sure enough, when we were getting close to the street, we spooked an owl 30 feet from us. He flew back a ways, but then a band of Blue Jays managed to chase him back our way, where he perched for several minutes!


Then today when I pulled into a parking spot at my doctor's office in Falls Church. In a little 20 ft tree beside my car were two male Blackpoll Warblers with a third singing nearby. Also heard two more in our apartment complex while taking out the trash tonight. It's amazing how much can be seen in the most common of places.

I'm also excited to have a Gray Catbird eating hulled sunflower seeds off my porch, along with the oddball American Robin that has been feasting on the sunflower for over a month (and visited some last year as well).

I'm Alive!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey all. Been a while since I last posted. I may backtrack and do a few posts from trips over the last few months.

But, for now, I will catch you up on recent occurences.....there haven't been too many. I've been working a lot, doing yard work alot, and have very little free time to get out and about.

But, in my yard this month I've already recorded 51 species of birds and a handful of butterflies so that's been good.

The yard/field across the street highlights are as follows:
May 3 - 3 singing male Northern Parulas and a singing Prairie Warbler
May 4 - 1 American Redstart, 3 Yellowthroats, 1 Prairie Warbler
May 6 - a male Blue Grosbeak, a singing Blackpoll Warbler, a singing Yellow Warbler
May 7 - Brown Thrasher, Osprey, American Kestrel
May 9 - a male Scarlet Tanager flyover, a Great Crested Flycatcher, 2 E Kingbirds
May 10 - a male Indigo Bunting, Blackpoll Warblers continue

The latest interesting butterflies in the yard have been an American Copper, a Silver Spotted Skipper, and a Red Spotted Purple. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails have become regular in the last few days, as well as American Ladys.

I'll be doing a herping post soon from a few weeks ago.