In late
April and early May I want to do as much nature watching as I can, within the
constraints of work, my lawn needing to be mowed, and my cats needing to be
petted. Migrating birds are returning or passing through our area now, and insects
are waking up and become active on the warmer days, and I want to see as much
of spring as I can. Unfortunately the weather has to cooperate on the days I
have off, and that doesn’t always happen, so I haven’t been able to get out
nearly as much as I’d like. But I have managed a few day trips in the past few
weeks, and I’ll share some highlights with you.
The bird at
the top of this page is a “Prairie Warbler,” a common breeding bird in
southeastern Virginia that arrives here from its wintering grounds around mid-April. You will see and hear them
in a variety of habitats as they establish their breeding territories,
including pine woods and open fields. I photographed this
individual in the Zuni Pine Barrens in early May.
I love to go
to the Great Dismal Swamp in the spring, and walk along Jericho Ditch or
Washington Ditch in the morning. On most days you will hear a veritable symphony
of birds there, including warblers, vireos, flycatchers, woodpeckers and many others.
The Prothonotary Warbler (photo below) is one of the signature birds of The
Swamp, and is one of the most vocal. Because this beautiful bird only breeds in
swampy and wet areas of the southeastern states, birders from other areas of
the country target this bird and travel here to see them and add them to their
“life lists.” The Dismal Swamp is well known as one of the best places to see
them, and attracts these birders. I photographed this one there in late April.
Another
common warbler of The Swamp and other environs is the Common Yellowthroat. The
male Yellowthroat has a distinctive black “mask, visible in the photo below. This
one was singing his little heart out and just demanded my attention! (Too bad
he was in the shade…)
On the same
day that I photographed the warblers, I managed to get this photo (below) of a
“Swamp Darner.” This is our largest dragonfly species, and they are plentiful
and conspicuous at this time of year at the Dismal Swamp and other wet areas. Also common this time of year is the
“Harlequin Darner” (second photo below), one of the smaller members of the
Darner family.
In early May
I made a day trip to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, which is at the
north end of the eastern shore of Virginia. A trip there is always rewarding,
and it is a very popular destination for birders, beach-goers, pony watchers,
and all sorts of nature enthusiasts. One of
my favorite things about going there is the view from the causeway that connects Wallops Island to Chincoteague Island. The
road is built in the middle of extensive marshes and wetlands, and in the spring
you’ll see hundreds, if not thousands of
birds as you drive along. There are a few places where you can pull your car onto the
shoulder of the road to get a better look, and that’s where I photographed the three
birds below:
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| Black-necked Stilt (amazing long legs!) |
 |
| Glossy Ibis |
There are
several areas to bird on the refuge itself, and a variety of habitats that each
host different species of birds and wildlife. The result is that you can find a
wide variety of birds in a relatively small area: songbirds in the woods,
shorebirds on the mudflats, gulls, terns and waterfowl over the water, eagles
and raptors in the skies, and herons and ibis just about everywhere. The water
levels were very high the day I was there, which meant there were no flats or
shallows for most of the birds I wanted to see, so I continued on down to the
beach at Tom's Cove, parked, and walked a half mile or so down the beach in the sand. The
highlight of the walk was this guy, who, surprisingly, started walking
directly at me (the opposite of what birds usually do – they’re always going
“away” from you!):
Suddenly, he
stopped at an inconspicuous little scraping in the sand and sat down, which is
very unusual for a shorebird:
Then, after
a minute or two, he stood up and I could see the reason for the bird’s odd
behavior:
This
American Oystercatcher had made its nest right there, not ten feet from the
rope that separates the “people beach” from the closed off area protected for
wildlife. There were three speckled eggs in the “nest” that he/she was
incubating. It’s amazing to me that the bird chose this spot, and tolerated all
the people nearby.
The next month will be very active, with breeding birds and increased numbers of butterflies and dragonflies. Try to get out there if you can! We're going to host another "Nature Photos at the Library" evening on Tuesday, June 26 (beginning at 6:30 p.m.), so see if you can get some photos and come share them with your fellow nature enthusiasts. Your photos can be of anything in nature that inspires your photographic talents. I'll have more on that in my next blog, but feel free to call me at 410-7147 (ask for Karen), or email me at kkearney@infopeake.org, if you would like more information.
