The "Big Sit" is an annual competition between bird watchers to find and identify the highest number of species from within a 17 foot diameter circle. Every year, CVWO participates in this competition with their circle located on the hawk watch platform at Kiptopeke State Park. This year, the strong winds and foggy weather conditions did not make the competition easy, but from the hawk watch we were able to identify 57 species. Our species list was as follows:
1. Wood Duck
2. Mallard
3. American Black Duck
4. Common Loon
5. Brown Pelican
6. Double-crested Cormorant
7. Great Blue Heron
8. Turkey Vulture
9. Black Vulture
10. Osprey
11. Bald Eagle
12. Northern Harrier
13. Sharp-shinned Hawk
14. Cooper's Hawk
15. Broad-winged Hawk
16. Red-tailed Hawk
17. American Kestrel
18. Merlin
19. Peregrine Falcon
20. Killdeer
21. Rock Pigeon
22. Mourning Dove
23. Laughing Gull
24. Ring-billed Gull
25. Herring Gull
26. Great Black-backed Gull
27. Caspian Tern
28. Royal Tern
29. Forster's Tern
30. Great Horned Owl
31. Belted Kingfisher
32. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
33. Northern Flicker
34. Blue Jay
35. American Crow
36. Tree Swallow
37. Carolina Chickadee
38. Tufted Titmouse
39. Carolina Wren
40. Gray Catbird
41. Northern Mockingbird
42. Brown Thrasher
43. European Starling
44. Yellow-rumped Warbler
45. Palm Warbler
46. Common Yellowthroat
47. American Redstart
48. Eastern Bluebird
49. American Robin
50. Indigo Bunting
51. Song Sparrow
52. White-throated Sparrow
53. Northern Cardinal
54. Red-winged Blackbird
55. Common Grackle
56. Brown-headed Cowbird
57. Wilson's Snipe
~Katie
Welcome to the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory blog for postings of programs, activities and photos of unusual birds and butterflies around Virginia. To LEARN more about our nonprofit work, SUBSCRIBE to our monthly newsletter, and SUPPORT us, visit our website at www.vawildliferesearch.org. "Protecting Wildlife through Field Research, Education and Habitat Conservation for Over 25 Years"
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk, by Steve Thornhill
