Razorbill

This Razorbill photo was taken by Karen Kearney, during the boat trip to the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel yesterday, sponsored by the Williamsburg Bird Club. It's hard to age distant and fast-flying Razorbills...and most reports seem to indicate young birds, but this shot clearly shows the bulging bill tip and white bill line of an adult.

The trip also recorded hundreds of Long-tailed Ducks and scoters, a rare male Harlequin Duck, at least 7 Red-necked Grebes and at least 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, among other species, despite 36 degree water temperature, which our captain said was extremely unusual.
Brian Taber

College Creek Hawkwatch

The 18th consecutive season of the College Creek Hawkwatch has begun. It's the only regular late winter/spring hawk migration count in VA and is conducted by CVWO. The site is about 3 miles east of Williamsburg, on the Colonial Parkway, on the James River...volunteers will continue until late May, usually recording birds from about 9-1 daily, weather permitting, as migration at the site has proven to be generally a morning event. Results are posted to the Hawkcount.org site, operated by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Today, there were 4 Turkey Vultures, a Black Vulture and 3 Bald Eagles recorded crossing the river.
Brian Taber

It's Raining Gannets!

There were apparently lots of fish at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in late January...as there were several thousand Northern Gannets diving just off the southern island of the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel...thousands of gulls were also around, with 9 species reported in the area.
Brian Taber