November is always an interesting month at the hawkwatch platform, and it can be hard to predict what kinds of interesting species may make appearances. Diurnal non-raptor migration has been picking up, and we've been noticing flights of Tundra Swans, Snow Geese, Common Loons, Great Blue Herons, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, and more. So far, the season high day count for Tundra Swans was 79 on November 3, and the high day count for Snow Geese was 76 on November 17. We are often alerted to the presence of geese and swans as they call while migrating overhead. This beautiful sound can also be heard at night sometimes.
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| Tundra Swans (Anna Stunkel) |
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| Common Loon (Anna Stunkel) |
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| Nearly tail-less Turkey Vulture (Anna Stunkel) |
Similarly, we have seen a young Bald Eagle with partially missing tail feathers. Maybe the feathers were chomped by an angry fish!
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| Juvenile Bald Eagle (Anna Stunkel) |
Also on November 2, an intermediate or dark morph Swainson's Hawk was seen far out on the east side. This normally western-ranging species occasionally strays to the east, and Kiptopeke often records one or several passing through each season. Due to the bird's distance we were not able to obtain photos.
That same afternoon, Don Metzger spotted a rather late Black-throated Green
Warbler. This beautiful bird was flitting around and feeding in the Dog
Fennel right behind the platform, which allowed for stunning views.
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| Black-throated Green Warbler (Anna Stunkel) |
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Black-throated Green Warbler (Anna Stunkel)
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To add to the excitement of 11/2, we had the unique opportunity to watch a rocket launch
from the platform! The Antares NG-12 took off from the NASA Wallops
Island facility at 9:59 am, leaving a brilliant red streak across the
sky to our northeast.
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| Antares NG-12 rocket launch (Steve Thornhill) |
As is typical in November, the Red-tailed Hawk migration has been picking up. So far, our highest day count for the species was 44 birds on November 9. It is always interesting to see the beautiful variation in this species. Some have almost no belly band, while others are heavily marked in different shades. Some are pale, while others have rufous tones on their bellies.
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| Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (Paul Shanahan) |
We have been seeing some likely "Northern" Red-tailed
Hawks as the season progresses. It is difficult to identify these birds
for certain, but they often have very darkly marked, blobby belly bands
and dark throats. There is much variation in the subspecies, and
intergrades are also possible.
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| Possible Buteo jamaicensis abieticola ("Northern" Red-tailed Hawk; Steve Thornhill) |
We
have been enjoying some beautiful views of Northern Harriers. Harrier
migration is fascinating in that these birds may fly in any conditions
(including rain, fog, and snow) and at any time of day or even night.
Their migration is more extended than many of the other raptor species
that we see here, and the peak is somewhat unpredictable.
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| Juvenile Northern Harrier (Anna Stunkel) |
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Along with the spectacle of these movements, we have also had some
rare visitors to the platform. On November 6, a Black-chinned
Hummingbird visited the hummingbird feeders and was photographed. We
noted a glint of purple on the bird's throat and rounded outer primary
feathers. For photos, take a look at Shiloh Schulte and Benjamin Clock's eBird checklist.
On that same day, seven American White Pelicans soared right over the platform, in beautiful formation.
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| American White Pelicans (Anna Stunkel) |
Resident Pileated Woodpeckers have been putting on a good show, sometimes flying low over the platform singly or as a pair.
Pileated Woodpecker (Anna Stunkel)
Red-shouldered Hawks have been moving through in good
numbers, and we have also had the chance to see a few perched birds in
the area. Red-shoulders are often sit-and-wait predators, meaning that
they like to sit on exposed perches while waiting for prey to pass by.
This can provide some great photo opportunities, such as this beautiful
adult that posed on a wire near the park entrance.
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| Red-shouldered Hawk (Anna Stunkel) |
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| Red-shouldered Hawk fluffing up (Anna Stunkel) |
Both American Crows and Fish Crows have been
particularly active this season, which has resulted in quite a bit of
mobbing activity. Red-tailed Hawks are a frequent target, such as this
unlucky bird.
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| Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by crows (Steve Thornhill) |
We have been noticing a very large number of Brown Pelicans hanging
around the concrete ships this season. On November 8, Harry Armistead
(who has been birding on the Eastern Shore for decades) even had a
personal high count of 630 pelicans! It is nice to see that these birds
are doing so well.
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| Brown Pelican (Paul Shanahan) |
Almost every day lately, we have been delighted to
see a Red Fox trotting past the platform. Foxes are common in the park,
and there is a den visible from the Peregrine Boardwalk close to the
beach. Keep an eye out for their tracks as you walk along the park's
trails. Red Foxes travel in a direct register trot, which means that
each hind foot lands precisely in the same spot as the front foot on the
same side. As a result, fox tracks are often in a neat line (unlike the
haphazard tracks of a domestic dog).
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| Red Fox (Anna Stunkel) |
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| Red Fox (Paul Shanahan) |
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Held on November 9, this year's Rarity Roundup was a
great success. During the annual event, birders from all over Virginia
come to the Eastern Shore in search of rare and unusual bird species. A
total of 57 people attended, with birders splitting up and covering
different territories throughout Northampton County. A total of 155
species were seen, including several interesting rarities. A Brewer's
Sparrow (only the second state record) was a huge highlight, spotted by
Wes Teets at the Mockhorn WMA--GATR Tract. The bird hung around feeding
with other sparrows for quite some time, allowing for great looks and
photographing opportunities. Other sightings included Cave
Swallows, Brewer's Blackbirds, an adult Northern Goshawk, and more.
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| Brewer's Sparrow (Paul Shanahan) |
The day after the Roundup, another hummingbird was spotted visiting the
platform feeders. This bird was either a Black-chinned or Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, and photos/video footage suggest that Black-chinned is a
strong possibility. The primaries appeared to be rounded, and the bird
was pumping its tail very often in flight; these are
both typical characteristics of Black-chinned Hummingbirds.
It's been a wonderfully diverse November overall, and we hope to have plenty more interesting sightings during the next couple of weeks!
~Anna
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