Amazing Days

At the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, we are continuing to have large flights of Sharp-Shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and Merlins. In the past 4 days there have been over 2500 birds counted from the hawk watch providing for fantastic views of numerous raptors, like the Peregrine Falcon below.

Stunning image of an immature Peregrine Falcon taken last Saturday at Kiptopeke by Steve Thornhill

~Katie

It's Raining Falcons

It has been raining falcons at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch!  Merlins were zipping by the platform yesterday at a rate of close to one Merlin/minute. The grand total for falcons yesterday was 230 Merlins! Today, the falcons continued to fill the skies with a new season daily high count of 123 American Kestrels. New season high counts for falcons will continue to be set within the next couple of weeks. Stop by the platform later in the afternoon for a chance to witness an amazing falcon flight.

A Merlin passing the Kiptopeke hawk platform taken  yesterday by Steve Kolbe

~Katie

Migration Update

The raptor migration is picking up with an average of 100+ birds a day.  The falcons are the current stars of the show and the best time to view these flights is from 3pm to sunset.  Other noteworthy flights taking place currently are morning flights of Northern Flickers and Blue Jays.

The monarchs are also becoming more abundant with over 30 spotted and 12 tagged yesterday.

The hawk banding station is averaging 5-10 raptors daily. The majority of the birds being captured at this time are Sharp-Shinned Hawks and Coopers Hawks.

Also, a reminder that there is an educational program on the migration and CVWO's programs held at 10 A.M. and 2 P.M.on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the pavilion near the hawk watch platform.

~Katie

A Merlin in the hawk banding station

A juvenile Northern Harrier in the hawk banding station

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

The Virginia Coastal Zone has granted Kiptopeke State Park money to thin some pines west of Taylor Pond, to create more suitable habitat for songbirds.

The Virginia Coastal Zone also granted money to Kiptopeke State Park to re-deck the hawk observatory platform. The hawk watch will remain open throughout the construction but portions of it will be closed at times.

Working on the hawk observatory ramp

~Katie

Monarch Biologist

The Monarch biologist this year is Rea, a recent graduate of the UVA environmental science program. She started her research today, which involves counting monarchs at their roost location and catching them to place indicator stickers on them. The data collected will provide information on survival rates of migrating Monarchs.

A monarch tagged with an indicator sticker

 ~Katie

CVWO Educator

New to CVWO this year is an educator position at Kiptopeke State Park. The educator this year is Jesse, a biology graduate from James Madison University. She will be giving free presentations to the public on bird and butterfly migration on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. Her presentations will be held at the pavilion near the hawkwatch platform most days, but if that is taken by a different group she will be located on the hawkwatch platform.

Jesse (left) and myself (right)

~Katie

Opening of hawk banding station

The number of migrating raptors has been increasing steadily on the hawkwatch.  Ospreys have been sailing through in large numbers most days, while the American Kestrel flight has really picked up the past few days. Today there were 57 American Kestrels and a total of 182 raptors counted from the hawkwatch!

The Kiptopeke hawk banding site opened today (sorry, it is not open to the public). Bob is heading the banding station for his 5th year, and is teaching his assistant Alex the ropes. The first capture of the year was a female Sharp-Shinned Hawk, pictured below.  They also captured a second Sharp-Shinned Hawk, an American Kestrel, and a Red-tailed Hawk today.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

 ~Katie

Kiptopeke Programs

Hello CVWO blog readers! 

My name is Katie Rittenhouse, the hawkwatch compiler at Kiptopeke State Park, and I will be making regular posts on the blog. I am ecstatic to be working at Kiptopeke where there are high numbers of migrating raptors along with a variety of other avian orders. Prior to coming to work for CVWO, I was the hawkwatcher at Bake Oven Knob, PA, an intern at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, PA, and a seabird technician on two islands in ME. 

CVWO began counting the fall migration on August 30th this year and the raptors have begun their migration south. There have been nice flights of Osprey and a mixture of other raptors with 11 species total thus far.  A lot of song birds have also been spotted from the hawkwatch platform, including high numbers of bobolinks, Baltimore orioles, warblers, and swallows. Migration numbers will continue to increase as the month progresses. 

Stop by the platform to witness the migration and say hi!

~Katie

Marbled Godwit

This elegant juvenile Marbled Godwit was a highlight of today's field trip to Craney Island, Portsmouth, by the Virginia Society of Ornithology, led by researcher and Observatory Vice-president Ruth Beck.
Brian Taber

Rare Butterfly

This Hayhurst's Scallopwing, very rare in the area, was seen yesterday and today by Adrienne Frank and Gary Driscole...photo by Gary...at their garden here in James City County. The faint concentric light rings and scalloped wing edges are perfectly shown. One was also found on the Observatory's annual July Butterfly Count at the tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore on July 28th.
Brian Taber

Prothonotary Warblers on pace for a record year

By Shirley Devan

As of June 18, 143 Prothonotary Warbler nestlings have been banded at Northwest River Park in Chesapeake, VA. And we've banded 24 new females.

A personal highlight for me occurred June 18 when I recaptured a female that I had banded as a nestling in 2011, the first year I was involved in the project. She was the smallest of four nestlings in box 39 on June 7, 2011. She was recaptured at box 32 about 1/4 mile from where she hatched.

Meanwhile, here's a photo of a newly banded nestling almost ready to fledge. It weighed 13.4 grams -- a very robust "teenager." His band # is 2640-44172. See you in a couple of years!

Prothonotary Warblers are back!

By Shirley Devan, CVWO Volunteer

Prothonotary Warblers are at back at Northwest River Park in Chesapeake, VA for the sixth year. This is one of the songbird research projects sponsored by CVWO. Brian Taber invited me to post info about this CVWO songbird project as the season progresses.

Prothonotary Warbler in photo is a recap banded originally in June 2009! She is incubating 5 eggs.

Under the supervision of Dr. Bob Reilly, CVWO’s Master Bander, Steve Living and I are monitoring these cavity-nesting birds again this year. Steve Living is a Terrestrial Biologist with the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. I am a CVWO Board Member and volunteer, Certified VA Master Naturalist and avid birder in Williamsburg Bird Club. Both of us are licensed to band songbirds as subpermittees working under Dr. Bob Reilly. Each of us relies on volunteers to help with the project.

We are monitoring 98 nest boxes again this year. This spring has been wet so the number of hours on the river monitoring the boxes is down. Still, the Prothonotary Warblers are building nests, laying eggs, and incubating because that’s what they do in May whether we’re watching or not.

May 10, 2013 – We checked 43 boxes, captured 8 incubating females and found 76 eggs.

The site fidelity of Prothonotary Warblers is astounding. These cavity-nesting warblers show remarkable “box fidelity” too.

One recap female was banded as an adult June 14, 2009. This year she is incubating 5 eggs in the box adjacent to where she was banded 4 years ago.

Another recap female was banded as an adult in June 2011, again at the box adjacent to where she was banded in 2011.

Three other recaps were banded as adults in 2012, at the same boxes where we captured them this year. We should find nestlings this week!

Prothonotary Warbler eggs are creamy white with dark brown spots or splotches.

Happy Mother's Day

Break in Migration

The recent cool spell, with northerly winds and rain, caused this Black Vulture, like other birds at College Creek Hawkwatch, to take a break...while waiting for more favorable flying conditions. This bird was on the river bank at the hawkwatch site...trying to look even more lovely by sitting in the buttercups...

Brian Taber

Migrants at the Bridge-tunnel

These handsome migrants will soon depart for northern breeding grounds...they are at the south island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-tunnel...Long-tailed Duck, Horned Grebe and Purple Sandpiper.
Brian Taber

Sea Monster at College Creek?

On APRIL FIRST...this was in the James River at College Creek Hawkwatch...not sayin that it is...but...

Wilson's Snipe

This gorgeous, camouflaged Wilson's Snipe was in a rain pond, following a storm today in James City County.

Brian Taber

College Creek Hawkwatch

The 17th consecutive College Creek Hawkwatch began today, with 25 Turkey Vultures recorded crossing the James River, despite a cold and stiff northwest wind. It's the only regular late winter/spring hawkwatch in VA. The site is on the Colonial Parkway, about 3 miles east of Williamsburg and is operated daily, weather permitting from about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. usually through May. Daily results are input into the Hawkcount.org website operated by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Results are also often posted on Facebook and the VA List Serve. We also hope to record some northbound finches following last falls's tremendous finch flight. For more info, e-mail Taberzz@aol.com.

Winter Boat Trip

The Williamsburg Bird Club organized a boat trip from Lynnhaven in Virginia Beach on Jan 19. A wide circle was made for 4 hours along the 4 islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-tunnel and then south toward the ocean, then back to Lynnhaven. Highlights included an estimated 4,000 Northern Gannets, many at close range and plunge-diving; a male Harlequin Duck, caught beautifully in flight by Ernie Miller, though missed by many of us as it took off with a large Surf Scoter flock; at least 10 Harbor Seals and a Humpbacked Whale, which re-surfaced often and close by, with an audible exhale...the photos show a perfectly-shaped blow-plume and strongly arched back as it dived. A photo by Ken Lipshy shows a distant image of what appears to be a Common Eider behind a scaup flock.

Brian Taber

Western Kingbird in James City County

Tom Armour found this Western Kingbird this morning, about 1/4 mile before the end of Treasure Island Road, along the fence and wires. It was still there as of 1:30 when this picture was taken. This is just across the James River from Chippokes State Park, where one has been seen recently.

Brian Taber

Speaking of Rare Grebes...

Just a few days after the post below, of the rare Red-necked Grebe, this Eared Grebe, a bird typically of western North America and very rare in this area, was found at Craney Island, Portsmouth yesterday...photo by Bill Williams. The image, though distant and backlit, shows the characteristic rounded, "peaked" head shape, very thin bill, dusky face and a body profile that rides high on the water.

Brian Taber

Red-necked Grebe

This Red-necked Grebe, rare in the area, was at the south island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-tunnel today.

Brian Taber

Crossbills!

Our hawkwatcher, Steve Kolbe, has also been documenting the unprecedented finch flight this fall at Kiptopeke and he was able to get this remarkable image as a flock sped past...a male and female Red Crossbill and a male White-winged Crossbill.

Brian Taber

Finch Invasion!

There are about 100 Pine Siskins hungrily competing for only 6 perches at our thistle feeder at
Kiptopeke State Park...this video was taken on on November 14th...and hundreds more are flying around the area. They are part of an unprecedented invasion of northern finches this fall. A rare Common Redpoll has also recently visited the feeder and flying over the nearby hawkwatch platform in recent weeks have been rare White-winged Crossbills, Red Crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks. They have joined the more common American Goldfinches, House Finches and Purple Finches to create an exciting migration spectacle not seen for many, many years!
Brian Taber

Baird's Sandpiper

Rare in the region and late in the season, this Baird's Sandpiper was at Craney Island, Portsmouth on Nov 1st.

Brian Taber

Black-tailed Godwit

This Black-tailed Godwit was at Chincoteague NWR late afternoon on Oct 5th...another, or perhaps the same one, was there several weeks ago...these represent the first, or first two birds for Virginia. Several of us watched for more than an hour...including those who found it in the morning (it was always near the Marbled Godwit at left) before it bathed and preened actively, finally flying a few feet and showing the white wing linings.

Brian Taber

Clay-colored Sparrow at Kiptopeke

This Clay-colored Sparrow, rare in our area, was at the feeders at Kiptopeke earlier this month, then came over to the hawkwatch platform, where hawkwatcher Steve Kolbe got its portrait!

Brian Taber

800,000th Bird at Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

We have been counting down to this milestone...our 36th season...and 800,000th bird...remarkably, our Hawkwatcher, Steve Kolbe, was able to take its picture as it flew right over the platform at 9 a.m. on September 9th!

Brian Taber

Color-banded Piping Plover

This color-banded Piping Plover (photo by Bill Williams) was found by Ruth Beck's bird survey team, which I serve on, at Craney Island, Portsmouth on August 2nd. Through banding network communications, it was learned that it was a hatch-year bird from Grand Marais, Michigan. Grand Marais is a remote site on the shore of Lake Superior where volunteers monitor the Piping Plover population. Kathy Davis, who coordinates the volunteers, told me, by e-mail, that there were 3 pairs and that only 7 chicks fledged, out of 10 hatchlings and all 7 were banded. The chicks had hatched on June 11,12 and 13. The adult females left the site in early July, but the adult males stayed through fledging. The last chick was seen on July 29.

In a remarkable coincidence, I was vacationing on Michigan's Upper Peninsula in July and visited Grand Marais on a random stop, but when I saw the Piping Plover signage on the dunes, I walked to the beach where I met volunteer Clyde Heacox, who told me all about the birds. He and I watched one bird feeding on the beach...possibly the same one we saw at Craney nearly 1,000 miles away!

Brian Taber

50th Season Underway!

The 50th season of the Kiptopeke Songbird Station, the oldest continuously running one in the United States, began on Aug 15th. Pictured is the first migrant of the 50th season, an immature male American Redstart, caught on the 15th...and banding volunteer and Observatory Treasurer Marty Edmonds, Station Master and Observatory Vice-president Bob Reilly, banding volunteer Joe Beatty and Songbird Bander Calvin Brennan. The Observatory invites everyone to visit the Station this fall...it's open daily, weather permitting, in the mornings...and to visit the Kiptopeke Blog on the Observatory Home Page for regular updates. There is also a special 50th anniversary button on the Home Page, for additional information.

Brian Taber

CVWO Sponsors Butterfly Count

Each year Coastal VAWildlife Observatory sponsors the butterfly count at the tip of the Eastern Shore. This year's count was Sunday, July 29. Lynn Davidson and Hal Wierenga led the effort and four teams spread out across the tip of the Eastern Shore to count butterflies. Here's the group in the Kiptopeke sector, led by CVWO President Brian Taber. This group tallied 35 species -- a very good list.

Three-year old female PROW back at Northwest River

Guest blogger and CVWO Volunteer Shirley Devan back with an update from the Prothonotary Warbler nest box trail at Northwest Rive Park in Chesapeake, VA.

Recaptured Prothonotary Warblers continue to tell interesting stories about the life history of these migratory birds.

July 6, I recaptured two female PROWs.

At box 37, the female with 4 eggs was originally banded as a NESTLING June 22, 2009 in box 36 right next door! She has made 4 round trips between Virginia and her wintering grounds in Central or South America.

At box 39, the female with one egg in her nest was originally banded by Steve Living May 16, 2012 at the SAME box with 4 eggs. Her four nestlings were banded May 29. She will likely lay 2-3 more eggs in this second clutch.

The first male PROW captured at Northwest River in 2012 was at Box 11. Photo attached! Always a treat to capture a beautiful male PROW.

We will continue monitoring through the end of July because second clutches are well underway with females still laying eggs the first week of July.

So far Steve Living and I have banded over 150 nestlings and two dozen “new” female PROWs. See previous posts for more 2012 information about this project.

Second Clutches Underway for PROWs at Northwest River

By Shirley Devan, Volunteer, Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory

We are checking the Prothonotary Warbler nest boxes every week down in Chesapeake at Northwest River Park. These days we're finding lots of second clutches.

But sometimes we find other wildlife…like a Black Rat Snake in one box a couple of weeks ago. Now that's a surprise. Unfortunately, the snake had eaten PROW nestlings. Subsequently we repositioned that box.

The PROW nestlings are only in the box for 10 days before they fledge. Steve Living and I have a short window to band nestlings, who should be 5 grams or 5 days old when banded.

We've banded over 100 nestlings so far and trapped over 30 females, four of which were banded as adults in 2009! At least four migratory round trips for these ladies.

Top photo: Black Rat Snake in nest box

Second photo: Second PROW nest on top of first one

Third photo: Five PROW nestlings with new bands on their legs

Fourth photo: Steve Living returns banded nestlings to Box A7.

Busy Parents

These Great Crested Flycatchers have been busy today bringing moths, butterflies, caterpillars and other items to chicks in the bird bottle on the house here in Williamsburg.

Brian Taber