Harbor seal takes Southern vacation on local dock

Ever since Cupcake the harbor seal came to town a couple of weeks ago, Elsie Waddell has not been able to do much but stare out the window at the visitor that has taken up residence on her dock in Bay Island.

With binoculars or camera in hand, Waddell loves to watch the seal as it relaxes on the floating jet ski dock. "He stretches his flippers and waves them in the air," she said.

Waddell named the seal "Cupcake," because it is as "cute as a cupcake," she said. When she calls, "Cupcake, Cupcake," the seal turns its head and looks at her with big puppy dog eyes.

But Waddell knows better than get too close. Despite their appealing looks, seals are wild animals that can be vicious when cornered or frightened. Waddell also knows not to feed her visitor, as much as she would like to, because she doesn't want it to become dependent on humans.

When Cupcake arrived, Waddell notified the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team about the creature that was lolling in the sun on her dock. A team member went to Bay Island and said the seal looked to be in good health.

"They do look so cute," Linda Deri, stranding technician, said later. "But stay away from them. They are wild and they will bite."

Already this winter the stranding team has had numerous reports of seals in the Hampton Roads area. Seals that visit this far south in winter are often youngsters, Deri explained. The wandering seals were probably born earlier this year along the Canada or New England coast and then strayed far from home. The errant juveniles generally head back north at winter's end.

Cupcake somehow made its way from the Lynnhaven River through either Long Creek or the narrow canal on the south side of Bay Island to end up on Waddells' dock, which he seems to use as home base.

"He often comes and goes with the tide," Waddell said.

When Cupcake comes back to the dock, Waddell said his belly often looks full. He hauls up on the floating dock to rest, often dozing in the sun. His fawn-colored fur looks like velvet, though when he first comes out of the water, he glistens.

"He's slick and black looking," Waddell said.

Waddell celebrated her birthday soon after Cupcake arrived and in honor of the seal's visit, her son gave her a ceramic mother and baby seal along with a big stuffed seal as gifts. But the best gift of all was the seal itself, she said.

"He's adorable," Waddell said.

 If you see a seal, don't bother it or get too close. If it looks lethargic and appears to be losing weight, call the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team, 437-6364.

READERS' CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

More orioles in town Don Crago has been trying to photograph a male dining at an oriole feeder in a friend’s yard in Rock Creek since December.

-Ed Butler in Windsor Woods has a male oriole visiting for the fourth winter in a row. “He loves orange, suet and mixed berry seed.”

Coyote? One morning, while it was still dark, a Great Neck resident who doesn’t want to be identified thought he saw a coyote on the street. “It was the size of the coyotes I have seen in North Dakota and elsewhere out West,” he said, “and acted and moved in the same manner.” Has anybody else thought they might have seen a coyote in the northern part of the city?

Rare right whale The Virginia Aquarium’s whale watching boat trip had a rare sighting of a North Atlantic right whale and its calf during a recent boat trip.

Eagles! While walking behind Red Mill Elementary School, Brigitte Spahn saw a mature bald eagle fly overhead toward Largo Mar and later saw the big bird sitting in a tree near Sandbridge Road.

-Susan Wenzel watched three immature bald eagles fish in a pond off Sandbridge Road. One “smacked down” on the water and caught a sizable fish. The next day the birds were back and she watched two spar in mid-air.

-Lisa Rose, who lives in Windsor Woods, watched a juvenile bald eagle, a fish in its talons, stand on the edge of partially frozen Lake Windsor. When the big bird moved on the ice, the ice broke and it fell into the water. The eagle managed to get back on the ice where it stood for a few minutes before flying off.

More New Year’s resolutions Because so much land must be used to raise animal feed, so much pollution is caused by large herds and so much energy is devoted to transporting meat, among other issues, Tim Enstice’s resolution is to eat a vegetarian diet to help reduce his carbon footprint.

Hummingbirds! Verna Brainerd has a rufous hummingbird, far out of its western range, coming to her feeder in Great Neck.

-A ruby-throated hummingbird, well north of its Central American wintering grounds, is visiting Claude Bell’s feeder in Linkhorn Park.

Kings Grant waterfowl Kings Grant lakes are often a great place to see wintering waterfowl. Bob Harvey has seen ring-necked ducks, pintails, coots, widgeons and even green-winged teal recently.

Photo Ops When Bobby Hill filled his heated birdbath with water early one frigid morning in Great Neck Meadows, he photographed a group of doves that arrived to drink and bathe. His photo shows the importance of fresh unfrozen water to the birds on these cold days.

-Tom Brewster sent a photo of a pelican and an egret side-by-side on his dock in Thalia.

-Chris Witherspoon photographed a red-tailed hawk in a tree in her yard on Lake Meade in Suffolk. “Despite the noise we were making, breaking up limbs and cutting logs, the hawk sat there for at least 30-40 minute,” she wrote. “We saw a second hawk swoop by the tree and call – maybe related to mating.”

UPLOAD YOUR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS SNAPSHOTS

What surprises or puzzles have you come across in nature, or do you have a tidbit of local lore? Send e-mail to barrow1@cox.net. Include name, neighborhood and city. If you have injured wildlife, call the Virginia Beach SPCA, (757) 427-0070.