Depth Charges? Not!

Photographer Patrick McLaughlin sent this fabulous photo of gannets dive bombing the ocean for fish.

McLaughlin also wrote about  these powerful, beautiful seagoing birds off our coast and their diving feats:

The gannet is a bird most folks don't know about...and they are very, very cool.

Find more of Mclaughliln's gannet photos at: http://patrickmclaughlin.smugmug.com/Nature-Birds-Scenery/Birds/Gannets-Diving/21563600_TLtc65#!i=253034580&k=qmLNJ

Virginia Beach Is Lagging Behind in the Bird Count

Eat your heart out, Virginia Beach, you were among the top 10 cities in the United States for participation in last year’s Great Backyard Bird Count.

But Saturday at 4 p.m., you were  nowhere to be seen on the top 10 list.

 But Williamsburg was in the top 10 and so was Raleigh, Durham, and Charlotte, N.C.

Last year Virginia was one of the top 10 states in the count for participation too. This year at 4 p.m., Virginia had just edged onto the top 10 list.

You can see counts updated about every 30 minutes for yourself at: www.birdcount.org.

Click on “Explore the Results.” In addition you will find information on how to participate in the count yourself. You can also get help from a Wild Birds Unlimited Store.

Sunday’s weather is due to be pretty dismal, but you might be able to occupy yourself and the children on a rainy day by driving around some of the neighborhood ponds to look for birds.

These great blue herons, above right, just arrived on their nesting grounds in First Landing State Park.

They were photographed by Robert Brown in Virginia Beach Friday on the first day of the count and I’m sure he is out counting again today.

Be like Robert! Keep Virginia Beach and Virginia in the top 10!

Great Backyard Bird Count is Underway!

Pam Monahan and some of her neighfors  at West Neck in Virginai Beach have a bird watching club. and the group set out early Friday on the first day of the Great Backyard Bird Count.  Monahan sent this report:

The Backyard Birdwatchers of West Neck participated in Day One of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Five members began the day at 8 am at Honey Bee Golf Course, in the fog.

Fourteen species were observed which included five bald eagles, three killdeer, 12 great blue herons in flight, and "my" white goose!

From there, we went to Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge, and observed 12 species, mostly songbirds and starlings.

Later that afternoon, I observed a juvenile bald eagle on the Signature at West Neck, who gave me some nice photo opportunities.

See Monahan's photo at right.

Send in your bird counts  reports over the weekend and I'll try to get them up on this blog.

To find out more about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit www.birdcount.org.

Bird Feeder Wars

After the latest cold snap and snow, the bird feeder war began at Stuart McCausland’s feeder in the Brigadoon neighborhood in Virginia Beach.

Among several battles, the grackles launched an attack against the red-bellied woodpecker and the noisy blue jay let the grackles have a piece of its mind.

Against much larger odds, the red-bellied woodpecker was a brave gladiator and stood  up to the intimidating purple grackle in every sortie, according to McCausland.

“Mostly when a larger bird flies in, the other birds (except for the doves and wrens) generally scatter, “ He wrote.

“But in the last couple of days the red-bellied woodpecker pair (especially the female) have held their ground if they were already at the feeder.”
  
And in McCausland’s photos, the grackle looks like it really has been practicing its menacing stare in the mirror.  It's as if the bird is saying, "Oh, really?" McCausland said. 

I wouldn't stay around if man or beast looked at me that way.

Pin a medal on the red-bellied woodpecker!

Whoo, whoo, whoo, I Love You!

     Baby barn owls by wildlife rehabilitator Pearl Beamer

Whoa! What a Whale Show!

Chesapeake fishing buddies Steve Andrews and Joe Benkert have seen their share of whales off Cape Henry this year when they went fishing in Benkert’s boat.

“But we don’t really take the time to watch them,” Andrews wrote, “so last Monday we decided to go just to see the whales.”

They didn’t see anything in close  around Cape Henry so they headed out for the light tower. On the way, Benkert managed to spot a whale splash that looked like it was over a mile away.

When they reached the area where the whale was, they saw more than they ever bargained for.

“He put on a show of a lifetime,” Andrews said. “He was jumping out of the water, slapping his tail on the surface and also slapping his fin on the surface.”

Andrews took photos with his iPhone, Nikon and Kodak Sport camera. He even has video. but from a distance.

The photos you see here are cropped to bring them in closer.

"Born to Be Wild"

Are you already a wildlife rehabilitator and want to learn even more?

Have you got a yen to be a wildlife rehabilitator?

Or are you just fascinated with the work that these good volunteers do to save injured and orphaned wildlife?

Whatever your interest, you will find “Born to be Wild,” a conference February 17 to 19 at Norfolk Botanical Garden right up your alley.

Topics for the day long sessions from 9 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday include subjects  such as “Going Batty,” “Want to be a Rehabber,” and “House of Slitherin’: Reptile ID.”

Wildlife rehabber Pearl Beamer, she of baby barn owl fame at right,  is co-hosting the event with the botanical garden.

Beamer, who specializes in caring for raptors at her home in Norfolk, will open the conference with a talk on “What to Do If…” from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. It will be followed by a panel discussion.

Participants can sign up for the whole conference or for the  Frday evening program, or just one of the weekend days.

For a full schedule of events, registration information and fees, visit: http://www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/programs-events/calendar/events/63....

Make the Most of a Dreary Day

Jan Eaton, who lives on Lake Smith, made the most of a  dreary rainy Sunday.

“I took a walk about this morning during that nice light rain we were having and all of the water droplets on the naked branches caught my eye!” Eaton wrote.

She said the raindrops on the bare branches reminded her of the rice lights sold at Christmas,

Then as she walked round her yard, she also photographed camellias in bloom.

“Had to share these beauties with you, too” she said. These are thanks to Zelma Crockett.”

Eaton and her husband now own the property where well- known Hampton Roads gardener Zelma Crockett once lived and ran a plant nursery before her death.

A wealth of camellias and azaleas as well as rarer shrubs and plants abound and Eaton doesn’t miss much of their show, rain or shine.

Just goes to prove that one man’s rainy morning is  another man’s pleasure.

Whoo, Whoo, Whoo Do I Love?

Nature lovers, I’ve got a great idea for Valentine’s Day cards this year!

Send cards featuring photos of baby barn owls with their little heart-shaped faces.

“Whoo, whoo, whoo do I love?” you could ask.

The cards were made up by wildlife rehabilitator Pearl Beamer of Norfolk, who raised and released six little orphaned barn owls last fall.

Beamer’s cards of little barn owls in various settings are $5 each or four for $15 and proceeds will go toward her rehabilitation efforts.  Each card is signed by Beamer.

You can order cards through majesticflyer1@cox.net or through Facebook Sacred Friend Wildlife Rehabilitation.

“Whoo, whoo, whool,  I love you."

Plant Grass Seedlings for the Bay

As you plant seedlings for your backyard garden this year, plant another group of seedlings for your great big backyard, the Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will teach you how to grow wild celery, an underwater grass, in small tubs in your home

Then you can participate in planting your seedlings at grass restoration sites in the Bay later in the spring.

CBF is sponsoring a Grasses for the Masses workshop from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday (February 6) at the Virginia Aquarium.

Space is limited. Contact Terra Pascarosa at terra@terrascapes.org or call 291-4736 to reserve a grass kit. The cost is $40 for a simple aquaculture system, seeds and more.

Laurie Wagner, one of last year’s workshop participants, took this the photo of her finished product when the grasses were ready for their new home in the Bay.

Aquatic vegetation is important to the Bay’s health, because it provides food and habitat for critters and helps with water clarity.

To find out more about the CBF program, visit: http://www.cbf.org/page.aspx?pid=457