Williamsburg area, VA 2/3-8/2020

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

Some of my birding trips turn out great, some are just okay, and sometimes, and rarely, a birding trip doesn't end up very productive. Alice had a duplicate bridge tournament in Williamsburg, and I went along to do some wildlife photography in the area. This was the third time I had gone with her to that tournament, but I had been to nearby birding sites in the area multiple times. So I wasn't looking to explore new birding sites, but rather decide which ones I wanted to re-visit. I spent a good deal of time researching what species I had seen at these sites on previous visits during the winter months, and what species had been recently reported. We were making the 139 mile, a little more than 2 hour drive from Crozet to Williamsburg on Monday morning, and returning on the following Saturday. So I had 1/2 day on Monday, and four full days the rest of the week. And then, a week before the trip, I saw the weather forecast. Good weather on Monday, cloudy on Tuesday, and rain for Wednesday through Friday, including strong thunderstorms on Thursday. So I had to replan where and when to go birding.

February 3

We arrived in Williamsburg around 11 a.m., and as soon as I got out of our car, I heard a Pine Warbler in the trees. I didn't see it, but had heard and seen one in the same location when we were there two years ago - trip species #1. After getting settled in the hotel and having an early and quick lunch, I opted to go over to Jamestown Island which was 12 miles from the hotel. My other choice for the afternoon was Newport News Park, only 9 miles from the hotel.

Just after entering the island park, I pulled off onto the road shoulder along the causeway when I saw a juvenile Bald Eagle perched in a tree, and I walked down to the water's edge to take some photos. The eagle flew a few minutes later when a subadult (Basic I) Bald Eagle flew by. The juvenile was molting into its subadult Basic I phase.

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Juvenile Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic I) Bald Eagle

Both of these eagle left when a subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle appeared, and this third eagle made a dive towards the water, but backed off from going after the fish it had seen, circled a few times, and then flew off.

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

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Subadult (Basic III) Bald Eagle

I then took a few photos of nearby woodland birds, when I heard a loud, "Sir!" I turned around and saw a park ranger up on the road by his car, with lights flashing, behind my car. I walked up to him, and he told me that there was no parking on road shoulders in the park, and I could only park on asphalt surfaces. I thanked him for the warning and information, and continued on my way. I didn't see many birds on the island, and only two ducks - a pair of American Black Ducks that looked up when Turkey Vultures flew overhead. I wonder if they were keeping an eye out for eagles?

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American Black Ducks

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American Black Ducks

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

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Ring-billed Gull

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Great Black-backed Gulls

I located a Bald Eagle nest when a screaming juvenile flew to it. The nest was well concealed, but I was able to get a photo with an adult next to it.

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Juvenile Bald Eagle

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Adult Bald Eagle

A short time later, I saw another adult Bald Eagle.

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Adult Bald Eagle

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Adult Bald Eagle

I saw a few more species back at the hotel, and by the end of the afternoon, had 21 avian species on my trip list.

Click here to continue to birding on February 4


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