Alice had a week-long bridge tournament in Williamsburg, Virginia, and I went along to do some wildlife photography. I compiled a list target birds for the area, and planned to stay within a one hour drive from there. Bill Williams had reported a male Western Tanager coming to his feeder in Williamsburg every winter for the past few years, and that species was one of my top priorities. I had previously seen female Western Tanagers in Arizona and Washington state, but never a male of this species. I had tried to see the male last year at Bill's house, but was unsuccessful. I contacted Bill ahead of the trip to ask for permission to hang out in his yard to look for it.
We arrived in Williamburg late morning. My first stop after getting settled in the hotel was Jamestown Island. It really wasn't very "birdy," but I did see a few ducks, gulls, and an immature Bald Eagle.
Lesser Scaup
Basic I/II Bald Eagle
Basic I/II Bald Eagle
Canada Goose giving some instructions to a gull
My next stop was at Bill's house to look for the Western Tanager. I stayed there for about 45 minutes, saw several species coming to the feeder, but not the Western Tanager.
Northern Cardinal
Mourning Dove