Eastern Shore Migration Paths
The importance of the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a feeding and rest area for migrating songbirds and raptors as they travel south down the Atlantic Flyway cannot be over estimated. Because birds need to catch their breath, rest up and chow down, before flying over large spans of open water the beautiful southern tip of the Virginia Eastern Shore serves as a Howard Johnson’s for birds– pleasant motel plus 24 hour full service restaurant. ( I know I’m dating myself here but as a child I loved their fried clam strips and awesome Indian pudding, not that anyone knows about Indian pudding anymore, and of course Howard Johnson’s has been gone for a thousand years. ) As the birds funnel down the ever-narrowing peninsula by the thousands each fall, flying south for the winter, flock after flock between September and November, the habitate and food resources available in our southern tip, from Cape Charles south to the Bridge-Tunnel become critical to these birds, life or death even. And fortunately for these beautiful feathered creatures, Kiptopeake State Park, with its unique coastal habitate and ample food supply, is ready and waiting for them. And for over 30 years, long before it became a state park, an important bird banding program has been on-going at Kiptopeake with over a quarter of a million birds banded in that time.
Examining And Measuring Songbirds Being Banded At Kiptopeake State Park
The bird banding program is so interesting, kids and adults alike are just fascinated by the process. Nets constructed of a nearly invisible mesh are placed at strategic points throught out the Park’s wooded areas and then checked by volunteers every half hour or so. Usually several birds have been caught in the net and these are carefully disentangled by the volunteers and the birds brought into the banding station for a careful examination. The volunteers have data charts on which they measure and note such items are age, sex, fat, body molts, wing molts, skull size, etc., etc. for each bird that is banded.
Eastern Shore Butterfly Migration
And from the banding program and the interest of many groups including US Fish and Wildlife and the Virginia Department of Conservation and many individuals the concept of a Birding Festival was born and has been gaining strength ever since, adding additional activities each year for Birding Festival attendees to enjoy. In addition to all day demonstrations of Bird Banding and various Hawk Observatory programs at Kiptopeake Park, this year some of the many other activites included Butterfly Walks at both the Virginia National Wildlife Refuge and Kiptopeake Park, with the expectation of possibly seeing up to 60 + species of butterflies and skippers as they migrate through, several Owl Prowls during the evening hours at both the Refuge and the Park, a Barrier Island Walk at Fisherman’s Island, home to many waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds, A hike through the Savage Neck Dunes Preserve which has a mile of Chesapeake Bay shoreline as well as the highest dune on the Eastern Shore and a hike at Wise Point, a pine forest located at the very, very tip of the Shore.
The Popular “Touch and Feel” Tank From The Virginia Marine Science Museum
Water related activities included eco-tours by Broadwater Bay Ecotours leaving from both Willis Wharf and Watchapreague, getting a duck’s eye view and exploration of our pristine seaside salt marshes, mud flats and open waters, look for seabirds and shorebirds. For kayak lovers there were three wonderful trips, the Cherrystone Creek Kayak trip and the Chatham Vineyard’s Kayak and Winery Tour to see wading birds, osprey, etc. and the Wildlife Refuge Kayak trip along the Virginia Inside Passage, home to osprey, plovers, egrets and herons among others. And this year, for the more adventurous, a Stand Up Paddleboard Trip from the Wildlife Refuge. Paddleboards are billed “as the coolest craft on the water” and apparently are a great way to do birding, certainly sounds like a lot of fun. For the less adventurous but also interested, a variety of exhibits and demonstrations take place at the Cape Charles Fire Station including a “touch and feel” aquarium tank exhibit from the Virginia Marine Science Museum, perfect for kids of all ages. In short, this Festival is a wonderful event for everyone who is interested in having fun while celebrating birds and birding. For information on the upcoming 2012 Birding Festival on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, keep updated by visiting www.esvafestivals.com .
(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)
