For the Birds

Virginia counts more than 400 native and visiting

bird species, making it a perfect location for Americaner
the Bird and Wildlife Trail, which has 65 loops. oystercatch
These 5 sites are favorites among bird lovers. CHINCOTEAGUE
BY HILLARY RICHARD Chincoteague
National Wildlife
Refuge
The Chincoteague National Wildlife
Refuge was established more than 80
years ago to protect migrating birds.
As part of the Atlantic Flyway (an
East Coast bird migration pattern),
this bird-watching paradise spans
14,000 acres of habitat for waterfowl,
MARYLAND
shorebirds, and coastal birds during
their annual migrations.
Beaches, dunes, shores, forests,
DISTRICT OF and salt marshes attract more than
COLUMBIA
300 species annually, including the
DELAWARE threatened piping plover, American
oystercatchers, and least terns.
Look for raptors in the fall,
songbirds on the Woodland trail,
and shorebirds year-round along the
MARYLAND Atlantic. In the winter, you can spot
ducks, Canada geese, snow geese,
CHINCOTEAGUE
and tundra swans. In late summer

FROM LEFT: DIDEM LENZ/GETTY IMAGES; WILLIAM SHERMAN/GETTY IMAGES

CHINCOTEAGUE and early fall, shorebird migration
NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGE
Chesapeake is in full swing.
VIRGINIA Bay
VIRGINIA
“The mid-Atlantic region and
the Eastern Shore often pull in rare
CAPE
birds from the far north, Europe,
WILLIAMSBURG
CHARLES Atlantic
and our Western states,” says
KIPTOPEKE Ocean
NEWPORT STATE Joanne Laskowski, chair of Birding
NEWS PARK
Eastern Shore. “We’re not sure why
VIRGINIA it happens, but it’s exciting when
PORTSMOUTH BEACH
BACK BAY it does. In August 2023, Hurricane
NATIONAL

SUFFOLK
PARADISE
CREEK
WILDLIFE
REFUGE Idalia blew 2 flamingos into the
NATURE
PARK
FALSE CAPE
STATE PARK Chincoteague area, and in October
2022, a tropical kingbird [a bird from
southeast Arizona] was found near
Oyster.” Vehicle admission, $10.

28 | AAA EXPLORER APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2024 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2024 AAA EXPLORER | 29

 Great
A Time of
CAPE CHARLES
Kiptopeke State Park
horned
owl Porpoise
The Eastern Shore is home to one of the country’s
most important hawk watches, set against stunning
A memorable beach moment: You’re basking in
the warm sun, toes in the sand, letting the gentle

Red-tailed
turn of the foam-capped waves lull you into a state
views of the Chesapeake Bay. Over several decades,
of complete relaxation. As your eyes scan the endless
hawk
birders have observed 19 species of hawks and more
horizon of blue on blue, you’re rewarded with a pod of
than 1 million individual birds. Imposs
dolphins making their way across the sea. ible Pr
Kiptopeke is popular year-round for all kinds of ONLY ice
migrating birds. From September through December,
it’s one of the best places in the world to spot merlins
and peregrine falcons. From early August to late
There’s no denying their signature shape as they
leap from the water. If you don’t see anything else
extraordinary the rest of day, you can take solace
29
November, the fall migration is particularly popular.
knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful
Brown pelicans, waterfowl, kestrels, red-tailed hawks,
and human-like creatures in their natural habitat.
great horned owls, Eastern screech owls, wrens, and Why not re-create that special moment with our
several other species might show up. Balinese Dolphin Pendant? We’ve captured two
“The narrow peninsula creates a funnel effect as dolphins mid-jump in sterling silver crafted in the
birds migrate south along the Atlantic Flyway during fall Balinese style. Tucked between these beloved sea
migration,” says Roberta Kellam, a founding member mammals is a full carat of shimmering blue topaz.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: BRIAN MUMAW/GETTY IMAGES; LORI LABRECQUESTOCK.ADOBE.COM; LORRAINE HUDGINS/GETTY IMAGES; MARIA JAEGER/GETTY IMAGES
and president of Birding Eastern Shore who has birded Made by some of Indonesia’s finest artisans, this
for more than 5 decades. According to Kellam, the pendant is an absolute steal at JUST $29! That’s what
largest concentration of birds occurs in Northampton we call our Stauer IMPOSSIBLE PRICE!
County, where 419 species have been spotted. In Nothing captures the shimmering color of the ocean
a typical year, she adds, top birders see more than in the midday sun like blue topaz. With its sparkling,
200 species. “It’s amazing to think those little birds clear blue color and high reflective index, blue topaz
are flying thousands of miles between their wintering is one of the world’s top-selling gemstones. The
grounds and summer breeding territories, and they Gemological Institute of America lauds topaz for
manage to come back to the same patch of habitat its hardness, noting that blue topaz is known for its
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Brown special price, you can score quite the catch.
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pass the test swimmingly, send it back for a full refund
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Limited reserves. This pendant is already one of our
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Jewelry Specifications: set in sterling silver for  $29
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 Carolina
e
chickade

l
Cardina

PORTSMOUTH
Paradise Creek
Nature Park
In 2012, the Elizabeth River Project
turned 40 acres of an industrial area
into Paradise Creek Nature Park,
ttern
Least bi
revitalizing the area’s ecosystem by
replacing polluted soil, planting wetland
grass for stability, and reintroducing
the native Eastern oyster to help
filter the water. Over the past several
years, brown pelicans have bounced
back from the brink of extinction and

FROM LEFT: SANDRA CALDERBANK/STOCK.ADOBE.COM; KEVIN BURKE/GETTY IMAGES; DAVID BYRON KEENER/GETTY IMAGES
birds now flock to the Elizabeth River.
Visitors can spot bald eagles, ospreys,
and possibly even a pair of peregrine
falcons on the park’s bridges.
“An area with a wide variety of birds
indicates healthy biodiversity and a
variety of sources of food and shelter,”
VIRGINIA BEACH
explains Larry Lapell, Paradise Creek’s
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge park manager. “With 169 different
and False Cape State Park species sighted at the park, you’re
Designated more than 85 years ago as a safe habitat for migrating waterfowl, almost guaranteed to see something
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 9,250 acres on Virginia unique year-round.”
Beach’s southeastern corner. Since the refuge doesn’t have a permanent Once a month the park offers a
wildlife drive, visitors must walk or bike its 5 trails (8 miles total) to experience free 90-minute bird-watching tour
the refuge’s beaches, dunes, woods, fields, and freshwater marshes. From April along the southern branch of the
through October, trails connect the refuge with nearby False Cape State Park Elizabeth River that includes 11 acres
and its 15 miles of trails. Guided tram tours also link Back Bay with False Cape, of restored wetlands. Look for species
where a narrow barrier spit on the Barbour Hill Trail separates the freshwater like great blue herons, egrets, yellow-
marsh, maritime forest, and sand dunes. crowned night herons, red-winged
“In the spring, shorebirds have their bright and beautiful plumage, whereas blackbirds, cardinals, jays, robins,
in the fall and winter, they’re gray,” says wildlife sculptor and bird-watcher Carolina chickadees, and a variety of
Spencer Tinkham (see sidebar on page 34), who often bikes False Cape’s trails. woodpeckers. Two man-made towers
Fall through spring is Back Bay’s prime time for shorebird viewing—you can are now home to chimney swifts,
see snow geese, tundra swans, ducks, and grebes. Look for nesting species a species that has lost most of
such as least bittern, snowy egret, and glossy ibis. In October, you may spot its natural nesting sites. Park
peregrine falcons. Back Bay vehicle admission, $5; False Cape admission, free. admission, free.
MORE

32 | AAA EXPLORER APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2024 AAA.COM


Q&A WITH SCULPTOR
Spencer
Tinkham
S
pencer Tinkham is a self-taught wildlife
sculptor who creates naturalistic art out
of wood with some metal components.
Many of his muses are Virginia’s birds.
Where are some of your favorite spots
to find birds for inspiration?
I love False Cape State Park and Back Bay Wildlife
Refuge, but my favorite area is the Outer Banks—
particularly Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.
How did you become interested in
sculpting Virginia’s birds?
I used to live near the end of a creek that was a tributary
to the Chesapeake Bay in the Elizabeth River. Hundreds
of birds wintered at the end of this creek. I started
feeding them and eventually they would recognize
me and swarm me when I arrived. Their excitement
was contagious. I loved to observe and study them,
watching how they interacted. I was ultimately inspired
to begin carving them out of wooden scraps from a
nearby boat shop in my spare time.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on what I call macro sculptures. It’s like
macro photography but in sculpture form. They’re
large, highly detailed feather carvings [pictured]full
of texture—a deeper dive into birds. I view each as a
specimen: Sometimes I go to natural history museums
or use online databases to find birds that have
intriguing backstories or historical narratives. Two owls
I’m working on were collected from Arlington National
Cemetery—one from when it was a military fort and the
other from nearly 100 years later, after the owl ran into
windows at the Pentagon. I make quite a few birds that
HILLARY RICHARD is a New Jersey–based writer and an ardent fan of all things wild and wonderful.
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