Justin Fuller photographed a humpback whale with its baleen exposed while on a Whale Watch tour with Rudee Tours in Virginia Beach. Baleen is a filter-feeding system that is a series of fringed plates that are used to strain seawater for food. In addition to the whales, there were also sightings of numerous seabirds, including gannets, sea ducks, and razorbills.
Reuben Rohn spotted a piping plover hanging out on the beach at the Grandview Nature Preserve in Hampton. Piping plovers are small migratory shorebirds that nest along coastal beaches. Loss of habitat has contributed to their decline.
Mike Weirich just happened to be at Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach when the shrimp boats came in. “Last week I saw more cormorants in one group and this time it was gulls,” wrote Weirich. “Reminds me of the Hitchcock movie I saw years ago.” The gulls knew a good meal when they smelled it.
Connie Owen sent a photo of a great blue heron perched in a tree at Stumpy Lake in Virginia Beach. Great blue herons are common wading birds that are in the area year-round but appear in larger concentrations in the fall and winter months.
Michael Schimmel sent photos of ruddy ducks and American coots from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach. “I’m happy to report that duck season has begun,” wrote Schimmel. Ruddy ducks are known for their stiff tails which they often hold upward.
Ed Obermeyer sent a photo of a Baltimore oriole from his backyard in the Castleton neighborhood in Virginia Beach. “So stoked,” wrote Obermeyer. “The Baltimore orioles are back in my yard.” The birds returned in the same time frame as last year. Baltimore orioles are migratory birds that can be attracted to your yard by putting out jelly or fruit slices.
Kristin West sent a sparkling photo of an orb weaver spider that she spotted while traveling on Sandbridge Road in Virginia Beach. “I stopped to photograph a small shed in the fog but came across this huge spider web near a tree,” wrote West. The web had dew drops attached to the strands that were sparkling like pearls.
Evan Rhodes saw what he thought was a piece of bright orange plastic on the ground in the yard in the Blackwater section of Virginia Beach but when he picked it up it developed legs and started crawling. It turned out to be an orange pumpkin spider, named for its bright orange color and resemblance to a pumpkin.
Gary Williamson got a photo of a cottonmouth basking in the sun at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. The snake was in a coiled-up position with its mouth open, showing the white, cotton lining inside. “If they could talk while gaping they would probably say, ‘Leave me alone!’” wrote Williamson. Cottonmouths can be seen any time of the year if it is above freezing and the sun is out.
Vickie Shufer, wildfood@cox.net
If you go
What: 3/4-day whale watch
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3
Where: 200 Winston Salem Avenue, Virginia Beach
Cost: $80/adults, ages 12-and-older
More information: (757) 425-3400; rudeeangler@gmail.com; https://www.rudeetours.com/whale-watching
What: Full-day whale watch
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 9
Where: 200 Winston Salem Avenue, Virginia Beach
Cost: $125/adults, ages 12-and-older
More information: (757) 425-3400; rudeeangler@gmail.com; https://www.rudeetours.com/whale-watching
