Nickname
Elizabeth River Park
Coordinates
(36.808, -76.2866)
Substrate
Steel pile
Description
Chesapeake, VA. On top of a 40' steel pile(?) where Scuffletown Creek flows into the Elizabeth River. There's a tugboat operation there. I believe the pile secures a barge.
Followers
None
What to look for
a
Adult Arrival
Look for 2 adults on the nest. The adult pair will show pair bonding behaviors such as vocalizations, aerial sky dances, and the male feeding the female fish. You may see the pair copulating, which typically begins 14 days before laying eggs.b
Incubation Initiation
Females will lay 1 - 4 eggs at a rate of one egg every 1 - 2 days. After laying, incubation starts. Look for adults taking turns sitting low in the nest incubating eggs. The incubation period can last 35 - 43 days.c
Clutch Hatching
Chicks hatch ~39 days after incubation begins. Look for adults bringing food to the nest and making "head bows" into the center. Chicks typically can't be seen until they are 2 - 3 weeks old, so feeding behavior is the only way to know chicks are there.d
Nestling Count
Around 4 weeks after hatching, look for the heads of chicks to show over the rim of the nest, particularly when adults bring food to the nest. Other times they lie flat and are harder to see. Count the number of chicks in the nest before they learn to flye
Fledgling Count
Chicks begin flying around 7 - 8 weeks old, and are still fed by the adults. Count the number of chicks who have successfully fledged the nest and are observed flying.f
Chick Last Observed
4 - 10 weeks after fledging, chicks begin leaving the nest area to migrate south, once they have learned to fly and feed themselves. Record the date that the last chick left the nest.x
Nest Failure
Look for signs of nest failure like adult abandonment, adults no longer incubating eggs or feeding young.Review All Observations
| 2023 - Dave Gibson | 2021 - Dave Gibson | 2020 - Dave Gibson | |
|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 3/9/21 | 3/15/20 | |
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| aActive | |||
| bEgg Laying | |||
| bIncubation Initiation | 4/20/23 | ||
| cClutch Hatching | 6/1/23 | ||
| dNestlings | 1 | 2 | |
| eFledglings | |||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 7/25/23 | ||
| fChicks Last Observed | |||
| xNest Failure | 6/15/20 | ||
| xReason For Nest Failure | eggs or young killed by predator |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2023 2022 2021 2020
Activity reports
2020 Nest Activity Report by Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | 03/15/2020 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | 06/15/2020 | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | eggs or young killed by predator |
2021 Nest Activity Report by Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | 03/09/2021 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2023 Nest Activity Report by Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/25/2023 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/20/2023 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 06/01/2023 | Reason for nest failure |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/30/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in the a.m. The chick was in the nest only some of the time. It vocalized several times.
07/29/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in the a.m. The nest was empty, and the chick was gone. I tried to locate it but couldn't. The 7/25 fledge date is a guess, but I think it's a good one.
07/22/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in the a.m. This time, the chick was alone. It flapped vigorously several times and went airborne. It won't be long before it fledges.
07/15/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in the a.m. The chick and female were in the nest. The chick is getting bigger and looks healthy. At one point it flapped and went airborne. Incubation initiation and clutch hatching dates are guesses.
06/11/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited early. The female was on nest and vocalizing. She is either still incubating or brooding young.
05/10/2023 by Dave Gibson
Quick visit while birding Elizabeth River Park. An adult was hunkered down and incubating eggs.
05/21/2021 by Dave Gibson
Observed nest while walking in park. Female was on nest and vocalized. Male hunted. The female could be frooding young, but not sure. Glad to see both birds there.
04/17/2021 by Dave Gibson
Visited on 4/17 late in day. Female was buried in the nest and the male hunted. Observed him catch a fish and carry it off. He returned later with nesting material for the nest.
04/13/2021 by Dave Gibson
Visited this a.m. I don't think there's any question that the female is on eggs.
07/26/2020 by Dave Gibson
I'm not sure, now, whether or not the nest here has failed. Yesterday, I observed an adult defending the nest from a Bald Eagle. This a.m. an adult spent a considerable amount of time sitting in the nest.
07/05/2020 by Dave Gibson
I discovered the male building this nest in March, 2020. The female showed up later, and the pair mated. They produced offspring (don't know the number). Sometime in June, the nest was abandoned. I assume a predator got to the chicks. I've been back several times, but haven't seen any signs of life there. Please see the photos which document the "progression."
The last photo is of the abandoned nest.