The Emancipation Oak, on the grounds of Hampton University. The first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation was to former slaves gathered under this tree, sometime in early 1863—two years prior to reaching Galveston on June 19, 1865.
America goddam.
Adult and juvenile brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek in Hampton,Virginia. They may not be fair of face, but I think their plumage is marvelous.
When I was a boy brown pelicans were unknown in the Chesapeake Bay region. Their numbers were devastated by DDT use (banned in 1972), and they were deemed an endangered species in 1970. Today they are considered a species of least concern in regard to their conservation status. I saw my first pelicans in the early 1960s on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, and even there they were rarities. Now they are year-round residents of Hampton Roads waters, and they have established breeding colonies as far north as Smith Island in Maryland. I suspect the dramatic range expansion is a result of their population rebound, coupled with a warming climate.
Adult and juvenile brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek in Hampton,Virginia. They may not be fair of face, but I think their plumage is marvelous.
When I was a boy brown pelicans were unknown in the Chesapeake Bay region. Their numbers were devastated by DDT use (banned in 1972), and they were deemed an endangered species in 1970. Today they are considered a species of least concern in regard to their conservation status. I saw my first pelicans in the early 1960s on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, and even there they were rarities. Now they are year-round residents of Hampton Roads waters, and they have established breeding colonies as far north as Smith Island in Maryland. I suspect the dramatic range expansion is a result of their population rebound, coupled with a warming climate.
Banded.
Juvenile brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek, at the ruins of the Water Street wharf in the Phoebus community of Hampton, Virginia.
Banded.
Juvenile brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek, at the ruins of the Water Street wharf in the Phoebus community of Hampton, Virginia.
Juvenile brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek, at the ruins of the Water Street wharf in the Phoebus community of Hampton, Virginia.
Juvenile brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek, at the ruins of the Water Street wharf in the Phoebus community of Hampton, Virginia.
A raft of ring-bills.
Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) at Fort Monroe National Monument, Hampton, Virginia. There were about 300 birds in this fleet.
Please click photo for an enlarged view.
A raft of ring-bills.
Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) at Fort Monroe National Monument, Hampton, Virginia. There were about 300 birds in this fleet.
Please click photo for an enlarged view.
Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), on Mill Creek, at the ruins of the Water Street wharf in the Phoebus community of Hampton, Virginia.
I spent a pleasant hour watching and shooting an entire squadron of pelicans during my Virginia trip. Expect to see more.
Dithyramb 