April 16, 2017

I was able to make a trip down to Virginia Beach a few days ago. I visited Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge which is a very beautiful place. I walked down the beach a couple miles and enjoyed the waves and sand dunes, not as many birds as I thought would be hanging out in the surf. I did see several variety's of gulls and terns, and brown pelicans.

There is a large fresh water lake behind the line of dunes that was once a brackish backwater. It closed itself off naturally from the ocean. As a  CCC project in the 1930's the dunes were enhanced and the lake has become fresh water.

 
These are royal terns, the picture was actully taken at a boat ramp in Norfolk, Virginia.

This was the unset over the fresh water lake. The lake is loaded with ducks and geese in the winter; not much here now as they have migrated north.