Hog (Heaven) Island

Yesterday we spent the entire afternoon walking the trails out on Hog Island which is a wildlife management area known for it's spectacular array of water fowl and shore birds (over 60 species have been recorded on the site.) There are miles of trails and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. We lucked out and had an afternoon full of interesting cloudscapes for a backdrop to the landscape. We saw several bald eagles, tons of osprey and at least a dozen ducks and various water fowl that we could not even identify. We also saw a family of fox... a mamma with two pups. They were very curious about us and kept us laughing for a good section of the hike peeking out at us from behind forest service maintenance buildings. I'll post a pic of one of them here... it's a bit blurry but you can get the general idea of the extreme levels of cuteness involved.




Anyone passing through this area that wants to hit Hog Island for the birding/hiking... be aware that you have to pass through the Surry Nuclear Power Plant security checkpoint to gain access to the wildlife management area. They search your vehicle, run your plates and all that jazz. So leave your explosives at home or you will never make it out to see the brilliant array of ducks and geese. The guys at the check point were very friendly and we were though in about 5 minutes so it is a painless experience and the area is worth the trouble of gaining access for sure.




We are still tucked in under cloudy skies, occasional drizzle and cool temps here in Virginia. It's also getting buggier by the day. We have officially begun the battle against mosquitoes. They are such a bummer. Speaking of small buzzing creatures... we have been descended upon by a girl scout troop in the group campsites right next door to us. It should prove to be an interesting evening. Kumbaya.