Cape Henry Lighthouse at Sunset

Cape Henry Lighthouse at Sunset

I have the opportunity to visit the Norfolk VA this week with my good friend and photographer Tim Lynch. We had some time this evening to visit the two lighthouses a Cape Henry. The picture above shows the second lighthouse built in 1881 and sits approximately 350 feet from the first lighthouse which was built in 1792. The lighthouses sit on Fort Story, a military base operated by the U.S. Navy, that lies within the city of Virginia Beach. To get there you must enter through Fort Story's security gates. Vehicles are subject to search and ours was searched. The guards were very courteous and polite during the search and we were though the gates within 5 mins. Both light houses are interesting and worth visiting if you are in the area.

Tim Lynch reviewing photos

Wachapreague Sunrise

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Had a great morning at Wachapreague VA, we had a gorgeous sunrise this morning.  Used an app called the Photographer's Ephemeris - Skyfire to predict the quality of the sunrise and it was dead on. I love this app for planning and setting up sunrise, sunset and night time photos.

Brown Pelicans - Fishermans Island VA

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Pelicans are another bird that seems to have made an amazing comeback. I can't remember seeing any of these birds when I was a child. Today the are everywhere you look. It is truly amazing to watch a bird of this size drop from the sky, crash into the water and sweep up a mouth full of fish.

"Pelicans nest on the ground or in trees and bushes. The male collects nesting materials but the female constructs the nest. Between March and May the female lays 2-4 white eggs. Both parents help incubate the eggs (with their feet!) and care for the young, which are completely dependent on their parents when they hatch. In the mid-1900s, the use of DDT severely reduced pelican populations, which nearly disappeared from North America. DDT caused the birds to lay eggs with thin shells that broke when the parents tried to incubate the eggs. Environmental regulations banning DDT have allowed pelicans to make a remarkable comeback. Today, Fisherman’s Island, a protected area at the tip of the Eastern Shore, has become an important breeding ground for these birds."

- Virginia Living Museum

Bonnie Sue - Wachapreague VA

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Another Sunrise on the Bonnie Sue

The wooden charter boat Bonnie Sue has been a constant at Wachapreague VA built by G L TURNER in 1947 the boat is 34 ft long. Captain Bobby Turner and the Bonnie Sue have bottom fished in the '40s and early '50s, ran offshore for tuna and marlin in the '50s and '60s  and now fishes inshore waters where they still fish today.

I wasn't able to find a whole lot of information on the details of the wood construction but I would love to know more.

Osprey - Magothy River

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I can't remember when I have seen so many Osprey these days they seem like they are on every day-marker. I had the opportunity to watch these birds for about an hour from the boat. Osprey populations declined drastically in many areas in the 1950s and 1960s; this appeared to be in part due to the toxic effects of insecticides such as DDT on reproduction. The pesticide interfered with the bird's calcium metabolism which resulted in thin-shelled, easily broken or infertile eggs. Possibly because of the banning of DDT in many countries in the early 1970s, together with reduced persecution, the osprey, as well as other affected bird of prey species, have made significant recoveries.