THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 3, 1995 TAG: 9505020126
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
A baby cardinal is a first-born for the Virginia Marine Science Museum. The little bird hatched less than three weeks ago in a nest high in the vines on the wall of the museum's indoor Coastal River Room. It is the first bird ever born in the indoor habitat.
Although mama and papa were rehabbed birds that could not be released to the wild, they have behaved just as good wild parents should. They were not deterred from feeding their babe even after it was placed in a large cage. They fly in an out of the top of the cage carrying to their offspring crickets, meal worms and wax worms, supplied by the museum.
Museum Exhibits Technician Maurice Cullen put the bird in a cage with an open top for its own protection after it started flying and hopping about on its own. Cullen doesn't want the young bird to tumble into the ``river'' that is part of the Coastal River Room and then be unable to get out.
The cardinals must have decided that nesting in an indoor habitat is a good deal, what with free worms and all. Now mama is at it again, building another nest in the vines, Cullen said.
KEEP AN EYE ON BIRDS IN THE WILD and participate in the Virginia Beach Audubon Society's annual Birdathon on Saturday.
Three teams of birders will cover the northern half of Virginia Beach and the Stumpy Lake and Back Bay areas to see how many species of birds they can find in a day. Armed with pledges from friends and neighbors, they will be raising money for Audubon and at the same time compiling a report on the state of birds in spring in Virginia Beach.
``Each year I always want to see how many species of warblers come back,'' said Auduboner Betsy Nugent who will lead birders in the northern half of the city.
``They seem to be what most people are worried about,'' she went on, ``because they're losing their habitat in South America.''
Nugent said the groups will probably get out by sunrise on Saturday and keep going through most of the day. But folks are welcome to join in the count for only part of the day. Call her at 428-4434 to get the particulars on when and where each group will start their Birdathon effort.
Everyone is welcome. If you are a beginning birder, you'll get a chance to see what the experts see and count them on your pledge sheet, too.
``We got over 90 species last year,'' Nugent said. ``And we want 100 this year. That's a good round number.''
ALTHOUGH ITS NAME BELIES ITS STATUS, a plant called New York ironweed is the 1995 Virginia Wildflower of the Year. It was selected by the Virginia Native Plant Society precisely because of its widespread distribution throughout Virginia and because of its pretty violet blooms in mid-summer.
Ironweed grows along streams and in moist meadows all over the Tidewater area and is absent from only eight counties which are all in the western part of the state.
It's Latin name, Vernonia Novaboracensis, is a clue to New York ironweed's Yankee appellation. Novaboracenis refers to the plant being ``of New York'' and that may be where it was first collected. Vernonia is for 17th-century botanist, William Vernon.
For a brochure on ironweed and a list of nursery sources for plants and seed, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Virginia Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 844, Annandale, Va., 22003.
VISIT THE NEW WILDFLOWER MEADOW at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Although New York Ironweed is planted in the 2 1/2-acre meadow, you won't be able to see it in bloom until mid-summer. On the other hand spring bloomers, like poppies and bachelor buttons won't leave you disappointed.
``It's so colorful right now,'' said Kunso Kim, the garden's curator of plant collections.
You can participate in a guided walk of the meadow at 4 p.m Sunday. The walk is free with admission to the botanical gardens.
P.S. WORLD WAR II REMEMBERED is the title of a concert by the Virginia Beach Chorale at 8 p.m Saturday at the Pavilion Convention Center Theater. World War II veterans will be recognized as their service songs are performed. Tickets, available at the Pavilion box office and through chorale members, are $6 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
Dome Sweet Dome, a ceremony to commemorate the Virginia Beach Dome will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Dome site, 19th Street and Pacific Avenue. Posters and T-shirts will be for sale and citizens who have memorabilia of Dome events are asked to bring them to be included in a booklet to be published later this year. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)infi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY REID BARROW
The rehabilated parents of this baby cardinal have fed it like good
wild birds. They fly in an out of the top of the cage carrying
crickets, meal worms and wax worms, supplied by the Virginia Marine
Science Museum.
by CNB