Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge invites students K-12 attending public, private, or home schools to participate in the 2012 Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest.

“The competition is an art-based educational program that allows students to participate in a nationwide waterfowl arts competition. The process also exposes students to the nation’s wealth of migratory waterfowl and motivates students to take active roles in conserving these species,” said Virginia Junior Duck Stamp Program Coordinator, Aubrey Hall.

Ms. Hall also emphasized that “the program is meant to be a fun journey into the world of waterfowl. The artistic skill level of the students is not the focus of the contest. Not only do we want artwork from all children, we enjoy seeing the variety of pictures that the students produce”.

All students entering the state contest will receive a Certificate of Participation.  Entries may also receive prizes or honorable mention ribbons. The State Best of Show will represent Virginia in the national competition.  National awards include a complimentary trip to the First Day of Duck Stamp Sales Ceremony in Washington, DC and a monetary award.

Participants select a bird from a list of native North American waterfowl.  Other design guidelines include, but are not limited to: a size of 9”x12” not exceeding ¼” in total thickness; horizontal orientation; and the absence of lettering, words, or signatures on the front of the design. For more information contact refuge staff or explore the Federal Duck Stamp website (http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/).

Entries must be mailed to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 62, Chincoteague, VA 23336 and postmarked by midnight, March 15, 2010.  Judging will occur Friday March 23, 2012.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.  We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals commitment to public service.  For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

This is the time of year when the outstanding work of the biologists and park rangers at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the National Park Service is showcased, helped along of course by the arrival of the snow geese and other migrating waterfowl.

I sometimes worry that the year-long fallout from the alternative beach parking controversy will overshadow all that is good about having the Refuge so close, about having a place we can go where it is quiet and we can, at least for a few hours, give our minds a break.

No matter what our views are on the future of beach parking and refuge management let’s not forget to give credit to the highly qualified and dedicated staff members who keep the place running every day of the year. I do not say this tritely or lightly.

I have taken our writers to Assateague many times to gather information for the stories on this website and I cannot recall an instance when our sources – I mean Lou Hinds, his managers, the biologists and park rangers – were not helpful and knowledgeable. Most of the people at the Refuge have degrees it took them years to obtain.

When I was teaching journalism in middle school I would sometimes have a student working on a class assignment call Amanda Daisy, the wildlife biologist, right from class, a real life interview by a 6th or 7th grader.

On a sad note I want to mention a park ranger who was especially helpful to us, Barry Brookshire. Barry was at the Refuge for 16 months until his contract ran out and then he returned to his home in Texas. But soon after he was found to have a malignant tumor in his colon. Doctors were successful in treating Barry but he has been unable to return to work. While at the Refuge he answered many questions for our young writers with all the patience of the teacher that he once was. At the Refuge Barry was what he called a “roving ranger,” moving around the pathways, talking to people, answering questions. If he didn’t know the answer he would go and find it.

Waterfowl Week is a special time at the Refuge. We have the event highlights in another story but what follows are more details, the times, places and descriptions of the activities coming up over Thanksgiving. Every single event is worth attending.

One of the big issues I have with the whole Assateague show is how easy it is to come here and never see a pony, or see them only at a great distance. When our niece, Marcy, was little I don’t think we got to see any ponies, except the ones at McDonalds for which I was thankful, until her third visit. And she only made it here once a year. We did see plenty of evidence, but few ponies.

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By Robert Boswell
Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

The three Chincoteague ponies who were rescued by Debbie Ober and her husband, Tom, from an auction barn in Pennsylvania in September are nearly back to full health. As a result of our stories some donations have come in and so have requests for adoption.

More donations are needed though. See the information at the end of the story.

The moment the three Chincoteague ponies she had rescued from near slaughter came out of the trailer Debbie had sent to get them is not a time she will ever forget. She still can’t talk about it without her voice breaking up.

Saturday, November 5, with our writer/photographers Misty Thornton and Kate White, we traveled the two hours from near Chincoteague to the Ober’s Hawkeye Stables in Ridgely, Maryland. There was more to the story, we knew, of what goes on at the Ober horse farm where Debbie cares for 20 ponies. Some of them are Misty of Chincoteague descendants and most are closely connected to the famous Chincoteague wild ponies.
The three rescues were all bought at the 2001 Chincoteague pony auction but little is known about where they spent their years until now. All three are registered Chincoteague ponies, sired by island stallions.

Debbie had earlier described what confronted her when the rescued ponies arrived at her place. There was Clipper, a small bay gelding, who had no hair from under his jaw to his chin with pus oozing from a dozen sores. When he came out of the trailer he laid down, unable to get up.

Ginger, a big chestnut mare, was very thin and weak from starvation and parasites. And Captain, a bay pinto gelding, was very thin too. He had the worst parasite problem of the three, so bad he had stopped eating.

From communicating with Debbie, we knew they were much better but we didn’t really know what to expect. Because they had all come down with strangles, a pneumonia-like illness the rescue ponies had been quarantined in their own pasture and shelter.

Upon arrival we followed Debbie from the barn area to the rescues’ pasture with her pulling a small wagon with hay, grain buckets, brushes and, if needed, halters.

As we neared the fence she asked, “Are you ready?” In a minute we had climbed through the fence and set up cameras. The ponies, however, were nowhere in sight. But with a call from Debbie, three specks in a distance, actually three pastures away, began moving toward us at a gallop. It was the three rescues, who did not slow up until they reached us.

Two things were obvious. They were ready to eat and they were glad to see Debbie.

Debbie spends several hours each day hugging and caring for her horses. She is devoted to them, spending more time with them than she does with people, more time outside with them, she says, than inside her house.

She has a routine.

“I check all of them daily from head to tail. Making sure there are no kicks, cuts, etc. Also, I make sure they eat their grain in a reasonable time. If they don’t eat, I know I have a problem. I always check noses, especially this time of year. The foals tend to get a runny nose, but unless they run a fever, my vet suggests that I let it run its course without interference to build immunity. I always check halters on the young stock. They can be fine one day and too tight the next as they seem to grow in spurts.”

Imagine this and she left out mucking stalls, driving two hours for hay every few weeks, and of course her house work.

When Captain, Ginger and Clipper arrived they were in poor shape. Debbie spent most of the next three nights with these Chincoteagues, making a bed for herself under the shelter and wrapping up in a horse blanket to stay warm. Debbie changed her clothes several times a day to keep strangles from spreading to her other horses.

Who knows what the three ponies think has happened to them, but they have to know someone now cares. Since coming to the Ober home they have not been a day without proper food, medications, and lots of hugs and kindness. They can thank Debbie and Tom, but also others who helped put up money for their rescue, including Debbie Elliott-Fisk and other members of the Buyback Babes, friends and family.

While our time with the rescues has its special memories, they were not the only ones we brought back from the Ober farm.

One pony rehabilitated by Debbie is the majestic Tornado which has sired many foals born on Assateague Island. Tornado is the sire of Prince, bought by the Buyback Babes in 2007 for $17,500, the most ever paid for a pony at the Chincoteague auction.

In 2008 Tornado was injured while on the Assateague range and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which owns the Virginia herd, decided to remove him from the herd and arranged with the Obers to care for him the rest of his life. In an article that ran in the Caroline Review in July 2010 the Obers wrote, “Though he inhabited the sandy beaches of Assateague made famous by “Misty of Chincoteague” Tornado became a legend of his own. He is one of the most photographed stallions on the island.”

Tornado is a buckskin pinto stallion born in 1988. He might have been a wild stallion for 20 years, but around us he was just another friendly head to pat, nose to rub. Or maybe he just wanted Kate to take his picture again. She was clearly his favorite visitor on this day.

The other memory we will have forever was provided by Tornado’s newest offspring, one of four now with the Obers. She is a nine day old filly Debbie calls Freckles due to her red leopard coloring. We have video of this baby making her second trip outside her stall, trying to make up her mind how far to venture. It is precious and we will share it with you soon.

Meanwhile, Debbie is in need of financial help for these rescues and future ones. “We would be grateful for donations to go toward feed and care,” Debbie said. She said if anyone knows of a Chincoteague pony in need, she can be reached at hawkeye@goeaston.net. Her cell is 410-829-3026 and messages may be left on her Facebook page. The mailing address is P.O. Box 125, Ridgely, MD 21660.

The Obers are looking for personal and corporate sponsorships for the ponies and the rescue organization. Corporate sponsors will be listed on the horse trailer and elsewhere, she said. A new website will be chincoteagueponyrescue.org and it is expected to be up and running soon.

The writer is publisher of www.wildponytales.info, a web magazine that covers Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in Virginia. 

Editor’s note: A photo gallery and video clips will be posted with this story soon.
 

Dear Editor,

As a concerned citizen, business owner, member of the Chincoteague Vol Fire Company and a  recreational beach-goer I know that I can no longer remain silent and behind the scenes on this whole beach parking issue.  I represent the fire company on the Town’s Beach Access Committee and on the Citizens Beach Access Committee and there have been many hours of meetings and lots of work being done on this issue.  I have only been a small part of this due to my work responsibilities and I appreciate all the work being done by these two committees to help save our way of life as we know it.  But this letter is written by me, from my heart and does not in any way reflect on any organization or committee that I belong to.  These are my thoughts and my opinions only.

With that being said those of you who know me, know what comes up, generally comes out.  Some times to a fault!!    Here we are in the worst economic times that my generation has ever seen.  Our government is out of control from the state levels to the federal level.  Jobs, jobs, jobs are all every congressman and our president yaps about.  And that’s all it is, yapping.  Neither the island of Chincoteague nor the Eastern Shore ever received a big government bailout.  God knows we could have used one given that our two counties are two of the poorest ones in the state of Virginia.  But, we here on the Shore are resourceful, make our own way, don’t ask for hand-outs and try to earn a decent honest living.  And what do we get for that??  A big kick in the pants from the US Fish and Wildlife Service that’s what. 

How in the world can the federal government justify spending $7 million bucks on a campground, then spend thousands more to make it acceptable for parking, then spend even thousands more to out-fit trolley’s, gas, insurance for the trolley’s and payroll for the drivers, yet can’t find $200 thousand to replenish beach parking on the island of Assateague itself?  They can’t justify it all in the name of conservation. 

Mr. Hinds and several others have spoken about sea level rise.  That’s all we have heard for months and no doubt there has been sea level rise in some areas but there has been no rise in other places.  In fact, one study I’ve read that the Fish and Wildlife did about 20 years ago said that the current location of the parking lots now would be under water by the year 2000.  Well here it is folks, the summer of 2011 and it’s not under water.  That just proves to me that no one can predict what will happen.  

The town just recently proposed to increase the hotel tax by 1% much to the dislike of several hotel/motel owners, with thoughts of giving that money to the Fish and Wildlife to help repair the parking lots in case of storm damage.  Now, I’m no genius but giving the government any money for anything other than taxes is just plain crazy. For one, they probably would have to do some kind of study to see if they could accept it and then spend months if not years, telling us that they can’t accept it.  I appreciate the efforts of our town leaders for trying to come up with some kind of possible solution but another tax isn’t it.

Several of my friends and family work for the USFWS, in fact my Uncle worked there right out of high school until his retirement.  I have a great deal of respect for them and what they do.  Our natural resources must be protected; however they can also co-exist together as well.  Removing all beach parking or removing some beach parking will have a devastating impact on this town and the Eastern Shore as we know it.  And not just Virginia’s Eastern Shore either.  It will also impact Worcester and Somerset Counties in Maryland too.  The trickledown effect it will have on all businesses will be felt all around.  All those jobs the government is yapping about?  They will be gone.  The hotel house-keeping staff’s, the restaurant staffs, the bike shops, the front desk clerks, the mini golf course attendants, the store owners, the grocery store employees, the town employees, construction carpenters, the newspaper staff, nurses, the pharmacy staff, hair stylists, charter boat captains, marina dock hands, mechanics, landscapers, lawn care employees, seafood market staff, convenience store clerks, campgrounds staff, HVAC employees, house painters, bank tellers and yes, florist.  Have I made my point?  The surveys taken last year proved that if the parking at the beach is eliminated, people would stop coming to Chincoteague and find another place to enjoy the beach.  The trickledown effect is this:  If a restaurant doesn’t serve as many people as they did before, they will lay off employees.  Those laid off employees can’t afford to get their hair done or buy extra groceries or hire someone to cut their grass or paint their house or buy flowers for someone’s birthday.  And trust me folks, the trickledown effect doesn’t trickle, it pours down like a monsoon!!!

Anyone and everyone who has a stake in this, and lets’ face it if you are a resident, land owner, home owner, business owner, vacationer or what not; you have a stake in this.  Please, contact our congressmen.   There  is Lynn Lewis on the local level, Mark Warner and Jim Webb on the state level and Scott Rigell and Bob Northam on the district level.  You can Google their names and all the information you need to e-mail them, call them or write them is right there.  Please do it today!!!  It only takes a few minutes to do this to save our way of life as we know it.

As far as Maddox Campground being sold…………..sigh, I can understand they want to sell.  Who wouldn’t want $7 million bucks?  The Maddox’s have worked and worked hard all their lives.  I know them personally.  They are good customers of mine.  My dad used to ride horses with their family up where the Piney Island housing development is now.  Wyle Maddox is the guy who made it possible in the first place to be able to drive cars over to Assateague.  The road leading to Assateague is named after them.  And now the possibility of that beautiful piece of land where many families have camped for generations could fall into the hands of the federal government is just hard to handle.  I hope that the Maddox family will have a change of heart.  I hope they will realize what will come of Chincoteague and the Eastern Shore if their campground is used for a parking lot, a parking lot that I feel will be very empty because no one in their right mind will gather up coolers, umbrellas, beach toys, boogie boards, beach bags not to mention little Johnny who is screaming his head off because his sister has taken his beach toy and lug all that to the beach on a trolley.  Oh yeah, I can picture the excitement of that right now.

Folk’s this country has gotten way out of line.  We are sending billions of dollars overseas to countries who want nothing but to attack and kill us.  Billions in aid to other’s because their government could care less if their people starve or not.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall other countries coming to our aid when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf States.  In the meantime, our seniors are choosing between buying medicine or food.  Our military personnel are coming home in flagged draped boxes and those lucky enough to survive have to come home and fight again to get the benefits entitled to them and their families.  A one term congressman gets benefits for the rest of his life.  Full retirement and pension and all that good stuff.  Our military personnel doesn’t, they only get a portion.  A portion!!  For protecting us and keeping us free!!    But no, we sent millions of dollars to Pakistan so they can keep Bin Laden comfy. How long do you think they laughed at us over that?  But leave it to the American Soldier to take care of it.  He or she doesn’t see dollar signs, they only see a murderer through the scope of that rifle and with two shots took care of what billions sent to them didn’t.  Disgusting isn’t it?

You know, I’m not very political.  I’m certainly not politically correct by no means.  I don’t like to tip-toe around issues.  It’s either black or white, right or wrong with me.  I’ve been known to vote Democrat and Republican and probably will continue to do so until someone gets it right, which I may never live long enough to see.  This country needs help.  We need to get off our butts, get out and vote and push for term limits so these yapping people of government know they only have a certain amount of time to do it and do it right.  We’ve become too lazy and too politically correct.  Just because someone out there doesn’t believe in God doesn’t mean you have to punish me for wanting to pray or have a nativity scene at Christmas.  I don’t try to tell anyone out there they can’t practice their religion.  You don’t like what I’m doing?  Don’t look. 

Our schools in this country are in a sad state.  No Child Left Behind Law?  Worthless.  A kid can be passed on to the next grade without even knowing the essentials of the last grade he was in.  When is the last time you heard of kid failing a grade and having to repeat it?  These days and times, it doesn’t matter if you can’t read well.  Our teachers are not permitted to take a lot of time with the students these days.  What our teachers are teaching on Monday, teacher s in that same grade everywhere are teaching the same thing.  Now that is a group of people who deserve every cent and more of their pay.  If you think their job is 8-3 everyday with summers off then try it for yourself.  It’s a 24/7 all the time.  And the politics of school are just as bad.  God has certainly been left behind in school; we threw him out and let all the bad stuff in.  All in the name of not wanting to offend anyone.  Don’t mind offending God though do we?

I’m sorry I’m on a roll with all this, I just had to get it out that we are a country in distress.  Both financially and emotionally.  We may not be able to fix the world or even the rest of the country but we can start here and we can start today.   This beach parking issue is not going away and we just can’t rely on a couple of committees to come and save us.  It’s got to be a collective effort on all our parts.  Please, contact, write or e-mail anyone in our government to let them know our concerns so we may be able to keep what little is left of the Great American way of life.

Thank you for listening.

Denise Bowden

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By Kate White

Co-Editor, Wild Pony Tales

If the two members of the Maryland Conservation Corps who gave a presentation on raptors at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge were looking for an enthusiastic audience they had to look no further than the first two rows of the auditorium.

It was the International Migratory Bird Day Festival at the Virginia refuge and two representatives from the Maryland Park Service had taken their Scales and Tales program on the road.

On the first two rows were members of the visiting O’Brian family from New Jersey. So when the presenters asked questions, such as what adaption meant and what was camouflage the hands of the younger spectators were ready and waiting. Their hands went up quickly followed by enthusiastic answers.

Erica McGrath told the audience the program she and her assistant, Samantha Ford, worked in was called Scales and Tales. Erica explained that what they do is take care of animals they find in captivity and mistreated or found unable to take care of themselves in the wild. Once in Sales and Tales  the animals and birds are treated for and taken care for until they die.

Sales and Tales is located at the Pocomoke River State Park, just north of the Virginia line.

The presenters were part of the program of events for the Bird Celebration held at the Virginia refuge. All of the events were held just outside or inside the Bateman Educational Center where visitors can buy gifts and find out what they can see on the Eastern Shore refuge which runs all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

So on May 11, people crowded inside checking out the different exhibits. (See separate story on the exhibits and artists.)

 In the afternoon, people began carrying cages in one by one. Guests were very curious as to what they were soon going to be doing. As more tourists and familiar faces arrived, a sign pointed everyone to a showing that was to be held in the auditorium called “Raptors,” featuring animals of prey and reptiles from the wild.

The host, Ms. Mcgrath, first presented a small box turtle. She said the cold-blooded reptile was run over by accident and was left on the side of the road. She told how these animals, do not sweat. Just like a dog, they have their mouths open breathing heavily to regain normal temperature and feel a lot cooler. The shell of a box turtle and any other turtle , is a form of camouflage. This coloring is called scoot. The color from a bird’s eye view makes it look like leaves on the ground floor. After years though, the coloring begins to chip off. It is also a part of the body that grows from the time it was born. The shell is attached to their body and cannot be taken off. To a turtle, the shell also works as a human ribcage.  

To tell whether it’s a girl or a boy, the trick is to look at the eyes. Boy’s have the dark red eyes but very rarely girls do get them and that could make everything confusing. So the most accurate way is to examine the belly of it and notice the lower bottom part. If the imprint looks like a thumb was there and pressed hard, that’s a sign the turtle’s male. For girls, the shell is more straightened and not as caved in.

At the end of the turtle section, a child asked the name of it. But it turns out that animals in the Sales and Tales program aren’t named because they feel it shows respect that they are from the wild.

When Erica pulled an Eastern King Snake from the bag, most of the girls pushed back in their seats. The children down front were only a few feet away. The way to tell it’s a King Snake, is by the marks of white trailing from start of neck to the end.  Most of the time, these snakes live up to 20 years total in captivity which is much more than in the wild, seven years. In the wild, they eat almost anything their jaws can fit around. Rats, snakes, and other reptiles are the main sources of this snake’s diet. To find food, their forked tongue goes in and out and takes samples of smells that determine heat.

The way it traps its prey is by constricting it slowly tightening the grip every time the trapped animal breathes out which is basically suffocating it. The King Snake is also immune to other snake’s venom unless it goes directly into their bloodstream. The stomach is so airtight that if they were to swallow venom it wouldn’t touch anything else and would be completely harmless to their body.

Next, a small brown owl with a bit of dark brown and specks of white was shown. The Screech Owl is the second smallest owl. On average, the weight is about 7.3 oz. Humans have seven vertebras in their neck. Owls however, have 14. That means their necks can turn a lot more than ours ever would. But it’s not true they can turn it 360 degrees. The most an owl’s head may turn is 270 degrees which gives the illusion its head can spin all the way back. Something pointed out to us was that on any owl their ears are not even. This deals with hearing different levels of the forest. the lower one can hear what’s happening below or farther down as the upper ear hole hears noises that come from high above them.

Also, the tuffs on their head that are commonly mistaken for ears are actually the owl’s eyebrows. They change the expression based on mood just as we do. When they are up, the owl is definitely alert and on guard. When they push down and droop, it’s possible they are either angry or sad. An apple core was thrown out the window of a passing vehicle and a wild animal, specifically a mouse, began to eat it. When the owl saw it, it swooped down and was hit by a wind gust estimated around 55 mph. It was unable to fly correctly afterwards and the wing still hasn’t healed.

The broad winged hawk they showed us was hit by a car with such impact, that the hawk’s jaw dislocated, ruined the eyesight and damaged the car’s siding. The eyesight is very important for a hawk especially because they have what’s called “binocular vision.” It involves depth perception which includes how far things are and how wide. With one eye it makes everything a bit more challenging when that’s needed to survive.

To catch an animal, they use speed rather than stealth as an owl does. The pressure they use with their clawed talons is more than 100 pounds. Human fingers only need to be attacked by seven pounds to break. A hawk’s beak keeps growing. In the wild, that can mean they have to stop eating because the top part grows so hooked the bottom cannot open. In captivity they fix this to make sure such a problem is not possible.

The last animal that was shown to us was a huge, white owl with black eyes. The barred owl is one of two owl species that have full black eyes. The other being the barn owl. Just as turtles and dogs, they have no sweat glands so breathing heavily with their mouth open helps cool them off easily.

A barred owl’s diet ranges from snakes and chipmunks to raccoons, mice and even smaller owls. Their wings unlike a hawk’s, are meant to be stealthy and as quiet as possible. Wings of an owl have serrated edges to stay quiet and talons that have 250 pounds of pressure with feathering on their legs as well. One wing on this owl was actually amputated because of damage to a wing. Wildlife officials believe it was an accident involving a car hitting it.

Scales and Tales is part of the environmental education program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Presentations can be seen at the Pocomoke River State Park. You can call 410-632-2566 for more information or email the park at jbitzel@dnr.state.md.us.

By Misty Thornton

Co-Editor, Wild Pony Tales

On an hot early morning on Assateague Island, VA, bird-lovers, park rangers and visitors gathered to enjoy a day full of family learning as well as some games and entertaining exhibits.

As we crossed the Assateague Channel Bridge to the beautiful island of Assateague, the air was moist and the sun was hot, but nothing was going to stop the excitement that was fluttering in the hearts of children and their parents. At the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge parking lots were filling up fast as people from all around came to enjoy themselves at the International Migratory Bird Day Festival.

Tee shirts and carving lessons were available just ouside the refuge information center, along with hotdogs and bottles of water.

Walking through the first set of doors to the information center four exhibits lined the lobby’s walls. Carver Bill Cowen had on display about 20 of his best power carved birds of all shapes and sizes from an arrangement of owls to a bright red cardinal.

Mr. Cowen said one of his birds made second best in the world at a competition.  As a carving teacher of about 30 years he said, “I love carving. It’s just something you can sit back, relax, and not even think about it. It’s like everything around you disappears and only you and your carvings are left.”  Mr. Cowen has a place on the island but mainly lives in New Jersey with his family and his business.

Then, there was an assortment of birds, ducks, and fish carvings on the next table done by Ed Kuhn of Onancock, VA., and there was also an exhibit that had photographs of birds, sunsets and wildlife taken by Robert Wilson.

The next exhibit was by Donnie Thornton. His had bird feathers with hand painted fine art on the front. He’s lived on the island all his life and painting feathers is just what comes natural. He’s been painting island houses, ponies, birds and plants on feathers for 17 years now. “When I’m not painting, I’m playing with my horse, Nugget,” said Mr. Thornton.

Inside the information center there was plenty more for visitors to experience. The conference room was the place for children. There was face painting, woodcarving for kids, experts to talk about birds and fuzzy, live birds that would later get center stage in the Scales and Tales program in the auditorium.

Coming out of the conference room and back into the main center, were two main exhibits. Residents Wayne and JeanBonde had on exhibit a large variety of duck stamps representing each year since 1934.

“The migratory bird stamps have been around since the first one in 1934. We decided to collect them which meant we had to go back and get all the other stamps in the series that we didn’t have from 1934 until 1977, ” said Ms. Bonde. “We went to stamp shows trying to find as inexpensive  used ones as we could fine. It took us a while, maybe about 20 years.”

In the meantime, in 1977, they started buying a migratory bird stamp each year which keeps them up to date. The older used stamps, 1934 up to 1977, are all signed by the hunters using them.  “It is a requirement,” explained Mr. Bonde, “if you are going to hunt waterfowl, that you have one of the migratory bird stamps signed by you in your possession for that year. From 1977 on, all the migratory bird stamps I have are unsigned.

Right now a migratory bird stamp costs $15. “They can also be used to gain entrances onto refuges and state parks,” said Mr. Bonde.

Further along in the information center was an artist, Jenny Somers, who had hand painted over 50 pictures. She lives on Chincoteague. “Every moment of free time I have I’m usually painting the scenery and the world around me. What a better place to do that then right outside of my home.”

There were exhibits of photographs and more paintings. One thing that attracted the most attention wasn’t an exhibit at all. It was the live eagle cam which brings the eagles and on that day just-born eaglets right onto a TV screen in the information center. The actual nest is high in the pines just off the Wildlife Loop. With visitors and Wild Pony Tales cameras looking on the first of two eggs hatched right before our eyes. Visitors were overjoyed to see the mother caring for her baby. The two eggs were special to the refuge staff because the first three eggs had been destroyed in a wind storm.  (See separate story on the site.)

When the excitement died down it was time for the Scales and Tales presentation where Erica Mcgrath and Samantha Ford from the Conservation Corp. in Maryland gave detailed information on their animals they brought with them from Pocomoke River State Park. Their animals all have been wounded at some point in their life and have been taken under the park’s wing. The animals included from owls, turtles, falcons and even an Eastern King Snake. (See a separate story.)

The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the National Park Service both hold events and programs for families and children throughout the summer.

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By Kate White

Right on schedule, to the pure delight of visitors who find their way to the live cam at the back of the exhibit area at the information center on Assateague Island, the eagles have returned to their nest, made repairs and are now sitting on two eggs.

People can stay as long as they want and many leave entries in the Eagle Eye, a journal where visitors can record a message, or like one child did, a drawing

The Eagle Cam has become a very popular attraction in the Bateman Center on Assateague, the place where many of the 1.4 million visitors to the refuge begin their trip.

Questions about the eagles can be directed to the visitor center through email at FW5RW_CNWR@fws.gov and by phone 757-336-6122. Other developments can be found on at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/chinco/

When the young eagles arrive in about five weeks visitors can see the parents taking turns on the nest and feeding their babies. But the menu will not be like anything a newborn might eat at home. For the eaglets it will be  fish, rabbits, snakes, duck, turtles and perhaps a piece of squirrel.

The habitat of the wildlife refuge is a wonderful area to have these birds because it has mostly what the eagle considers as food, said Ossana Wolff, a park ranger.  “Every once and a while we’ll see one of them bring up a whole fish to feed on, but most times they just cut it apart. They are very opportunistic.”

 The eagles spend most of their time in high places scoping out food from up in some of the tall loblolly pine trees that are found throughout the island.

Ms. Wolff is one of the newest park rangers. She originally came from the Washington D.C. area.  She attended Virginia Tech, and received a degree in Natural Resources Conservation. She helps out in camps held at the refuge throughout the summer.

The cam attracts regulars from the island of Chincoteague, Ms. Wolff said,  and also people who come in frequently time to time just to see the camera and check on the eagles. The storm a few months back brought this all to a halt and put the camera out of order. Recently, it has been fixed and the camera’s fans are coming back fast.

During the late days of January and the first days of February, the eagles lay their eggs, usually two or three. The waiting time for the hatchlings could take 35 days. Not all the eaglets live. The newborn has furry body with grayish-white skin and a smokey beak. At this time, their only protections are their parents. The offspring that lives are taught how to fly when they are two or three months old.

The comments left in the journal by guests go from the present to the first day the camera was turned on.

 Their nest looks to be about ½ an eagle body long and 3 eagle bodies wide, larger than It was a week ago, one visitor wrote. Here are some other comments.

1/11/11

Eagles both still building like they have a deadline to meet.

Eagles Cam Fan

1/10/11

Both eagles are on the nesting spot. The male seems to be calling the shots.

Eagle Cam Fan

1/3/11

Both Eagles are on the nest. They seem to be having a disagreement about a stick.

Eagles Cam Fan

Right now, the eagles are rebuilding the nest from recent destruction by the wind of the storm which was around 25 to 26 mph. They have recovered most of their nest recently in only a few weeks time, but it’s still not finished. “They bring back more bits and pieces of foliage of leaves and twigs when they return to their home, and it’s visible to see what they added that day that wasn’t there before”, said Ms. Wolff. “It is built higher than 55 feet.” What they usually do at the tree is keep watch over it and mess around with the nest packing it together, so it’s secure.

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By Robert Boswell

If you’re returning to Chincoteague Island for a visit, or just coming home after a day at work on the mainland, something will be missing. The old swing bridge is gone.

On Sunday evening, January 16 workmen from American Bridge Company lit up their cutting torches and prepositioned supplies and equipment and began to take the old landmark apart. The next day boat traffic was halted for 10 hours while the first section was cut up and lifted away by a giant crane.

Once boats could move freely through the opening, workmen, in mostly cold and wet weather, cut the remaining section up piece by piece until all that was left by Friday, January 28 was open space where the bridge had been since 1939 and the turn style.

Pieces of the steel structure and the roadbed were piled up by the crane on work barges and on nearby Marsh Island.  As the crane engine blew out black smoke and workers called out to each other, the sea birds and ducks that hang out along Chincoteague Channel floated along as usual, unaware that history was being undone right in front of them.

The control cab section and the gates will be used by the Town of Chincoteague either in a museum or located in Robert N. Reed Sr. Park along the waterfront.

The demolition of the bridge began soon after the Marsh Island spur to the new bridge was completed. The main bridge, that runs three quarters of a mile over marsh lands and the Black Narrows and Lewis Creek Channel was completed in the summer and officially opened at a dedication program on October 16.

The new bridges which cost about $69 million, have a draw bridge over the channel which will not have to open as often because some of the fishing boats dock on lower Chincoteague piers.

The original bridge was opened in 1922, when the John B. Whealton causeway was built and then replaced around 1939.

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By Misty Thornton

Each year thousands of pony lovers arrive on the island of Chincoteague, Virginia the last week in July just to wrap their eyes around the famous Chincoteague ponies, many for a whole week full of fun and sight-seeing.

The Saltwater Cowboys, almost as famous as the Chincoteague ponies, begin their work on Saturday, the week before Pony Penning,  with the roundup of the southern herd. Then, on Sunday they move to the northern range at the tip of the Virginia side of the island to round up the larger herd of around 100 ponies plus foals. Where the land is so much bigger than the southern range, it  takes longer to round the ponies up and put them into their corra l. The northern herd is less seen by the public because the access road, which runs 7.5 miles into the wilderness, is only open to hikers.

Both the southern and northern ranges are part of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The ponies are owned by the Chincotegue Volunteer Fire Company.

The swim which takes place on Wednesday of “Pony Week” is the event that brings 30,000 to 40,000 visitors to this small island off the Virginia coast, but on the last Monday in July what’s known as the Beach Run has become its own attraction. More than 3,000 visitors made up of  vacationers, pony-lovers and pony bidders line the Assateague beach early in the morning  to see the northern herd escorted along the Atlantic Ocean to the  southern corral on Beach Road.  This day is just the start of the  Pony Penning, a weeklong event.

This year’s beach run started off with traffic backed up just as visitors arrived on the bridge to Assateague Island before 6 a.m. because only one toll booth was open and collecting money. So everyone had to wait in a very impatient line to enter the island. When we finally got onto Assateague, the parking lot for the beach was packed.

Walking north from the parking lot, we joined the crowd in search of the perfect viewing spot. As we walked along the beach we saw family after family with their beach equipment, towels, water, binoculars, sunscreen,  chairs and anything else they could carry to help them pass the hour-plus wait as the sun rose over the Atlantic. Everyone was settling down in what they hoped would be  just the right spot to catch an early morning glimpse of the Chincoteague wild ponies.

One of these early morning families was from Maryland. Their family car wasn’t the regular car with the total of five seats in all. It was a strtch limo, with enough seats for the parents to carry all 10 of their children. “We always thought it would be nice to bring the kids here, and we’ve been coming for a couple years now,” said Tammy, the mother.

The wait was on but it wasn’t so bad. As the sun started to rise, the ripples in the water made it look like the horizon of orange and yellow was exploding into waves that crashed along the island sand. Children played in the ripples with their bathing suits on, and little ones dug holes into the sand to try and build some small sand castles.

After a wait of nearly two hours, at 7:30 a.m. the ponies appeared in a distance through light fog, all encouraged along by the Cowboys in a tight formation. As they passed, spectators cheered, most getting their first up-close look at a Chincoteague pony.

Except for a few “buybacks” the foals, even those just born, would not return to Assateague.  Most would be taken to new homes by owners who cast the highest bids at the upcoming auction on Thursday. Buybacks are a few chosen ponies that are auctioned off but returned to the herd.

The end of their trip on this Monday were the big corrals on the Beach Road curve, where all ponies from both herds and all their foals would spend the night.

Nestled by their mothers, the foals slept and nursed while the parents ate and drank the fresh water that was awaiting them when they entered the corral to join the southern ponies. Groups of ponies played and pranced about sometimes accidentally bumping into their mothers. Life in the corral would only last until early Wednesday morning, known as swim day, when the ponies would either swim or go by trailer lighting up the eyes of thousands who had come from across the nation to see them.