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By Windy Mason

After 23 years working in the maintenance department for the Virginia end Assateague Island National, Ish Ennis was promoted to chief of maintenance last September 1; and took over the office at the Maryland Visitor Center, in charge of the entire barrier island seashore. Two and a half months later, the November nor’easter called Ida roared up the Atlantic Ocean and dumped 3 to 4 feet of sand on the beach, burying the parking lots.

Suddenly, Ennis faced the massive job of moving a mountain of sand around and coming up with a plan to restore parking in time for the coming summer beach season, when up to 1,000 visitors a day travel through the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to the oceanfront.

But Ennis is a voice of confidence. Not a sign of panic anywhere, even though the beach months are fast approaching. That’s because in his time Ennis has seen any number of storms. He had on his desk, with a 8×10 photo on the cover, a whole book on the Hurricane Isabelle recovery project, a storm that hit a few years ago. Bicycle racks and road signs in the photos showed sand levels near where they were after Ida.

But this year due to an unusually harsh winter, the beach parking lot recovery project on the Virginia end of Assateague Island is running about two weeks behind.

“This year we definitely had a rough winter. We’ve had a lot of pounding nor’easters that haven’t given us much relief,” Ennis said. “It’s been nor’easter after nor’easter,” said Casey Custer, the maintenance mechanic for the Virginia Assateague.

During the snowy season, the crew was doing its usual operational duties including snow removal and cleaning decks. In December and into January, plans were being made for the new beach configuration, devised by Ennis, the maintenance staff and Carl Zimmerman of resource management. “This week is the first week we are moving forward with any kind of construction,” Ennis said. “We’ve been excavating all of the old material out of the parking lots. We’ll reuse that material in the new configuration. Then, we’ll cap it all off with a couple inches of shells,” he said.

On Assateague Beach in Virginia, currently you will see high piles that are yellow. They look like sand, but are actually old, road base material. “We recover that road base and reuse it. Some of it has been used several times. It keeps costs down,” said Ennis. Around 9,000 yards of this clay road base will be relocated during the project. Sand will be moved to the east.

The parking lot, which is one foot deep, will be taken up. From this, material will be reused to fill the holes. There will be a one foot slope for drainage purposes. Above the road base material, there will be roughly 10 inches of sand and two inches of shells.  Also, out of this project, 150 to 200 feet of eroded asphalt will be taken up and replaced with shells.

“We’ll start in the turn circle and work south first,” said Ish. This is in contrast to the first plans for the recovery, in which parking lot one on the north was to be repaired first. “The area to the north, parking lot one, has not settled down. We are still getting substantial over wash there, “said Ennis. “By working on the south  lots first, this will provide more parking spaces by the busy season.” There are only 155 parking spaces in parking lot one on the north. There are 961 parking spaces in the southern parking lots. Once the area calms down, parking lot one will be made smaller and moved back according to the new configuration.

As maintenance chief, his new position covers both ends of Assateague Island, making him responsible for recreational beach facilities, producing a budget and acting as project manager in both Maryland and Virginia. Ennis, spends his Saturdays on the Virginia end working with the crew as well as taking the time to check in a couple of times during the week, while also maintaining his duties in Maryland. “The crew down there is flat out incredible,” says Ennis. “They’re working 10 hours a day, six days a week, day in and day out,” he said.

There are two loaders and one 25-ton off-road truck in use in the recovery effort now. More equipment has been ordered and will be in use during the peak of the construction throughout the month of April. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service crews are working together.  Jack Williams, heavy equipment operator, is acting supervisor on the project. Casey Custer, maintenance mechanic, and John Watson, are also acting as equipment operators. Jeffrey Oshaben, motor vehicle operator, is also on the project. Fish and Wildlife people involved in the project are Charlene Swartz, Jeff Marshall and Grover “Drizzle” Wilgus.

While providing an honorable mention for all of this crew, Ennis said,  “They go.”

“It’s a rush and it wears people down, There’s no doubt about that,” Ennis said. “The crew works because they know the impact they have if they don’t get it done. They’re motivated. They’re hearts are in it and they lose sleep over it,” he said.

The estimate for the project is still at $600,000 for the Virginia end of the island. Parking lots usually run $100,000 to 125,000 annually for general repairs after nor’easters and other storms, if none have to be moved. “This year, we’re going to move them back. The funding is being done by ERFO, Emergency Relief for Federal Owned Roads, under the Federal Highway Administration. This ERFO money comes through the National Park Service, which manages that fund,” explains Ennis.

The only ERFO funding is in Virginia. The money that goes into Maryland is not from ERFO.  It’s money coming from the regional office budget. After this year, there may be no funding to cover parking lot recovery. The ERFO funding is for roads. “They have been nice enough to give us that money even though it doesn’t provide for parking. They have said that after this year, we won’t get anymore money for parking. We’ll get it for roads,” said Ennis. “ERFO has been generous to us. They realize just how important the beach is economically to the area,” he said.

In comparison of the Maryland and Virginia ends of Assateague Island, Ennis said, “We have a lot more land base in Maryland. It’s not as impacted by high tides as Virginia. The Maryland district of Assateague  is not as vulnerable as the Virginia district. However, that’s not saying that we don’t have the same issues that we are going to have to address in the near future. It’s just we’re not as vulnerable at this time.” Just two years ago, there was a major move of a parking lot in Maryland.

The storm did hit the Maryland end of  the island pretty substantially as well. The estimate for the recovery process in Maryland is non-ERFO money and is $298,000, from which some will also go to Virginia. It’s not coming from the ERFO fund and will be divided up between Maryland and Virginia. “All of this money will have to cover the work being done, the shells for covering the relocated parking lots, and overtime for the work crew,” explains Ennis. Virginia was actually estimated at $549,000 for ERFO money.

“We will have some parking by April 4. We’ll make a point to open up something. Wherever we are, we will shell and open up, just like we have done in the past,” Ennis said.

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By Tammy Rickman

In 1839 English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote, “…the pen is mightier than the sword.” Though I suspect he coined the term with somewhat more purposeful intentions, they rang no less true for less intense purposes.

Not unlike Mr. Lytton, Marguerite Henry is famous in her own right for her stories of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands and the wild mustang ponies that roam freely there.

Her words have reached far around the world touching the hearts and souls of many, young and old alike. She no doubt had little inkling how mighty her sword would prove for both individuals and the islands. Her words became the substance of dreams.

In July 2009 one family saw their dreams of the islands, which sit snuggly off the Eastern Coast of Virginia, become a reality.

Anna McAllister 72, her four daughters Nancy Caiazzi 50, Susan Hughes 49, Patricia Stavdal 47, Janice McIntyre 44, and her two granddaughters Courtney Hughes 28 and Jillian Caizzi 12 made their way from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York to live out a childhood dream.

The girls grew up in Long Island, New York along with their three brothers. When Nancy, the eldest of the four, was about 10 years old Santa gave the girls a three book set of Marguerite’s books for Christmas including Misty of Chincoteague, Stormy Misty’s Foal, and Sea Star. Nancy said, “I loved reading and horses so the books were a perfect gift.”

Anna said she and her husband had decided to give the kids a book every Christmas as something they could keep over the years rather than always getting the books from the library. Nancy was “into” horses then so they bought the set of three books for the oldest three girls, Nancy, Susan and Patti, to share. Anna said she knew little about the story of Misty at the time. However, the girls quickly fell in love with the books and their animated conversations over the books led Anna to read them for herself.

From the moment they read them their imaginations bloomed and it wasn’t long before Nancy began talking about going to Chincoteague someday to see the ponies and the swim. With seven children vacations of that type were not easy and it seemed that it just never developed.  

Years passed and Susan said that she had found a new desire to attend the event when she was able to visit the Maryland span of Assateague Island several years earlier with two of her three children and saw the horses roaming the campgrounds.

In the fall of 2008, after many years of dreaming, talking  and saying “someday,” the girls began planning their trip as a surprise birthday gift for Nancy’s 50^th birthday.  Susan said, “After talking about it for years—2009 was the year we were going to finally ‘make it happen’.”

Nancy said her mother and three sisters knew that seeing the ponies and round up had long been her dream. On her birthday in February 2009 they told her it was about to come true. They had rented a house on Chincoteague Island for the week of the round up, and Nancy and her 12 year old daughter Jillian would be going with them, no excuses.

The group would spend the next few months in anxious anticipation and planning. Finally, after many long years and several months of counting down days, they began their trip south to fulfill a lifelong dream.

The girls would arrive in two groups. The first would be Janice, Susan and Susan’s daughter, Courtney. They arrived on Sunday afternoon, July 26, 2009, 4 days prior to the swim. The anticipation was building as they neared the island, a place they had desired to see for so many years.

Susan said as they crossed the causeway she couldn’t help but notice how calm and beautiful the water appeared before the fishermen who cast lines along the banks. However, the serene scene was soon interrupted by the swarm of gulls that had come out to welcome them to the island.

Once on the island they reluctantly put off checking out the island and visiting Assateague Island in order to pick up their rental key. Shortly after arriving they headed out to the holding corrals off Beach Road on Assateague Island. Susan said that as they stood watching the herds corralled there it finally hit home that they had actually arrived

That afternoon the first of several afternoon storms rolled through the sky. Following the guidance of a few locals they grabbed some takeout form Captain Zak’s Seafood and headed back to the rental to wait out the storm.

On Monday afternoon, July 27, the rest of the girls made their way across the causeway. “Crossing the bridge I remember just about shaking in excitement of finally visiting Chincoteague,” Nancy said of her first reaction to the event. She noted how different it was from the approach to Long Island which is filled with the feel of the city. The open space and marsh filled waters was a pleasant surprise.

The girls spent the next few days exploring the island, window shopping downtown, visiting Assateague Lighthouse and getting in some valuable family time playing games at the rental house in Smuggler’s Cove during afternoon thunderstorms.

They took pictures of the Misty statue and Misty’s hoof prints outside the Island Roxy Theatre. They visited the Beebe Ranch and attended the 84^th annual Fireman’s Carnival which Nancy said was smaller than she had expected. Her 12 year old daughter Jillian rode her first Ferris wheel at the carnival.

They spent many afternoons watching sunsets that set the sky ablaze and walked along Chincoteague Bay. The sunsets across the bay became one of their favorite activities. A few of them took a canoe from the rental house out into Chincoteague Bay. The group also took a sunset boat tour of Assateague Island and Tom’s Cove where they saw dolphins and other wildlife aboard the Assateague Explorer. Nancy said visiting places like the Beebe Ranch, carnival and Tom’s Cove was especially fun due to their parts in the books they had read so many times.

The girls had matching pink tank tops and sweatshirts made that read “Girls Round Up—Chincoteague.” Along with the shirts, they each had a different colored cowboy hat. Some even wore bandanas.  On Wednesday morning July 29, 2009 they donned their hats and tank tops and headed out at 5 a.m. for the event they had waited to see for so long.

Prior to that morning, they had scouted out the best places to park, facilities and the perfect viewing spot. What they had not expected was the mucky, marshy trek they would make to their perfect spot.

The ponies came ashore on a grassy beach near Pony Swim Lane. A boardwalk bridge that aids emergency personnel, cowboys and other staff to access the water and floating barges that help with the swim reaches from the lane to the water’s edge. When scouting they had used the bridge. What they had not known was that the bridge would not be accessible to the public the day of the swim.

Mucky marshes are part of the landscape of the islands. The area between the lane and the beach can be semi dry or soupy and swampy. The series of afternoon thunderstorms throughout the week had left the area looking more the bayous of Louisiana rather than the marshes of an island.

A large pool of murky, muddy water stood between viewers and the more solid ground near the viewing area. With hundreds of feet wading their way through the area and then back again, when someone needed to use the facilities, the ground was soupy, slurpy, and deep. In some spots one step left you knee deep in thick suctioning mud that was reluctant to let you leave with your shoes still attached to your feet.

The girls were not completely ill-equipped. Their outings around town, and conversations with locals had at the very least warned them that there could be mud and to find form fitting shoes. With that information, they had found shoes which stayed on their feet and allowed them to make it through the muck with their shoes intact.

Susan said they were glad to have “marched” through because it was all part of the experience. She also noted they had expected large crowds and long waits pre-swim.  She didn’t feel the crowds grew as large as they had thought, but then again they are New Yorkers and large crowds come with the territory. Had they ventured over to Memorial Park, they would have noted several thousand more people who had not marched through the muck.

The group enjoyed the wait with an Amish family whom befriended their mother and shared their chairs. Their anticipation grew as swim time neared and they waited to live out a once in a life time experience.

 Nancy noted that she had visions of what she thought the swim might be like from the books she had read. However, she was reluctant to expect anything for fear of being disappointed. She felt it better to just experience the events as they occurred.

She would not be disappointed. The excitement built as the long awaited ponies neared shore and finally gathered on the marshy shore to graze on marsh grasses and rest.  A moment the girls had dreamt about for years was now happening, and a dream became reality as the famous ponies of the childhood stories mulled around only feet from where they stood. Nancy even bought a chance on King or Queen Neptune. King or Queen Neptune is the first foal to step onto land after the swim. Tickets are sold for a drawing to win the foal at the carnival grounds after the swim. This year’s foal was a boy and so called King Neptune.

The excitement and emotions are not something easily described. The realization of a dream is a high nothing can duplicate, especially a dream so long in the making.

After the swim they made their way to the parade route. This is the route the ponies take after the swim and a rest down Pony Swim Lane and Main Street to the carnival ground corrals.

With their gear they attracted lots of attention and comments, even from one of the famous “Salt Water Cowboys” who yelled to them during the parade that he wanted one of those tank tops. “It was a wonderful Girls Round Up,” said Susan.

The girls went to the Auction on Thursday, but some of them missed most of the actual auction when they were distracted by a vendor selling souvenir photos of the swim. Jill and Susan spent some time watching an artist sketch some of the ponies through the corral fence, and watching the famous “Surfer Dude” and his newest foal prance through the corral.

Surfer Dude is one of the few studs who roam the marshes of Assateague Island. He is famous for his coat of amber and blonde mane and tail which gives him the illusion of a trademark surfer. The name fits with some irony given he roams the beaches and marshes of an Atlantic Ocean island.  Surfer passed his trademark coloring to a previous foal, a mare named Gidget and to his new off spring who will also roam the island with his father. The foal, later named Riptide at the auction, was one of the “buybacks” which are bought and then given back to the herd. Males are rarely kept, but Riptide was kept due to his father’s age.

Nancy said not seeing the auction was not necessarily a bad thing since she would have had to disappoint her husband by bidding on one after she had made him happy by informing him she had not won King Neptune.

Nancy and Susan said it was alright that they missed things like the Beach Run which brings the Northern herd down Assateague Beach to the corral on Beach Road to join the Southern herd, because it is reason to come back again. Prior to this event the Northern herd is corralled in a more secluded corral on the northern end of the island after being rounded up.

Courtney and Janice left on Thursday following the auction. The rest stayed through Saturday and enjoyed the cruise, Friday’s swim back to Assateague by the ponies and a day on Assateague beach to wrap up the week.

Nancy said just being on the island was magical and even overwhelming at times, like when visiting Beebe Ranch and seeing the actual mounted statues of Misty and Stormy. When asked what her favorite part of the whole experience was she said, “Seeing a dream become reality in the company of my mom, sisters, niece, and daughter was the best part of the trip.

Nancy’s mom Anna said that since returning home she has spent a lot of time telling the children’s dad, Jim, about the experience.  She has also promised to take him there in the not too distant future. She said, “I know he will also share my feelings, because over 50 years of marriage we have spent innumerable hours on beaches.  For us, it’s the best place in the world.” 

The beach has been a big part of the family life with dad an avid swimmer and lifeguard, each one of his seven children at some point lifeguarded and/or taught swimming lessons and now eight of the 16 grandchildren have followed suit.

Nancy, Susan, and Anna all mentioned return trips to see the round ups, beach run  and maybe even one of the spring or fall round ups that are used to monitor the health of the herd twice a year.  Who knows,  maybe next time they’ll even invite the boys!

Tammy Rickman is associate publisher of Wild Pony Tales.

The writer celebrated her 90th birthday in November. In the late 1980’s, she served as a volunteer and intern at several national parks, including the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Along with her volunteer duties, she found time to make use of her research and writing talents. This is one of a number of articles and trail guides she wrote. Following a chance meeting with Wild Pony Tales publisher, Robert Boswell, four years ago on the Chincoteague Refuge tour bus, she made this article and others available to the website.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was created for migratory birds in 1943 and is suitably located on the Atlantic flyway. The refuge is a major stopover and wintering area for waterfowl and spring migrations of shorebirds are tremendous, with the peak migration of songbirds through the area occurring during April. People often think of waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds as the most important of the migratory birds, and these birds are, of course, seen in large numbers at Chincoteague Refuge.

Songbirds, also neo-tropical migrants, visit the refuge in huge numbers in spring and fall. Prairie Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Yellow Warblers, Indigo Buntings and all manner of colorful, fascinating song birds spend time feeding and resting in the shrubs and maritime forest of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

Neo-tropical migratory birds are those species whose breeding areas and wintering areas span the Arctic and temperate areas of North America and the semi-tropical and tropical areas of Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Some of our migrants do not go to the tropics, wintering instead at the southern limit of their range and to the Gulf of Mexico. The golden and bald eagles and the Black Crowned Night Heron make these shorter, though potentially hazardous, trips.

Migration is a particularly stressful time for birds; therefore, food and shelter take on added importance. Storms can lead to the deaths of migrants. Power lines can be killers of owls and raptors. Oil spills kill or endanger water birds. Poisons such as lead and mercury cause indirect or accidental death. Birds collide with spot lighted buildings, and TV and radio towers. Migrating birds are adversely affected by the destruction of stopover sites. Development on the coasts and the filling in of , wetlands have been contributing factors. As these staging areas dwindle, birds are more densely concentrated in small areas. The food supply must then be shared by more birds and the high concentration of birds increases the possibility of disease spreading among the avian population and also increases the opportunity for predation.

Even shore birds that appear to be abundant (Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones. Sanderlings, Dunlins) may be in jeopardy because of their dependence upon a few sites that supply super-abundant food
resources.

The long distances between presently existing rest areas may be prohibitive for such birds as the Piping Plover and many of the sandpipers. Disturbance of the migratory pattern may cause some birds to arrive so late that they can raise only one brood although ordinarily they might be able to raise two or even three.

Although all species of birds do not show the same rate of decline, it is known that at least one hundred and fifty species of North American birds are in jeopardy. There is no quick and easy solution to the diminishing of neo-tropical birds as each species may present a slightly different problem. These varied needs suggest the importance of attempting to maintain as diverse a habitat as possible.

Neo-tropical migrants make up sixty to eighty percent of all the breeding birds in the forests of eastern North America. These songbirds play a critical role in the eco-system both as consumers and as prey. Their breeding range consists of over fifteen million square miles, yet their wintering grounds comprise only two and three tenths million square miles.

Deforestation of this winter range has certainly been responsible for a percentage of the decline of many species. It is estimated that the tropical forests are being lost at a rate of one to three percent a year. Some countries such as Costa Rica and Cuba have lost eighty percent of their original forests.

While this can account for some of the decline of our song birds, we in North America must bear some of the responsibility. The Breeding Bird Survey has reported continuing decline of song
birds over the past twenty-seven years. The decline appears to fall under the categories of out-right habitat loss as well as the degradation of habitat. Prairie fragmentation in North American has caused us to lose numbers of grassland birds such as the Bobolink and Dickcissel. Fifty-four percent of our wetlands have been drained, filled and converted to other uses. It is possible that the Midwest has lost
as much as seventy to ninety percent of its wetlands.

Fragmentation of the forests results in birds being forced to nest in small woodlots where they are vulnerable to predators such as skunks, raccoons, jays, grackles, snakes and house pets as well as to the parasitism of cowbirds. Predators thrive on the edge of the woodlands.

Brown-headed cowbirds once favored open country west of the Mississippi using the open prairie for feeding and social display. As forests were cleared, their range extended. Now they range over the entire United States. They are not nest builders, choosing instead to lay their eggs in the nests of song birds. Cowbirds parasitize at least one hundred and forty-four species of birds, most commonly Vireos, Warblers and Flycatchers.

Although they depend on other birds to raise their young, they are an extremely successful species, doubling their population in eight years.

The refuge, created in 1943 to provide habitat and protection for migratory birds is an excellent site for both migrating and nesting birds. The fresh water impoundments on the refuge are managed for the benefit of waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. Water levels in some of these impoundments are slowly lowered in April and May to provide ideal conditions for the germination and growth of plants suitable as food for waterfowl which migrate through the refuge in the fall and those which remain on the refuge all winter. The receding water levels provide excellent feeding opportunities for shore and wading birds.

A recently completed habitat enhancement project on the refuge involved the planting of Wax Myrtle shrubs along a portion of the Beach Road. This grassy area is regularly frequented by brown-
headed cowbirds. The wax myrtle will eventually provide additional habitat for neo-tropical migrants and reduce the feeding area for cowbirds. This effort may reduce the number of parasitized nests in the adjacent Loblolly Pine forest.

Since 1973, we have had an Endangered Species Act which allows the USFWS to classify a species as Endangered when there is imminent danger of its extinction. Those species likely to be in danger
soon are considered Threatened. There are also candidates for Special Concern: those known to have suffered losses but still awaiting formal recognition of the severity of their decline. The National Audubon Society recognizes the un-official impairment to a species. This group, thought to be in a decline, is named in a Blue List. Some birds appear to be doing well in many regions of the country, but are of local concern.

Plans for the recovery of breeding populations include the effort to restore habitat, the use of captive breeding programs with release as a goal (as in the peregrine falcon programs), the introduction of nesting boxes for purple martins and blue birds and the closing of areas to public use at breeding time for such birds as the piping plover. There is also an effort to assist developing countries in the use of their natural resources without the concomitant effect of destroying wetlands, grasslands and woodlands.

There is no quick and easy solution to the diminishing of our birds as each species may present a slightly different problem. These varied needs suggest to us that we should attempt to maintain as many diverse habitats as possible.

So why do we care whether we lose a few species of bird? People come first, right? Remember that canaries were taken into the mines. If the birds died, the miner knew that his own life was endangered. We are now looking at birds’ reactions to give us a clue about our general health as related to the environment. What threatens the birds also threatens us. Ozone depletion may cause Cancer and it may damage food production. Our water sources are already showing the effects of acid rain. Fish productions are limited by this. Rapid climate changes damage our agricultural systems.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

On a global and national level, we can support projects which fight against environmental destruction and encourage environmental diversity.

On a local level, homeowners who are responsible for small yards may contribute by providing shelter and feeding sites. A bird bath is a simple addition to the yard. Pools or clean stream beds large enough to support plants that grow in and around water are an even greater asset. If your municipality has no local “weed” ordinance, and if you have no driving desire to own a “perfect” lawn, you might plant native wild flowers and shrubs. Standing dead tree trunks also offer nest sites and shelter.

WHY DO BIRDS MIGRATE?

Over the centuries, people have been fascinated by bird migration. Why do birds migrate? How do they manage to locate breeding and wintering sites? In fact, for many years the mystery was where they went. Aristotle firmly believed that some birds hibernated in hollow trees or perhaps buried themselves in mud. One of the more fanciful notions was that they flew to the moon for the winter.

A theory held until fairly recently was the transmutation of species. People thought that one species disappeared and a different one appeared in its place.

Most people found it easy enough to believe that large, obviously strong birds, could fly long distances; but they doubted that small birds would be able to endure long flights and so assumed that the little fellows must hitch rides on the backs of larger birds or on ships going in the general direction of their destination.

Some birds make spectacularly long flights. some manage remarkable continuous flights without rest as others achieve unusual speeds.

Dr. Robin Baker, in his book “The Mystery of Migration”, makes this startling observation: “Every year, as the summer wanes, willow Warblers weighing only a few grams undertake a journey of 8000
kilometers (5000 miles) to escape winter’s rigors. In human terms, this is equivalent to traveling ten times the distance from the earth to the moon or 38,625,000 kilometers (24,140,000 miles)”.
Weather may be a triggering factor in migration but the underlying reason is surely to ensure food supply. Birds do not migrate unless they are ready to do so.

HOW DO BIRDS KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING?

It cannot be assumed that young birds follow older birds during migration because in some species, the young migrate at different times. Sometimes preceding the adults.

Although birds have excellent vision and could possibly remember landmarks, this doesn’t explain how young birds can find their winter homes on their first unescorted trips. It is probable that birds use a number of clues including sight, smell, and the earth’s magnetic force. Possibly they take bearings from sun, moon and stars and even have an ability to recognize home after an absence of as much as eight years. Beyond these things they may use a number of clues that we do not even suspect.

If migration is so stressful, why do birds persist in repeating this hardship? Migration makes it possible for birds to have the best of all worlds: abundant food in an agreeable climate while they raise their families and warm homes in winter, with rich food sources during their resting period.

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By Tammy Rickman

On Saturday, January 30, 2010, winter made its presence known to the islands. The storm moved in late Friday night and the snow began to fall somewhere around dawn Saturday morning. Weather reports were calling for somewhere between 8 to 14 inches, a rarity along barrier islands which lay just off the coast line of the Eastern shore of Virginia and Maryland at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

The snow continued to fall throughout the day and grew in intensity causing near whiteout conditions at about a quarter of a mile. As the snow fell, I ventured out and about taking what pictures visibility allowed, of scenes like the ducks huddled in large groups in unfrozen canals. The Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge gates were down so pictures and an investigation would have to wait.

Sunday dawned bright and clear. A crisp sharp wind blew and even though the sun shown bright temperatures never reached above 22 degrees. The scene was like something from a winter wonderland as evergreens hung heavy with heavy fluffy snow and the island was almost hushed in the early morning hours beneath a foot of snow. While taking it all in, the pristine…untouched hand of God, of nature, one became suddenly aware of how out of place it all felt.

A brief drive around the island found only more snow and out of place scenes. Hoping the refuge had been opened I headed out Beach Road and rejoiced when I found the entry gates in an upward reach and pushed forward. The scenes along beach road on Assateague were breath taking. Woodland floors were blanketed in a foot of fresh powder, evergreens hung heavy with fluff, and a quiet hush lay in the air…everything was fresh clean and new….

Wildlife ventured out into strange surrounding. Egrets tested ice sheets in the canal along the road and ponies grazed on tall grasses reaching through the snow. They looked oddly comfortable and out of place all at once. They created a beautiful scene in the snow covered marshes.

The beach was a mix of blown sand and snow drifts. A scene unlike anything I’d ever seen. Of course, I grew up in Mississippi. Walking was a chore at times because a light layer of sand covered portions of the snow creating an allusion of solid ground. As you attempted to step on the sand you sunk to your waist in a snow drift several feet thick. Wind and water created rippling effects in the landscape. Sand and snow mixed, mingled, danced, twirled, separated, and began the cycle over and over again as far as the eye could see.

Barrier islands are ever changing. They grow and shrink then rise and fall… their fate at the hands of the winds and waters that carve and shape them. The snow storm is just another reminder of how miraculous and surprising life here can be.

That said, the weather was not done throwing punches at us and the very next weekend February came roaring. Friday afternoon, February 5 a wet snow began to blow; occasionally sticking to the ground but not the roads or sidewalks.

Later, it turned to rain and the nor’easter dumped a couple inches of rain, melted snow from both storms, and caused some flooding.  Winds howled somewhere around a sustained 45 mph with gusts reaching near 60 mph. 

The winds blew into Saturday and temperatures fell, turning rain back into snow. The rain waters and melted snows began to freeze and the snow began to mount. The winds whipped the wet sticky snow and at times it almost seemed as if we had been transported to some foreign land in the middle of a blizzard.

Around 2  p.m. we lost power. Near dark the heat began to wear off. We opted to take a ride around the island before deciding whether to tough it out with the fireplace and wet wood or opt for a hotel.

We soon discovered that large parts of the island were out of power. The power company and Chincoteague Fire Department personnel were riding around inspecting the island. We decided riding around looking for down trees in a warm car was better than sitting in a cold dark house.

We did eventually find a tree down on Sunnywood and reported it about 8 p.m. but once they cut it down and tried to fire the power back up the lights flickered and then went out again. Somewhere in the blowing snow and darkness was another problem.

The snow slowed to a few floating flakes and I noticed the stars blinking brilliantly in a velvet black sky. The air was fresh and crisp and the world was quiet.

About 9 p.m. they finally found and fixed the problem and the lights went on and we returned home.

Sunday was clear and brilliantly bright. The sun sparkled on pristine snow. It seems Jack Frost is determined to make his icy presence known before giving way to a spring thaw. But if the weather forecast for the upcoming days are any indication, he’s not done yet….

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By Windy Mason and Robert Boswell

Taking into account the economic impact of Assateague Beach to Chincoteague Island and all of Accomack County, the parking lots buried under 3 feet of sand by the powerful November storm, will be restored for use by summer; paid for by the National Park Service.

Lou Hinds, manager of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, said the cost is expected to run $600,000, somewhat less than previously thought. Mr. Hinds said at a meeting with community leaders on December 14 he gave a slide shown presentation, “This was the first time a lot of them had gotten the chance to see the actual damage.”

 He said representatives of the park service attended and announced a plan for restoring the parking lots. Also involved in the decision was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The plan for lots 1 and 2 was to dig out the parking lots, pull the shell and clay out, put the sand back down, and then put the clay and shell back on top of the sand.” He said, “Instead of them always getting covered with sand, actually raise them up.” Lots 1 and 2 will also be moved back a bit from the shoreline to lessen the impact of future storms.  Three and 4 are to be dug out and remain as they were. Currently, there are 961 spaces in being restored for visitor parking.

 Mr.Hinds said discussion at the meeting was about making sure that whatever they do out there is sustainable in the face of sea level rise, and is responsible for the American taxpayers dollars.  “There was acknowledgment from the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and I that not only does the town of Chincoteague’s economic base rest on the national seashore, but also the entire Accomack County,” he said.  “There is a large tourism industry in Accomack County, and it is also based somewhat on this shoreline out here. We want the community to be part of the future development and planning for those parking lots.” Said Mr. Hinds.

“This was a storm of historic proportion for many communities, Chincoteague being one of them,” He said, “It has given the community an opportunity to talk openly about its future and not just the future of the community, but also of Assateague Island, and how we’re going to plan for our economic development into the future. My first responsibility is still to the wildlife here on the refuge but that responsibility is also in full awareness of the economic tie to the communities.”

Future plans will apparently include an alternative transportation plan. Mr. Hinds explained, “The alternative transportation plan is very close to completion and the partners, which are the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Town of Chincoteague, the County of Accomack, and Northampton-Accomack Planning Commission, are getting the different chapters to read as we speak.” “Once all of the chapters have been reviewed, we’re planning on having a full blown public meeting tentatively scheduled for sometime in February,” he said.

This alternative transportation plan is not simply talking about parking cars and transporting people to the beach. “That’s one of the alternatives,” said Mr. Hinds. But the plan may include offsite parking, biking, city or public transportation and possibly water taxies to move people around to different parts of the island.

Mr. Hinds said he expected some of the ideas to be met with resistance because over generations, we’ve been trained to take our cars to the national parks and wildlife refuges, and have been encouraged to do that. But we’re learning that this love affair with the automobile, which is really just a hundred years old, is not sustainable, said Mr. Hinds. “It was a great idea. It brought the national parks and the American public together. However, we are realizing now, after a hundred years, that it may not be sustainable,” he said. “If you make the parking at a remote location, and then the ride to the beach is an experience of the beach itself, people will say, ‘Wow! That was cool!’ And, that’s what we’re striving for,” he said. Mr. Hinds said that the experience will begin wherever that parking may be. He also said there might be a trained interpreter, and your arrival out there would be part of the experience of seeing wildlife, seeing the beach.

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By Tammy Rickman

For Mississippi girl and photographer, Tammy Rickman, this is a lot of snow.

On Saturday, January 30^th, 2010, winter made its presence known to the islands. The storm moved in late Friday night and the snow began to fall somewhere around dawn Saturday morning. Weather reports were calling for somewhere between 8 to 14 inches, a rarity along barrier islands which lay just off the coast line of the Eastern shore of Virginia and Maryland at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

The snow continued to fall throughout the day and grew in intensity causing near whiteout conditions at about a quarter of a mile. As the snow fell, I ventured out and about taking what pictures visibility allowed, of scenes like the ducks huddled in large groups in unfrozen canals. I made an effort to venture out to the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge but the gates were down due to an inability to keep the roads plowed as snow continued to fall.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear. A crisp sharp wind blew and even though the sun shown bright temperatures never reached above 22 degrees Fahrenheit. The scene was like something from a winter wonderland as evergreens hung heavy with think fluffy snow and the island was almost hushed in the early morning hours beneath a foot of snow. While taking it all in, the pristine…untouched hand of God, of nature, one became suddenly aware of how out of place it all felt.

A brief drive around the island found only more snow and out of place scenes. Hoping the refuge had been opened I headed out beach road. Rejoiced when I found the entry gates in an upward reach and pushed forward. The scenes along beach road on Assateague were breath taking. Woodland floors were blanketed in a foot of fresh powder, evergreens hung heavy with fluff, and a quite hush lay in the air…everything was fresh clean and new….

Wildlife ventured out into strange surrounding. Egret’s tested ice sheets in the canal along the road and ponies grazed on tall grasses reaching through the snow. They looked oddly comfortable and out of place all at once. They created a beautiful scene in the snow covered marshes.

The beach was a mix of blown sand and snow drifts. A scene unlike anything I’d ever seen. Walking was a chore at times because a light layer of sand covered portions of the snow creating an allusion of solid ground. As you attempted to step on the sand you sunk to your waist in a snow drift several feet thick. Wind and water created rippling effects in the landscape. Sand and snow mixed, mingled, danced, twirled, separated, and began the cycle over and over again as far as the eye could see.

Barrier islands are ever changing. They grow and shrink then rise and fall… their fate at the hands of the winds and waters that carve and shape them. The snow storm is just another reminder of how miraculous and surprising life here can be.

By Kate White

Co-Editor, Wild Pony Tales

Thanks to the efforts of the biologists and other staff members of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and those at other refuges, the fluffy tailed Delmarva Fox Squirrel, still on the endangered species list, continues to gain in population. Around 200 of them live on the refuge now.

But with mating season arriving in February and March, with young ones to follow in about 45 days, the refuge biologists want to caution drivers to be on the lookout for them as they scamper across roads and along the sides of roadways. As Joelle Buffa, senior biologist tells visitors about the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, she warns them to slow down and watch for the squirrels on roads throughout, the refuge. Three to nine squirrels are killed by cars annually. The first squirrel death this year occurred last week

 The Chincoteague refuge was one of seven sites designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for fox squirrel recovery, first in 1979. In the following years habitat was established or altered to help build the population and information was collected on growth rates, movements, age and sex.

Ms. Buffa said along with efforts to protect the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, staff members work to educate the public. She said they have anniversaries, events, and sometimes even go to schools to tell kids about them and show them how to trap one. This is done by refuge staff only for population assessment.  Ms. Buffa said the biologists and other staff members will spend the same time monitoring and managing for the squirrel even if it comes off the endangered list, which is a long process

The Delmarva Fox Squirrel has a large, fluffy tail. It’s frosty silver to slate gray with a white belly. Females weigh more than the males, but they can grow up to 30 inches long and 15 inches tall.

 The breeding season peaks in February or March, but older females may breed twice a year. Places you might see them are in pines, marsh and shrubs, especially along the Woodland Trail, a popular trail for visitors, and at the end of the parking lots near forested areas

The female raises her young alone, taking care of a litter of 3 or 4. The young are born naked and blind, with their eyes opening in about five weeks. The refuge has built small boxes in several locations which some squirrels use as homes and for giving birth. The small wooden boxes are mostly made for protection from other animals and the weather. The squirrels also nest in hollows and cavities in trees. The fox squirrel prefers to move about in open areas under trees rather than dense undergrowth. Some wooded areas have been cleared of undergrowth to provide the fox squirrel with their preferred habitat. In moving around, the fox squirrel usually climbs down a tree then crosses on the ground to another tree, rather than jumping from tree to tree like the gray squirrel.

Their diet consists of insects, fruits, seeds, and flowers which are located in small forested areas. But during the harsh winter, they eat harvested nuts and hibernate in pines, oaks, and maples until spring. They can be seen on the ground nibbling on small buds starting to bloom or varieties of fungi. They especially like pecans but snack on other small things including mushrooms.

     Pony Penning in 2010 will be held the week of July 26-July 30. The Swim will be Wednesday, July 28 and the Auction, the following day, Thursday, July 29. For full schedule go to http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/

  By Misty Thornton and Robert Boswell

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Here in the middle of winter on the Eastern Shore of Virginia may be an odd time to be looking ahead to summer and the grand event that is known as Pony Penning, which brings thousands to Chincoteague Island around the end of July. But actually the planning for pony week goes on all year long.

The ponies, unknown to many, are rounded up not only in July, but also in October, the fall roundup, and again in April, the spring roundup. No ponies are auctioned off at these roundups but Dr. Charlie Cameron, the long-time pony veterinarian, gets to see every one of them. The ponies don’t like it much, but Dr. Cameron makes them open their mouths anyway, and gives them each a squirt of worm medicine and other protections against the elements of living in the wild of Assateague Island.

The ponies also get to see the Salt Water Cowboys who come to the islands three times a year for the roundups.  

In July, visitors who plan to get up early Monday morning to see the ponies as they are herded along the Atlantic Ocean waterfront, or plan to get up even earlier to see them swim Assateague Channel on that Wednesday morning, might keep in mind it is the Cowboys who get up earlier than anyone. Their work begins on Saturday, two days before Pony Penning even begins.

The Cowboys, almost as famous as the Chincoteague ponies begin their work on Saturday with the roundup of the southern herd. Then, on Sunday they move to the northern range to round up the larger herd of about 100 ponies and foals. The Cowboys come from near and far places including Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.

All of them bring their own mounts in trailers along with hay, water, and riding gear. Some leave early in the week for what is an annual family event, meeting old friends and children of friends they have known for years.

Generations of Cowboys have ridden in the roundups. The current  July pony week came about after a string of disastrous fires in the Town of Chincoteague. The villagers realized their fire fighting equipment was seriously inadequate. In 1925 the town authorized the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company to hold a carnival during Pony Penning to raise funds.

That year over 15 colts were sold to benefit the fire company and the carnival was a huge success. Bolstered by the interest in the pony swim, visitors began arriving from across the country for the annual penning. The crowd in 1937 was estimated at 25,000. The increased revenue from the carnivals and auctions enabled the fire company to modernize its equipment and facilities, and in 1947 it began to build its own herd by purchasing ponies from local owners. They moved the herd to Assateague where the government allowed, publicly owned, not private, herds to graze on the newly established Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

That same year, 1947, Marguerite Henry published “Misty of Chincoteague,” the story that made Pony Penning internationally famous. A movie followed, as did several sequel books. The tale of the wild pony Phantom, her foal Misty and the children who buy and raise her has become a classic, still loved and enjoyed by each new generation.

As much as pony week has become an occasion they look forward to, no one should fail to realize that rounding up the ponies from the ranges of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in July is a hot, sometimes dangerous task in prime mosquito and biting bug territory.

The July roundup for Pony Penning can take place in extreme heat. The fall roundup, in October, and the spring roundup in April, can have unbearable weather conditions too.

Cowboy Tom Garner drives 250 miles from his home in North Carolina to get here, pulling Buzz in his trailer.

During spring roundup a few years ago a nor’easter moved in, he said in a previous interview. “In the morning we had thunder and lighting and by the time we finished the rain had turned to sleet.”  In the driving rain, he said, if you don’t keep your horse in motion he will turn his back to the wind. “It was the wettest and coldest I have ever been in my life,” said Mr. Garner.

Mr. Garner said he has been thrown off  twice because the horse’s hooves got stuck in the mud.  ”The job is definitely harder than it looks,” he said “Getting out there and just riding through marsh and grass sounds easy, but it’s not. Each step your horse takes you hear the sound ‘squish, squash, squish, squash’. Bringing in the ponies is a lot of work and taking them through the town, they seem to wander off every once and a while.”

But Garner, nor any of the other cowboys, would rather be anyplace else. “It’s a real honor, to ride,” he said, “and I enjoy seeing spectators enjoying the horses and look forward to it each year.”

Another veteran cowboy who has many stories to tell is Walter Marks, riding for some 28 years. Like so many other riders, he plans to keep it going in the family. His son, Tyler, now a 10th grader, is going to take the reins at the spring roundup as a full fledged Cowboy. Tyler has been by his dad’s side as long as anyone can remember.

The senior, Mr. Marks, a retired state trooper recalls being injured twice. Once was when ice caused his horse to rear up, catching his stomach on the saddle horn, sending him to the doctor.

About 20 years ago, a horse snagged a foot in the sand and “did a summersault on top of me.” That time he broke his leg.

The work of the Cowboys is not done when the ponies are herded into their pens. The northern herd is brought in on Sunday. At daybreak Monday, the ponies are herded down to the beach front and follow along what has become known as the beach run. The ponies are kept in a tight formation because some try to break out. It is often foggy this time of morning on the beach and quiet, except for the lapping waves. So the appearance of the cowboys with ponies in tow can be sudden. The first signal may be the crack of a bull whip, the sound used by the cowboys to move the ponies along. As the whole parade nears Beach Road, the road that runs all the way to the beach, applause breaks out from some 3,000 people who now turn out for this event.

The Cowboys move the ponies into the turn and continue up beach to the big holding pen on the curve. There, the northern herd and the southern herds are joined together, remaining there until the next step of their journey, Wednesday morning. Once again the ponies are moved across sometimes difficult terrain down to the water’s edge. At the first slack tide, the Coast Guard sends up red smoke signaling that the swim is underway.

That brings an uproar from the tens of thousands waiting on banks of the west side of the channel for this storied event to take place.

The wait can be long. To be assured of getting a decent view, people begin arriving as early as 5 a.m for a swim that may not take place for hours. This year visitors should check the latest word from the fire department and on the radio for the time of the swim.

No matter what time it is held, it is another very early day of work for the Cowboys. As the ponies swim over, with only their heads above water, they are watched over by Cowboys, fire department and medical staff. When they come ashore, they are steered into a holding area to rest for about 45 minutes before moving along to their final destination, the Chincoteague Carnival grounds on Main Street.

Many visitors take advantage of the rest to get a close-up look at these famous animals, even getting close enough to pet a forehead or two, but always under the watchful eyes of the Cowboys.

After resting, the ponies are again put into a tight formation and moved along Pony Swim Lane to Ridge Road, where thousands of people line the route cheering and just taking in an experience that bought them to Chincoteague from around the world.

The ponies, with a fire vehicle loaded with members of the press and usually a news helicopter overhead, moves slowly along Ridge to Beebe Road, turning right and going on to Main Street, turning right for the final leg of the journey to the carnival grounds where the auction will take place Thursday morning.

Every step the ponies take is aided by the Cowboys who watch out for people who get too close and see that the roadway is clear of people and vehicles.

The cowboys remain on the job at the auction, then Friday morning, the adult ponies and the few buybacks are marched back down to the Assateague waterfront and returned to the pastures they call home. Only then can the cowboys pack up their own horses and go back home, until the next roundup. ]

   Misty Thornton is editor of www.wildponytales.info and Mr. Boswell is the publisher.

I have lived near Assateague Island in Virginia all my life. Most of my ancestors were born nearby, on Chincoteague Island and many have lived there for years. I have visited them often over the years and have been to the beautiful Assateague Beach many times. 

But today I got to see a part of Assateague that was new to me. I got to ride 7 ½ miles into a wilderness seen only by a few of the 1.5 million visitors that come each year not only from all over the U.S. , but all over the world. 

Along the way, as part of a group on a small tour bus that leaves from the information center, I learned a lot. The driver, Mrs. Joanne Lapole, carefully told us about everything that crossed our path including a snapping turtle, a Sika elk, the glossy ibis, which is a long-beaked wading bird; the nesting boxes of the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel, Canada geese and the snowy egret. She didn’t mind stopping, or even backing up, for us to get a clearer view. 

Our guide told us about the history of the Chincoteague Lighthouse which is a favorite stop for visitors. She said that at the bottom of the lighthouse there was a village, the families that lived there had to change the candles that provided lights for the ships and boats that came along. 

Joanne has two other jobs. She is a county school bus driver and is a teaching assistant at Kegotank Elementary here in Accomack County. “I love my job as a tour guide,” she said, and my other jobs.”She is the mother of two daughters, 21 and 24. The wildlife tours are not without some amusing incidents. “When grown men ask me to stop the bus so they can go to the bathroom,” she said. They had better hope she stops near a large tree because, other than the woods, there are no bathrooms. All of the birds and animals we saw share this wilderness in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, with some pretty famous four-legged residents, the Chincoteague ponies. And boy did we see ponies. 

There were newborn foals, some sleeping and others bouncing along after their mothers. The older ponies were grazing and being themselves, only a few feet from us. Passengers are not allowed to get off the bus, but the bus has large windows that give everyone a great view. We learned from Joanne that the pony mares live in bands of six or seven that belong to a stallion who keeps a watchful eye on them. 

One colt came right up to us trying to figure out who these intruders were, looking at him through the bus windows. As we took photos he seemed to say, “Hey, what are you guys doing out here?” 
This colt and most of the others don’t have much time left to enjoy their freedom in the wilderness where they were born. On July 22 he will be rounded up with all the others and run into a large corral, where the next morning they will be escorted by the world famous Salt Water Cowboys along the sand of the Atlantic Ocean in front of several thousand anxious spectators. (See story, the Beach Run, on the story menu.) 

They will be moved into the corral on Beach Road to await the big day when they will swim Assateague Channel in front 30 to 40 thousand people. The foals, except for a few holdbacks and buybacks, will never return to their homeland, but will move on to new homes after being sold one by one to the highest bidders at the auction on July 26. Money from the auction, with some ponies going for $7,000 or more, supports the Chincoteague Fire Company. 

The ponies of the Virginia northern herd, not seen by most visitors to the islands, share a vast wilderness with other wildlife, including snapping turtles, Sika elk, white tailed deer, wild turkeys, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel and birds of all kinds.   On our way back we got to see a lone elk just springing across the shallow water of Chincoteague Bay near the shoreline. He went a long way before finally coming onto land just a little ways from us. There is just something about seeing an animal completely free in their natural surroundings that is hard to describe. These little elk are hunted, though, in the fall to keep their population under control.

 This was my first time on a tour, which is sponsored by the Chincoteague Natural History Association. This is a large organization mostly of volunteers that supports the educational goals of the agencies that run the national park. 

I had a great time with my friends on this trip, which took two hours, but it was not just a pleasure outing. I am one of the newest writers for this on-line magazine. So along with me were two other writers, Harley Gooldrup and Misty Thornton, and Robert Boswell, the publisher of www.wildponytales.info and our journalism teacher. Harley is a rising 8^th grader at Nandua Middle School here in Accomack County on the Eastern Shore.  Misty and I are both students at Arcadia Middle School where she is going into the 8^th grade and I am going into 7^th. 
      

For us it was a learning day, as Mr. Boswell calls it, with us taking notes and learning to use the cameras, especially the one with the 100-400 mm lens. As he tells us, we get to share what we see and hear with our viewers around the world. It is a good feeling to be able to do this, to tell people who may never come here, about this place so close to my home. 

If there is one more thing I want to say, it would be that if you are coming to Chincoteague, take this inexpensive bus tour, only $10 for adults and $5.00 for children. It is almost the only way you are likely to see the ponies up close in their natural, wild habitat. There are commercial boat tours that take visitors up to the shoreline where the ponies roam and sometimes you can see ponies from the southern herd up close, but not often. These tour buses are air conditioned, comfortable with big windows and the tour guides are the best. Just remember, use the restroom before you board the bus, two hours can be a long time.

I have lived near Assateague Island in Virginia all my life. Most of my ancestors were born nearby, on Chincoteague Island and many have lived there for years. I have visited them often over the years and have been to the beautiful Assateague Beach many times. 

But today I got to see a part of Assateague that was new to me. I got to ride 7 ½ miles into a wilderness seen only by a few of the 1.5 million visitors that come each year not only from all over the U.S. , but all over the world. 

Along the way, as part of a group on a small tour bus that leaves from the information center, I learned a lot. The driver, Mrs. Joanne Lapole, carefully told us about everything that crossed our path including a snapping turtle, a Sika elk, the glossy ibis, which is a long-beaked wading bird; the nesting boxes of the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel, Canada geese and the snowy egret. She didn’t mind stopping, or even backing up, for us to get a clearer view. 

Our guide told us about the history of the Chincoteague Lighthouse which is a favorite stop for visitors. She said that at the bottom of the lighthouse there was a village, the families that lived there had to change the candles that provided lights for the ships and boats that came along. 

Joanne has two other jobs. She is a county school bus driver and is a teaching assistant at Kegotank Elementary here in Accomack County. “I love my job as a tour guide,” she said, and my other jobs.”She is the mother of two daughters, 21 and 24. The wildlife tours are not without some amusing incidents. “When grown men ask me to stop the bus so they can go to the bathroom,” she said. They had better hope she stops near a large tree because, other than the woods, there are no bathrooms. All of the birds and animals we saw share this wilderness in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, with some pretty famous four-legged residents, the Chincoteague ponies. And boy did we see ponies. 

There were newborn foals, some sleeping and others bouncing along after their mothers. The older ponies were grazing and being themselves, only a few feet from us. Passengers are not allowed to get off the bus, but the bus has large windows that give everyone a great view. We learned from Joanne that the pony mares live in bands of six or seven that belong to a stallion who keeps a watchful eye on them. 

One colt came right up to us trying to figure out who these intruders were, looking at him through the bus windows. As we took photos he seemed to say, “Hey, what are you guys doing out here?” 
This colt and most of the others don’t have much time left to enjoy their freedom in the wilderness where they were born. On July 22 he will be rounded up with all the others and run into a large corral, where the next morning they will be escorted by the world famous Salt Water Cowboys along the sand of the Atlantic Ocean in front of several thousand anxious spectators. (See story, the Beach Run, on the story menu.) 

They will be moved into the corral on Beach Road to await the big day when they will swim Assateague Channel in front 30 to 40 thousand people. The foals, except for a few holdbacks and buybacks, will never return to their homeland, but will move on to new homes after being sold one by one to the highest bidders at the auction on July 26. Money from the auction, with some ponies going for $7,000 or more, supports the Chincoteague Fire Company. 

The ponies of the Virginia northern herd, not seen by most visitors to the islands, share a vast wilderness with other wildlife, including snapping turtles, Sika elk, white tailed deer, wild turkeys, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel and birds of all kinds.   On our way back we got to see a lone elk just springing across the shallow water of Chincoteague Bay near the shoreline. He went a long way before finally coming onto land just a little ways from us. There is just something about seeing an animal completely free in their natural surroundings that is hard to describe. These little elk are hunted, though, in the fall to keep their population under control.

 This was my first time on a tour, which is sponsored by the Chincoteague Natural History Association. This is a large organization mostly of volunteers that supports the educational goals of the agencies that run the national park. 

I had a great time with my friends on this trip, which took two hours, but it was not just a pleasure outing. I am one of the newest writers for this on-line magazine. So along with me were two other writers, Harley Gooldrup and Misty Thornton, and Robert Boswell, the publisher of www.wildponytales.info and our journalism teacher. Harley is a rising 8^th grader at Nandua Middle School here in Accomack County on the Eastern Shore.  Misty and I are both students at Arcadia Middle School where she is going into the 8^th grade and I am going into 7^th. 
      

For us it was a learning day, as Mr. Boswell calls it, with us taking notes and learning to use the cameras, especially the one with the 100-400 mm lens. As he tells us, we get to share what we see and hear with our viewers around the world. It is a good feeling to be able to do this, to tell people who may never come here, about this place so close to my home. 

If there is one more thing I want to say, it would be that if you are coming to Chincoteague, take this inexpensive bus tour, only $10 for adults and $5.00 for children. It is almost the only way you are likely to see the ponies up close in their natural, wild habitat. There are commercial boat tours that take visitors up to the shoreline where the ponies roam and sometimes you can see ponies from the southern herd up close, but not often. These tour buses are air conditioned, comfortable with big windows and the tour guides are the best. Just remember, use the restroom before you board the bus, two hours can be a long time.

 By Windy Mason

The thousands of snow geese and other waterfowl that each year take the Atlantic Flyway to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge where they feed and rest in the pools of fresh and brackish water, delighting the visitors who show up to see them each Thanksgiving, this year found their feeding grounds covered with deep salt water, forcing them to relocate to places further north on the refuge.

In the pounding that the refuge and the Eastern Shore took for three days, November 17, 18 and 19, when it seemed like the wind and rain would never let up, the Atlantic Ocean roared ashore, sending water overtop roads, and filling the carefully managed feeding impoundments with salt water, that was too deep to allow the ducks and geese to reach the plants and bugs they eat. The unrelenting storm also dumped three feet or more of sand over the beach parking lots.

Joelle Buffa, senior biologist at the refuge, came back to work the Sunday after the storm. “There was water in a lot of places that didn’t normally have water,” she said. “A lot of the Wildlife Loop was under water so I was unable to drive on it,” said Buffa. “In the pools where there are normally dabbling ducks, mallards and shovelers which like water between six and 12 inches, instead there were diving ducks, like ruddy ducks, which normally only like the deeper water,” Buffa said. “There were shorebirds feeding on the water covered roads,” she said. “The immediate reason that the birds left the ponds was because the water was too deep.” These ponds are starting to have ducks in them again, because the water is low again, she said.

Amanda Daisey, the refuge wildlife biologist, said the habitat alteration and structure damage, from the November storm was very similar to changes caused by hurricane Isabel in 2003 and tropical storm Ernesto in 2006. Daisey has been at the Chincoteague refuge since 2002. Daisey said when she was sitting in the briefing given the Monday morning after the storm by Lou Hinds, refuge manager, she thought, “Here we go again.”

On Wednesday after the storm Daisey and others surveyed Assateague Island by helicopter. “Viewing the refuge and all of its islands from the air gave me a better understanding and appreciation of how Virginia’s barrier island chain functions in a natural ecosystem,” she said.

There was apparently little impact on the smaller wildlife on the island, or the wild ponies.

Hinds said they had found a few dead frogs. The turtles, and other amphibians, are believed to have moved out of elevated salinity ponds, said Daisey.

There are 14 fresh and brackish water impoundments covering over 2,623 acres. Going all the way to the Maryland line, they were constructed on the refuge 40 years ago to provide wetland vegetation as forage for waterfowl and habitat for other water birds and wildlife.

Impoundments are pools of water formed by dams or pits, to supply water for wildlife, protect their habitats and to control erosion. Fresh water impoundments are rich in soil nutrients needed for plant food growth for the wildlife. Impoundment water levels are controlled to encourage the growth of these plants and improve overall impoundment vegetation for winter feeding, nesting and other wildlife uses.

“My biggest concern was the integrity of the water control structures,” said Buffa. “Riding up Beach Road, I could see the waves coming up and over into Swan Pond Pool. There was the concern that some of the infrastructure that keeps these ponds fresh water ponds was not in good shape to begin with and it was getting worse.”

“One of the reasons we didn’t open the service road for Thanksgiving was because of damage to the road, as well as the fact that we couldn’t get people to the road because the Wildlife Loop was covered with water, Buffa said. “The service road was also closed to staff, because too much pressure could collapse it,” Buffa said.

“When we realize that there is a storm coming, there’s certain actions we take with our impoundments,” said Buffa. “As far as opening up the water control structures so that the water can flow out into the ocean, prior to the storm arriving here, we had done everything that we could to lessen the impact of the storm,” she said.

Despite opening up the water control structures prior to the storm, these pools were invaded by salt water pounding in waves up Beach Road into the impoundments, creating lingering problems with elevated salinity levels in the fresh and brackish pools. The impoundments are inhabited by plants with limited salt tolerance including linear-leaved loosestrife, swamp rose-mallow, rushes, umbrella-grass and Virginia button weed. These elevated saline levels are a danger to the composition of the plants and insects necessary to sustain the coming growing season beginning in March.

“Almost three weeks after the storm, the water levels are returning to normal. The salinity, however, is still elevated,” Buffa said. “This takes a longer time to go down than the levels; because the salt water is sitting on the bottom, meaning that the impoundments are getting rid of fresh water faster than the salt water,” she explained. “They cannot just be flushed out really fast,” she said, “This is a lingering effect of the storm.”

“Right now it has less of an effect because it is not growing season,” said Buffa.

Eva Savage, Biology Technician is the primary person in charge of water level management on the refuge. She has the heavy workload of removing or replacing the boards on the water control gates that allows water to flow in and out.

The refuge, which attracts about 1.5 million visitors a year, supports wintering snow geese, canada geese, black ducks, mallards, green-winged teal, northern pintail, ruddy duck, tundra swan and many other species.

Assateague Channel and Tom’s Cove provide critical winter feeding habitat for brant, who use refuge impoundments for fresh water and resting. The snow geese also loaf and rest in the protected impoundments. Mute swans nest in the impoundments. The geese rely on vegetation found in the impoundments and grain in mainland fields for nourishment. The ducks eat bugs that live on the plants and in the mud, as well as seeds from flowering plants. The diving ducks eat fish and dive for clams.

“The biggest effect was on the snow geese,” said Buffa. “We had like 3,000 and then they went down to zero,” she said. “That doesn’t mean that they left the refuge; they just weren’t in the places that they usually were.” They kind of adapted,” she said. “Snow geese normally like fresh or brackish water, she said, “Snow geese reach their peak in November when some of the migrants are here and also some of the wintering birds.” “The migrants just rest here and then move on,” she said, “We have a fairly high wintering population here.” Joelle explained, “We didn’t see the November peak this year; because of the storm.”

Management of refuge impoundments also enhances this habitat for wading ducks, egrets, heron and ibis which frequent the borrow ditches. Glossy ibis, black-crowned night heron, green-backed heron, tricolor and blue heron, several rail species, and great, snowy and cattle egrets all feed in the refuge marshes.