Fisherman's Island
It’s February 25th on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Dead of winter. Overcast with rain in the forecast. Temperatures will top out at 45°.
Twelve VPPA photographers gathered at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge visitors’ center while waiting for the park rangers to start the caravan to Fisherman Island.
Camera gear? Check.
Rain gear? Check.
Hiking boots? Check.
The caravan moved as a unit through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel toll booth in surprisingly smooth order - then squeezed into the tiny grassy parking area inside the refuge boundaries.
Fisherman Island is located at the southern end of the Delmarva peninsula and the eastern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel surrounded by the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The island is covered with woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, salt marsh, beaches, and ponds (both fresh and brackish), and is a critical stopover for migratory birds.
Due to the fragile state of the species that inhabit the island part-time and permanently, the island is closed to the public. One guided tour is offered each Saturday from October through February. As an Eastern Shore VPPA member, I jumped at the chance to book a tour for VPPA when slots opened after a two-year COVID hiatus.
After a quick group briefing, our guide, Paul Tiffany, volunteer Eastern Shore Master Naturalist, moved down the sandy trail along the well-maintained path through the secluded marine forest.
Our guide – actually we had about half a dozen dedicated Master Naturalists – regaled us along the trail with stories of World War II bunkers, immigration quarantine stations, and wildlife, marine life, birds, insects, and botany.
At the trail’s end, we broached the sandy beaches along the Chesapeake Bay. We watched the ghost-like tankers and container ships, searched for seashells and driftwood, and posed for the requisite group photo. A light rain began to fall as we started our trek back to the parking lot.
Don Dickson was voted the favorite member of the day as he passed out rain covers from the stash in his gear bag. Chelle and Mark Winslow took the prize for driving the farthest. Having knocked over her tripod in the sand, Poppy wins for the most sand in her gear.
Over lunch at Sting-Ray’s at Cape Charles, the group agreed that a winter outing was just what the doctor ordered to cure the winter blues. ▪