[/caption]It rained this morning, so we went to Sam's Club and the mall to find me a jewelery box. When we left the mall, the sun was shining and it was 70 out! What a surprise to such a gray day! We figured we shouldn't waste a perfectly beautiful Sunday. I suggested going down to Sandbridge for a couple of hours. I forgot how much Sandbridge has changed...Big Condos EW! What happened to the pretty secret beach of Virginia Beach? I blame it on travel magazines and the news paper. I remember when I was a kid, the long road of awesome simple beach houses ending in a small park with Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. Now, you can't even see past the big eye sore of brightly colored condos at the end of the street right before Little Island City Park.
Still, Back Bay is absolutely breath-taking. It's hard to believe that we have amazing little spots in Virginia Beach like we do. I love this area! with the temperature difference being so great in the past couple of days, there was a very neat fog throughout the marshy refuge.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Layers of fog"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Backbay Fog"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Rain clouds rolling out"]
[/caption]We set out to walk the "Bay Trail" I was hoping to see a few Red Winged Black Birds, but I didn't. In my last condo there were Red Wings everywhere! Sometimes, on time! lol
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Bay Trail"]
[/caption]Back Bay Refuge has over 9,000 acres, situated on and around a thin strip of coastline of barrier islands found along the Atlantic coast. The refuge also provides habitat for a wide variety wildlife, including threatened and endangered species such as Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Piping Plovers, Peregrine Falcons, and Bald Eagles!
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Brian taking pictures"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="I can hear Swans! but I cant see them! darn it."]
[/caption]We headed back down the Bay Trail and Saw a few Swallows and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Yellow-rumped Warbler"]
[/caption]Once we got back to the parking lot, we decided to walk the Dune Trail down to the beach....Just to check it out.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Protect Natures natural barriers! STAY OFF THE DUNES!!!"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Windy foggy and cold Sandbridge"]
[/caption]There was a 20 degree difference! The wind was blowing so hard it felt like needles! We walked quickly back to the Jeep to get warm and head home. A great day!
please read my other post about Back Bay NWR - Back Bay & 9inches of snow!
