The last shadow an unsuspecting shad in the river might see is from the six-foot wingspan of an osprey as it dives in the blink of an eye to snare the unsuspecting fish in its talons. The white chested dark bird with a splash of white on its head, sometimes known as a fish hawk, always pauses to position its prey with the head facing forward; the bird with the hapless fish firmly in its grasp then takes off for its nest. In a day, a single osprey will catch more than five pounds of fish. Ospreys winter in South and Central America, sometimes flying 500 miles over open water to reach their winter range. Although most ospreys mate for life, they do not spend winters with their mates! The mating pair reunite in early March when they once again reach the lower James River, usually returning to the same nest. The male arrives earlier than the female and engages in ritual sky dancing involving a series of climbs to about three hundred feet and capped with undulating dives. This marks the male’s territory and attracts females if necessary. Chesapeake Bay is thought to be the most important breeding ground for ospreys in North America; osprey breeding is greatly aided by the construction of nesting sites on man made objects such as poles, towers, and pilings. Chicks hatch in thirty to forty days and can fly in about seven or eight weeks. In the late fall, osprey once again make the long flight south to where they will separately winter.

Hilton Connections

"Kevin Joyce and Mike Vest are the co-owners of Lionsbridge Football Club. The idea for the team was “born and raised” here in Hilton Village.  Mike and his family live on Ferguson. Kevin and his family live on Hurley. 

We started the club because we wanted a fun, affordable, family-friendly place to take our kids to see a professional-level soccer game. Not finding anything like it in anywhere Hampton Roads, we decided to build it here on the Peninsula. 

We play our home games at the CNU stadium. Every game is preceded by a 2-hour community festival with local food trucks, inflatable obstacle courses and slides for the kiddos and a craft beer tent for the grown-ups. After the game, the players stick around for a (socially-distanced in 2021) autograph session. On Saturdays in June and July, we have a post-game fireworks show. 

Several Hilton area families serve as Host Families for the college-aged players, many who come from all over the world to play for Lionsbridge. This year’s team has players from not just Virginia and all over the USA, but also England, Spain, France, Denmark, Holland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Slovenia. 11 of our former players have gone to play professional soccer." Thanks to Mike Vest for this overview.  

Game tickets are just $10 for adults and $4 for kids. The first of our 12 home games is on Saturday, May 22 at 7pm at CNU. The full schedule can be found at LionsbridgeFC.com/tickets. Hope to see our Hilton neighbors there!

Hey! Lionsbridge Football Fans!

We are putting together a small group of drummers to “keep the beat” during action at this summer’s home games at CNU. We have some old drums and of course, we gotta have more cowbells. More details will be coming, but if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Doug Baker at doug.baker213@gmail.com .

Participants get their own permit

Get the Greater Hilton neighborhood "scoop"

Sign up for Second Sat Drum Circle http://www.highnotesms.com/

9709 Warwick Blvd,

757-595-9643

Call for an appointment