FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Eastern Shore, 11 August 2002

[BlkVulture@xxxxxxx]

Greetings...

On Sunday, 11 August, Eric Hynes birded at Chincoteague NWR for a couple 
hours, and also hit Willis Wharf and Oyster.  It was about ten-thirty or so 
when we arrived at Chincoteague, and bumped into Philip and Alex Merritt a 
few minutes later.  Nothing terribly special at the refuge.  Traffic was a 
bear, backed up to the first shoulder pull-off near Swan Cove.  Eric and I 
hoofed it the length of Swan Cove, but opted not to take the crushed gravel 
road north along the east edge of it.  

Seen at Swan Cove was a juv. Wilson's Phalarope, a different individual from 
the bird seen on 7 August by Sue Heath and me.  Other shorebirds included 
Semipalmated Plover (~300); Killdeer (1); Black-bellied Plover (8, most still 
in breeding plumage); both yellowlegs, with Greaters about a three to one 
ratio, maybe 40 birds total; a few Spotted Sandpipers; a few Ruddy 
Turnstones.  For Calidrids there were hundreds of Semipalmated Sandpipers, 
probably 75-100 Sanderlings, a similar amount of Leasts, and we only noted 
one Western.  There were also about a hundred dowitchers, with no really 
obvious looking Lomg-billeds, and only Short-billeds calling.  Worth noting 
is that there were probably a few hundred shorebirds seen in the northwest 
corner of the pool, but only the Black-bellied plovers were identified.  

There were eight species of tern on the flats.  Many Forster's, with maybe 30 
Royals (all banded), a dozen or so Sandwich (also all banded), a dozen or so 
Leasts, a few Gull-billeds, two Commons, three Blacks, and a single Caspian.  
One Skimmer was working the cove.  

There was a large number of Great and Snowy Egrets concentrated on the mud as 
well.  Probably 150 or so birds.  

On the south end of Chincoteauge Island we had one Yellow-crowned 
Night-heron.  On the causeway there were seven Whimbrel in the grass on the 
south.  Another large mass of Egrets and Herons here too, but not in an easy 
place to scope.  A single Bald Eagle was south of the causeway as well.

From Chincoteague we headed south and visited Willis Wharf, and then Oyster.  
Willis Wharf was a falling tide, and we had about fifty Whimbrel here, along 
with a few Oystercatchers, a couple dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers, a few 
Willets, and a couple Black-bellied Plovers.  Two Gull-billed Terns were on 
the flats.  A young Bald Eagle flew over stirring the Whimbrel.  

At Oyster we met up with Ned Brinkley, had a low-ish tide, but nothing 
unexpected.  Fifteen or more Marbled Godwits were around, perhaps a similar 
number of Whimbrel, a single White-rumped Sandpiper, Willets, Semipalmated 
Plovers, and a few Black-bellieds.  A couple of skimmers and Gull-billed 
Terns.  I think that's it, but I might be missing something.  

Cheers...

Todd

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Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
Culpeper County
Blkvulture@xxxxxxx
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