FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Birding in Nags Head

["Diane Bumpass" <dbumpass@xxxxxxx>]

I took my first trip to the beach since taking up birding.  I saw the following 
birds, none of which appear to be other than the usual suspects.  Gulls, 
pelicans and sanderlings were out in abundance with pelicans flying just above 
the water in small groups all throughout the day.  It was a quick trip, so I 
had no time to go over to the sound side.  These were what I could see in the 
company of my seashell seaking -- surf walking friends who were all quite 
patient with my new obsession.

brown pelican 
sanderling
willet
ruddy turnstone
great black backed gull
ring billed gull
laughing gull
mourning dove
blackbird

If any of  these seem unlikely to you for this area, let me know.  They were 
the best matches to my book.  I saw other gulls, but these three seemed to fit 
the descriptions I had.

Some of the blackbirds I saw had dark brown breasts, but were black everywhere 
else.  Any guesses on which species I might have seen?

Diane Bumpass