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

["LEO SNEAD" <thesneads2@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In that area, too, if the blackbirds had very long tails, you could've seen 
boat-tail grackles.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Al Warfield<mailto:warfield101@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
  To: 
va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 6:50 PM
  Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Birding in Nags Head


  Diane,
  I hate to tell you, but birding is an incurable obsession.You are hooked for 
life!  Fortunately, it is a healthy, educational, and rewarding pastime.

  Immature grackles have quite a bit of brown and are seen this time of year. 
That is my best guess.

  Linda Warfield

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Diane Bumpass<mailto:dbumpass@xxxxxxx> 
  To: 
va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
  Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 5:57 PM
  Subject: [va-richmond-general] Birding in Nags Head


  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