Birders,
Sorry for the late report on yesterday at Chincoteague. Inspired by Ned
Brinkley's
astonishing report on his visit, I decided to go for it. I did not find Ned's
bonanza of birds, but had a fairly good variety, though numbers were much
smaller than his. Most of these birds were seen in the late morning at Swan
Cove; I waited until the Wildlife Drive was open at 3:00 to view the birds
there.
At Swan Cove I found numerous Least Sands with Semi-palms toward the
East end,opposite the visitor's center. Also two Pecs, a goodly group of
Black Skimmers (20 or so), plus a cluster of 8 White-rumpeds (a total of
13 was found), and, on the beach side (down from the parking lot) the
first Westerns (a group of 20-25), with more Semi-palms. Interestingly, at
the first location there were no Western's, and the second had no Leasts! Both
areas had
a plethora of Semi-palm Plovers (I guestimate close to 100 birds all told,
all day). About 50 dowitchers, griseus and hendersoni about equal in
numbers were out and about, plus a goodly number of Forster's Terns. Saw
two Red Knots, one a measley looking soul with red spots all over head and
breast, 3 Stilt Sands, and one each of Dunlin, Gull-billed Tern, Royal Tern,
Least Tern, Sandwich Tern and Black Tern ( 6-tern day ain't too shabby!).
Snow Goose was quite dry and quite empty save for a couple hundred Glossy
Ibis, lots of gulls, a dozen Short-Billed Dows, and the ubiquitous Canada
Geese.
I'd say the great majority of birds had left. The Causeway was not productive
either - lots of waders, more than enough Laughing Gulls and no shorebirds
except Oystercatchers.
Bev Leeuwenburg
Fairfax Station, VA
703-426-8904
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