Greetings all,
To borrow from Snoopy--It was a cloudy and stormy day at Chincoteague when we
got there around noon on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23. Driving rain and high winds
greeted us. We could barely see the island from the land side of the Causeway.
The water between the land side and the island was as high as we've ever seen
it. There were a few land birds flitting about what dry land there was, but we
could not tell what they were.
We headed out to the refuge and did start seeing some birds. As the day wore on
the rain let up even if the wind did not. By Friday, it was a "new day". Sunny,
with warming temperatures and decreasing wind, and lots of birders and bird
photographers on the refuge.
We did not see any Snow Geese on Thursday, but Friday was another story. Snow
Goose Pool had as many Snow Geese--we figure in the 10's of thousands, as we've
ever seen there. And with the cloudless sky, every time they took off, it was
quite a visual and audio show.
Birds we saw:
SNOW GEESE
CANADA GEESE
MUTE SWAN--1
TUNDRA SWAN
GADWALL
AMERICAN WIGEON
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
MALLARD
NORTHERN SHOVELER
NORTHERN PINTAIL
GREEN WINGED TEAL
BUFFLEHEAD--not as many as we thought we'd see this time of the year
RUDDY DUCK
COMMON LOON
PIED BILLED GREBE
HORNED GREBE
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
GREAT BLUE HERON
GREAT EGRET
SNOWY EGRET--very patient while being photographed
BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON
TURKEY VULTURE
BALD EAGLE
NORTHERN HARRIER
RED TAILED HAWK
AMERICAN COOT
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER
HERRING GULL
GREATER BLACK BACKED GULL
MOURNING DOVE
RED BELLIED WOODPECKER
NORTHERN FLICKER
BLUE JAY
AMERICAN CROW
CAROLINA CHICKADEE
HOUSE WREN
HERMIT THRUSH
AMERICAN ROBIN
BROWN THRASHER
EUROPEAN STARLING
YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER
EASTERN TOWHEE--(h)
SONG SPARROW
DARK EYED JUNCO
NORTHERN CARDINAL
The Wash Flat Service Road (opened to the public Thanksgiving week was closed
Thanksgiving Day but re-opened to traffic on Friday. The beach parking lots
were still closed off Friday because of the storm. People could walk out to the
beach.
Also, the craft show that is held this weekend (Friday-Sunday) had some very
nice carvings, art work, and photographs.
Good Birding,
Jay and Carol Hadlock
Herndon, VAGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download :
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