Hello all,
Bev Leeuwenberg and I made a day trip to Chincoteague and Saxis Marsh
today. We arrived at Saxis around 10:30 and were immediately innundated
with singing Seaside Sparrows and Marsh Wrens. However, despite an hour
search we were unable to find even one Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
Admittedly, neither of us is particularly familiar with their song so
that may have been part of the problem but we checked every bird we saw
sitting up in the open and they were all either Seaside Sparrows or
Marsh Wrens. The latter were delightful with their display flights and
chattering song.
On to Chincoteague where the tide was coming in along the causeway and
we found few shorebirds. We picked up a couple herons each for year
birds though. Into the refuge (yes there were Forster's Terns on the
bridge Todd), the ponies were right beside the road and they were
accompanied by a lone Cattle Egret in beautiful alternate plumage. It
was not however sitting on the back of one of the ponies. In Swan Cove
the water was as high as I have ever seen it and there was very little
shorebird habitat. Along the shore near the beach we found a flock of
Semipalmated Sandpipers with a few Pectoral Sandpipers, Short-billed
Dowitchers and Semipalmated Plovers mixed in. We drove to the end of
the beach where the ORV zone starts and quickly found a Piping Plover on
nest. The big wire cage around it was our first clue :-). From there
we walked the beach hoping for a Whimbrel or Red Knot but found none.
There were a couple more Piping Plovers on nests further down in the
bird nesting area, many Least Terns, a few Black Skimmers and at least
one oystercatcher. We found many Sanderlings still hanging around, some
in full alternate plumage but nothing more exciting than that. Back in
the car as we were driving back to the shorebird spot on Swan Cove, we
noticed a large area adjacent to one of the parking lots and between the
parking lot and the beach taped off with yellow tape and marked with
bird nesting signs. Sure enough smack dab in the middle of it was an
oystercatcher on a nest. Back at the shorebird spot, a Dunlin and a
Greater Yellowlegs had arrived. The Dunlin was pretty stunning with
his/her black belly and bright red plumage.
By now it was 3:00 so we drove the wildlife loop. It too was
overflowing with water and we didn't find any shorebirds until we got
the far side. There were a bunch of Glossy Ibis but none showed red
legs or substantial white around the face. The shorebirds were mostly
Semipalmated Sandipers with some more Dunlin and Short-billed
Dowitchers. Time to head home then after a quick stop for ice cream at
the Island Creamery.
Turtles moved off the road = 2 (could have been 3 but I decided to let
the large snapping turtle walk the edge at his own risk!)
Snakes moved off the road = 1
Sue
--
Susan A. Heath
George Mason University
Environmental Science Department
Fairfax, VA
Secretary, Virginia Avian Records Committee
Keeper, Virginia Comp List at www.virginiabirding.org
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