[va-bird] Chincoteague adventure, afternoon July 30/morning July 31

Greetings all,

We took a somewhat spur-of-the-moment birding trip that started at Bombay Hook 
NWR on Sunday, July 30 and ended at Chincoteague NWR and the surrounding area 
July 31. Part of our incentive was Ned Brinkley's Chincoteague report from the 
week before, and the fact it has been quite some time since we visited 
Chincoteague in the summer.

Yes, it was hot, and yes there were mosquitoes. The latter were most noticeable 
along the Woodland Trail Monday a.m. And, to top it off--there were no bird 
there to speak of. As long as we stayed out of the woods, the bugs were not a 
problem. The morning haze over the ocean on the 31st made it impossible to see 
a couple of hundred yards, if that, off shore.  

There were lots and lots of shorebirds, quite a few GLOSSY IBIS, more GREAT and 
SNOWY EGRETS, and LAUGING and HERRING GULLS, including juveniles, than we were 
willing to take time and count, several CATTLE EGRETS among the ponies as seen 
from the Beach Road, and CLAPPER RAILS (11 adults and five juveniles). The 
surprise highlight was a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO hunting for breakfast in an oak 
tree between the entrance to the Wildlife Loop road and the Lighthouse parking 
lot.

The Chincoteague list follows:

DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT
GREAT BLUE HERON
GREAT EGRET
SNOWY EGRET
LITTLE BLUE HERON, including a juvenile

TRICOLORED HERON
CATTLE EGRET
GREEN HERON
BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON
GLOSSY IBIS

TURKEY VULTURE
CANADA GOOSE
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
MALLARD
cooper's hawk ?

NORHTERN BOBWHITE (H along the Wildlife Loop Road)
CLAPPER RAIL
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
KILLDEER
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER

BLACK NECKED STILT
AMERICAN AVOCET
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
LESSER YELLOWLEGS
WILLET

WHIMBREL
SANDERLING
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
LEAST SANDPIPER
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (they must be on the move. There were quite a few here 
and at our other main stop)

LAUGHING GULL
HERRING GULL
GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL
GULL-BILLED TERN
FORSTER'S TERN

LEAST TERN
BLACK SKIMMER
ROCK DOVE
MOURNING DOVE
YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO

BELTED KINGFISHER
RED BELLIED WOODPECKER (H)
DOWNY WOODPECKER
NORTHERN FLICKER
EASTERN WOOD PEEWEE (H)

EASTERN KINGBIRD
BLUE JAY
CROW (SP)
BARN SWALLOW
CAROLINA CHICKADEE (H)

CAROLINA WREN (H)
AMERICAN ROBIN
GRAY CATBIRD
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (H)
NORTHERN CARDINAL

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
COMMON GRACKLE
BOAT TAILED GRACKLE
HOUSE FINCH
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH

60 Species at Chinctoteague, 81 for the trip

Good Birding to all,

Jay and Carol Hadlock
Herndon, VAGet more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : 
http://explorer.msn.com

Other related posts: