[va-bird] Craney Island (Portsmouth) birding

I spent a few hours at Craney Island this morning.  About 50 Royal Terns 
were sitting on the west side.  The west side of the south impoundment has 
water now, but not many shorebirds.  I saw 4 Willets flying here.  The 
middle impoundment is very dry, but the ditch held a few Yellowlegs (Lesser 
and Greater).

The west side of the north impoundment was a good spot for shorebirds this 
morning.  More than 800 peep (all I could ID were Least Sandpipers), at 
least 200 Dunlin (breeding plumage coming in nicely), at least 150 
Yellowlegs (mostly Lesser), 1 Killdeer, and 8 Semipalmated Plovers were 
here, along with my first Gull-billed Tern of the year.  Unfortunately, I 
have not seen any Least Terns yet this year.

The north side of the east end of the north impoundment also was good for 
shorebirds.  I saw the same shorebirds species here that were seen at the 
west end, but in smaller numbers.  The birds were closer and I heard mostly 
Least Sandpipers ("creet" or "preep" calls) and a few Semipalmated 
Sandpipers ("twee doo doo doo" feeding calls).  I saw a lot of Least 
Sandpipers -- they were very muddy brown with yellow legs.  A few birds were 
very white below and grayish with black markings above.  They were standing 
in water, but when their legs were visible, I saw black.  I believe these 
were the Semipalmated Sandpipers.  I did not see any definite Western 
Sandpipers.  Both Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal were present at this 
spot.  I really enjoyed the teal vocalizations.  There was a nice flock 
(~30) Tree Swallows with a few Barn Swallows here as well.

Unfortunately, the American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts were not seen.  
They have been reported recently in the sightings log at the Craney Island 
office.

Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA

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