I visited Craney Island from 1420 to 1530 this afternoon. I saw 4
BLACK-NECKED STILTS at the southwest corner, near the edge of the marsh.
The middle and south impoundments (or cells) were quite full of water and
held few birds.
The only duck species I saw at Craney were MALLARDS and a small flock of
RUDDY DUCKS.
The north cell had a nice expanse of mudflats with a group of shorebirds
spread across the flats. Most of the shorebirds were peep, with SEMIPALM.
SANDPIPER predominating. A few DUNLIN, SEMIPALM. PLOVER, L. YELLOWLEGS, and
SHORT-B. DOWS were also seen here.
In a few water pools along the road on the west and north ends of Craney
were SHORT-B. DOWS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, and a WILLET. Single individuals of
GREAT BLUE HERON, GREAT EGRET, and SNOWY EGRET were also seen aong the west
side of Craney.
A group of ROYAL TERNS was resting at the west side of Craney, were two
individuals were mating. B. PELICANS, DC CORMORANTS, an OSPREY, and
LAUGHING, RING-BILLED, and HERRING GULLs were also seen in the same area. I
saw a few LEAST TERNS flying over and heard a HORNED LARK singing.
I saw Ruth Beck, who told me that A. AVOCETS had been seen earlier and that
her group had found a LEAST TERN colony. That is good news because I did
not see LEAST TERNS spending the entire summer at Craney last year.
Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA
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