[va-bird] Painted Bunting &c. at Cape Charles




The male Painted Bunting continues, largely in the morning (through about 
0930 or 1000 with regularity) at 9 Randolph Avenue, Cape Charles.  The female 
Rufous Hummingbird is also still present as of this morning, 25 March.  In 
town, the waters off Kings Creek were good for large flocks of Horned Grebes 
this morning (single close-knit groups of 74 and 45, plus about 50 singles 
and doubles scattered south to the harbor -- the largest number I've seen in 
this area since 1980, though such groups are common off the western side of 
Craney Island), and plenty of loons and scoters are still around.  At low 
tide here, 4-7 Atlantic Brant are often loafing on the sandbar off Cape 
Charles Beach, along with many shorebirds, gulls, and Brown Pelicans.  

In trying to track down earliest arrival dates for 2003 spring migrants, I've 
come up with the following partial data -- 

09 Mar: Pectoral Sandpiper (Remington area; Alex Merritt)
11 Mar: Purple Martin (Williamsburg area?; Dana Bradshaw; next record 13 Mar, 
Nansemond River, Suffolk; Les Willis)
13 Mar: Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Dan River, Danville; Jeff Blalock)
13 Mar: Broad-winged Hawk (east of Danville; Jeff Blalock)
xx Mar: Barn Swallow (LOCATION?; Dana Bradshaw)
xx Mar: Blue-winged Teal (Dulles Wetlands; John Drummond)
21 Mar: Yellow-throated Warbler (Williamsburg area?; Dana Bradshaw)
22 Mar: Louisiana Waterthrush (Great Falls NP; Alex Merritt)

Maryland has just had a Swallow-tailed Kite, so spring is surely here.  
Gnatcatchers, Cliff Swallow, Northern Parula, and other early warblers should 
be in soon!  

Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA 
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