[va-bird] Some Eastern Shore Notes, 29 November 2003

Greetings, 
As Ned Brinkley mentioned previously, the nearly adult King Eider and adult 
drake Harlequin Duck were seen off of CBBT Island 4 in a mixed scoter flock.  
Eric Hynes, Julio Cesar Gallardo del Angel, and I worked our way north across 
the CBBT stopping at all the islands, then spent a few hours in Northampton 
County as well.  We were joined for a couple hours by Sue Heath and Robin.  
Sort 
of like Batman and Robin.  Bumped into Larry Lynch and Lauren Scott on 4 too. 

The conditions all day were pretty tough with 25-35 mph winds sustained and a 
few gusts that were enough to change your direction while walking.  
Temperature probably never saw fifty, and more likely in the mid-forties all 
day.  
Every attempt at finding birds was influenced by the wind, in keeping our 
scopes 
unsteady, keeping sparrows down, and even making our binoculars wiggle quite a 
bit.

Other highlights from the Islands were good studies of the three scoter 
species from Island one, all immatures.  The three scoters were also seen in 
the 
flock that held the eider.  Only one adult scoter was seen all day, a Surf.  
Not 
too many birds other than gulls and gannets were seen flying in and out of 
the channels.  There were not large numbers of gulls in yet, we managed only to 
find a few roosting collections of a few hundred birds on each of the islands. 
 Not much focus was put on gulls, but we examined all the birds that were 
roosting of flying close by.  Only Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed, 
and 
Laughing Gulls were noted.  Great Cormorants were on Islands 2, 3, and 4, a 
couple at each.  Not many loons were seen, and all except one were Common.  
Three Greater Scaup were off the rocks at Island 1.  The only passerine we saw 
on 
any island was a Junco on 4. 

Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge (ESVNWR) was pretty tough 
birding.  Mostly we saw Song Sparrows, with a few Fields, White-throateds, and 
Swamps thrown in.  Seemed like a few others were lingering, but staying in 
the cover.  We saw about six Woodcock along the edge of the woods.  

We spent some time in the marsh at Magotha Road, and again the wind was 
trying.  We found a single Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, though not well seen. 
 We 
watched two young deer walk into the sound and attempt to swim to the barrier 
islands.  We left before seeing if they were successful or if they turned 
back.  Birds in the sound included a couple Common Loons, a few Horned Grebes, 
and a bunch of Bufflehead

The last place we visited was Willis Wharf, hoping that the high winds would 
prompt the Long-billed Curlew to come a bit closer to the mainland and enjoy a 
little lee.  Not to be.  Still, Willis was pretty good.  190 Marbled Godwits, 
320 Willets, two Short-billed Dowitchers, a hundred Dunlin, Killdeer, over a 
dozen Forster's Terns, a Common Goldeneye, Hooded Mergansers, Black Ducks, and 
the only Red-breasted Mergansers that we saw all day.  A group of six Tundra 
Swans flew across the peninsula and over our car was we were headed south and 
home from Willis Wharf.

Cheers,

Todd

-------------------------------
Todd Michael Day
Jeffersonton, VA
BlkVulture@xxxxxxx
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