On Brian Patteson's 16 August 2003 pelagic off Virginia Beach on the
"Bluewater Bullet", participants were treated to a nice juvenile White-faced
Storm-Petrel, as well as the usual late-summer regulars (455 Wilson's
Storm-Petrels,
many chummed in *very* close; 15 Cory's Shearwaters; 1 Audubon's Shearwater at
very close range; and 4 Red-necked Phalaropes). There were also five Fin
Whales, seen nicely, several family groups/herds of Short-finned Pilot Whales
seen
repeatedly, and a smaller rorqual that was probably a Minke Whale. Brian has
another trip coming up in three weeks on the same boat, a very large, stable
catamaran with good viewing decks and a helpful staff. In three weeks, there
should be more migrants (terns, jaegers, shearwaters & possibly something more
exotic) around. Water temperatures were in the mid-70s, and there was no real
Gulf Stream presence, hence the low numbers and diversity of birds detected.
Nevertheless, the trip was a fine one! (For more on Brian's trips, see
www.seabirding.com for details.)
On the Eastern Shore last Monday, an adult Hudsonian Godwit was found by Matt
Sharp, George Armistead, Alec Humann, Steve Hairfield, and myself in Snow
Goose Pool at Chincoteague, where 112 Stilt Sandpipers were on the first part
of
the Wildlife Drive and 88 Stilt Sandpipers were on the backside of the loop
there, along with several hundred Short-billed Dowitchers, plus a few dozen
Pectoral Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers and larger numbers of Semipalmated
Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers and both
yellowlegs. Juveniles of Least Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs had arrived in
small
numbers, and one White-rumped Sandpiper, a basic-plumaged adult, was on Swan
Cove, where Red Knot, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, and various terns were
present. Swan Cove's flock of Black Skimmers had, disappointingly, no
juveniles,
and a tally that day in farm fields from Townsend (Northampton County) to
Willis Wharf (Northampton County) of 56 Gull-billed Terns included only 2
juveniles
-- both species apparently had poor reproductive success this summer,
probably owing to severe overwash of nesting areas in June.
Locally in Cape Charles, the banding operation at Kiptopeke is back up and
running as of the 14th, and American Redstarts have been trickling through for
about 2 weeks now. Small numbers of Marbled Godwit and Whimbrel have been at
Oyster (as recently as this past Tuesday), but there have been no reports of
the white-rumped Whimbrel since weekend before last. Large numbers of Purple
Martin and Barn Swallow have been massing in the area in preparation for
migration to parts south.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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