Yesterday morning, I joined a Cape Henry Audubon Society walk at Back Bay
NWR. It was a nice day, but quiet. A YELLOW WARBLER was easily heard, but
proved difficult to see. BLACKPOLL WARBLERS were seen in good numbers, a
well-plumaged CEDAR WAXWING was seen well, and a N. BOBWHITE crossed the
trail. I hoped for MARSH and SEDGE WRENS as well as LEAST BITTERN, but we
were unable to find any of these species. I stuck around after everyone
else left, but still was unsuccessful at locating these species. I did hear
one KING RAIL call briefly at one impoundment.
The impoundment, which I believe is between impoundments B and C, held some
shorebirds and egrets. There were GREAT EGRETS, SNOWY EGRETS, and LITTLE
BLUE HERONS there. Shorebirds included: SEMIPALM. PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER, SEMIPALM. SANDPIPER, G. YELLOWLEGS, S.-B. DOWS, and a SPOTTED
SANDPIPER.
I visited the beach at the refuge and saw 5 SANDWICH TERNS flyby. As I was
leaving, a flock of GLOSSY IBIS flew north overhead.
I stopped by Stumpy Lake in VA Beach, but failed to find any ANHINGAS.
As a side note, I went on a boat trip with my parents down part of the
Chowan River in Gates County, NC (just south of the state border) on
Saturday. Afterwards, I visited Merchant's Millpond State Park nearby and
saw several groups of fledged N. PARULAS. Interesting to see that local
warblers are already getting done with a brood while other warblers are
still in migration.
Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA
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