VA Birders:
My daughter and I spent a pleasant two days in Chincoteague this past week.
Highlights included lots of Common Loons in breeding plumage, and also
Northern Gannets flying low over the water just off the beach. No Pied-bill
Grebes,
but at least one and probably two Horned Grebes in breeding plumage. No night
herons of either flavor could be found, but we did see all the other summer
herons and egrets, plus Glossy Ibis. Most of the expected dabbling ducks were
on the refuge plus a small flock of Tundra Swan and small flocks of Brant on
Chincoteague Channel together with many Red Breasted Mergansers and
Bufflehead.
It would certainly be nice if FWS put the "Wildlife Sightings" clipboard back
at the parking lot/entrance to the wildlife loop. Now that it is inside the
new visitor center (which is otherwise very nice) pretty much no one uses it
and it is basically inaccessible except when the center is open.
On our way home Thursday, April 8 we noticed several (3 or 4) Black-necked
Stilts just north of the causeway and west of the old bridges approaching
Chincoteague Island. There was too much traffic to safely stop so this is
basically
a "windshield sighting". Nevertheless, since these birds have not been
previously reported and are not yet on Sue Heath's Comp List, Val Kitchens
suggested
I report them.
Bill Cross
Arlington
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