Hi,=20
On Aug. 24, Lisa Shannon and I were at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and =
Tunnel islands 4, 3, and 2 (we came from the north) around noon. Very =
few birds were about. There were 3 Great Cormorants, probably first =
summer birds molting into winter plumage. An American Kestrel headed =
south, as did a flock of shorebirds that might have been Red Knots. =
Also we saw a couple of skippers (which I was unable to approach =
closely), a handful of Monarchs, about as many Cloudless Sulphurs, and a =
couple of dragonflies. On our way back north we stopped at the =
headquarters building of the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife =
Refuge and watched the dragonfly gathering over the observation pond =
area. There were a lot of Common Green Darners and Black Saddlebags, =
with lesser numbers of a red (presumed Carolina) Saddlebags, and Comet =
Darner. And four Glossy Ibis. We took a quick spin on the side road =
paralleling US 13 looking for Eurasian Collared Dove but did not see =
any. =20
On our way north back through Northampton County, among the many =
Cloudless Sulphurs flying above or along side US 13, I noted a large =
orange butterfly otherwise identical in shape, size, and behavior to the =
Cloudless Sulphurs. I did not try to relocate it, as I figured that =
would be impossible. I am thinking this might be a Large Orange =
Sulphur, of which there are only handful of records anywhere north of =
Florida. I do not think it was either an Orange Sulphur or a Sleepy =
Orange, both of which are smaller. =20
At Chincoteague NWR things were quiet Saturday through Monday, and as we =
were staying with non-birding friends we didn't do too much birding. =
Just as we were leaving the refuge Monday I spotted a distant bird that =
may have been a Baird's Sandpiper but there was no time to study it at =
length. A feeding aggregation of Ardeidae close to the beach road in =
Swan Cove on Monday morning was a joy to watch. We saw seven species of =
terns: Caspian, Royal, Sandwich, Common, Forster's, Least, Black, all of =
them in Swan Cove. A Red Knot was on the beach on Monday. We spotted =
just one Palamedes Swallowtail, many Cloudless Sulphurs, and other =
'normal' butterflies, but no orange butterflies of any description. =20
Best,=20
Rob Hilton
rhilton@xxxxxxx
Bethesda, Md.=20
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