Apologies for the two-day old report, but I thought some readers might still
appreciate hearing about some of the birds Sarah Davis and I encountered on our
two surveys at the refuge. An all-time first for me was the sighting on the
bayside of a raft of 150 Pied-billed Grebes, clearly a migratory movement.
Later we saw another 30 birds scattered around the refuge impoundments. The
impoundments also held about 300 ducks, mostly Green-winged Teal and Northern
Pintail with a dozen Ruddy Ducks and a few Blue-winged Teal and Gadwall.
During the beach survey, six large white birds turned out to be Snow Geese
sitting on the beach among the gulls and terns. All were adults. Among the
Royal, Caspian, and Forster's Terns was a lingering unbanded adult Sandwich
Tern, while over the ocean was an adult Northern Gannet, our first of the fall.
Robert L. Ake
6603 Catherine Street
Norfolk VA 23505
I did an ABA Big Year in 2010 - If you'd like to review it, my blog is at
http://bobsbirds.blogspot.com/
