My family did a quick trip to Chincoteague Monday and Tuesday. I was
able to squeeze in a bit of birding and picture taking. It was crowded
and very hot! Not much going on in the bird department...I did get some
decent birds at sunrise at the far end of the beach on the sound side.
All of the off road area is closed off right now due to the nesting
birds and won't be open until mid to late August. The wildlife loop was
unusually quiet without birds or waterfowl. We noticed the area on the
wildlife loop where the eagle's nest is located seems to have had quite
a few trees go down. We looked unsuccessfully to find the nest, so we
went to the visitor's center. The nest is still there with two young in
it and we watched the video feed for a while. We went back again, and
still weren't sure it was there....
Most all of the shore birds I saw were down at the far end of the beach
on the sound side at sunrise on Tuesday morning. I was excited to get
the skimmers. The Glossy Ibis were on the backside of the wildlife loop.
Brown Pelicans - along the ocean
Cormorant - 1 in the sound
Black crowned night heron 2 ( 1 immature, 1 adult)
Green Heron 6
Tri-color Heron. 3
Glossy Ibis 20+
Ospreys
Great Egrets-lots
Snowy egrets-lots
Blue grosbeak - wildlife loop
Black Skimmers 2
Willlets - 50+
American Oystercatchers 8
Little Blue heron
Pictures are at:
http://public.fotki.com/bhouston/miscellaneous/nature_pics/20110712-chincoteague/
Barbara Houston
New Kent, VA
