Birders,
Having just arrived home and reading Harry Glasgow's report, I'd like to
add the following:
4 immature Piping Plovers, a real treat. Don't know where Mama was, but
the babies were
absolutely charming.
2 Western Sandpipers (at least). Nice curvy longish bills.
3 Black-bellied Plovers in heavy molt, looking a mite disheveled.
Short-billed Dowitchers (at least a dozen, didn't take a count. My bad).
Very dry conditions, drought-like, you could say. NO duckies. Not even
the Mallards that
were keeping company with the BB Whistling Duck which was also gone.
NO Canadas! Also no ponies, ergo no Cattle Egrets, which I don't think
are too plentiful elsewhere
in the state, though they seem to congregate sometimes during migration
down near Kiptopeke.
This day in Chincoteague was the follow-up to the VSO trip to Craney Island
on Sunday. That
was truly terrific, and my thanks to the leaders, Ruth Beck, Brian Tabor
and Bill Williams.
Good birds to you,
Bev Leeuwenburg
