A quick note from Chincoteague. I'm spending part of the week here,
enjoying the late summer weather and doing some bird watching.
Overall volumes of shorebirds are low but diversity is good. It takes long
walks to get to some of more birdy areas.
Late Wednesday, I found a Western Sandpiper hunkered down on the beach with
a flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Sanderlings.
Thursday, I biked then walked the Service road to the Wash Flats. About 10
miles round trip. The first half was deadly quiet. You can bike to the D
dike, then walk the remaining three miles (each way).
After the pony corral -- the birding got good. Lots of egrets, ibis, and
herons feeding along a canal. Then good flocks of terns including a black
tern. Shorebirds included large flocks of Greater Yellowlegs and lesser
yellowlegs. As other birds flew in, I caught views of pectoral
sandpipers. A merlin showed up scattering the birds. It hunted
unsuccessfully for a bit then roosted from a dead tree.
I made it to the dike between the south and north wash flats. A Lark
Sparrow popped out -- a nice surprise. Flocks of peeps and slightly
larger birds came in on the flats. Some were definitely White Rumped
Sandpipers (confirmed with photos) -- at least two appeared to be Baird's.
I saw two godwits from a long distance that might have been Hudsonian. I
later saw two Marbled Godwits closer up -- and they might have been the
same birds.
Ducks are starting to show up -- with Blue Winged teal (expected) and
Wigeon and Pintails (early?).
The hike back was long -- but the birding remained good.
Today, I walked the woodland trail and found seven warbler species (pine,
palm, b&w, magnolia, BTG, N. Parula, redstart), Red Eyed Vireo, YB Cuckoo,
A whimbrel was resting in Swan's Cove by the visitors center.
Late today, I and a friend walked south on the Tom's Cove flats. The big
surprise was a Wilson's Plover in with a small flock of Semipalmated
Plovers. Lots of large terns -- Royal and Caspian.
Photos and videos can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73831614@N00/
