Hello all
This past Saturday Pat & I did a little R & R on the Eastern Shore . After
leaving home in Staunton we ran into rain some where near the Richmond area .
As we traveled we would run in & out of rain .We just got back this afternoon
around 4 : 30 & we added up 102 species of birds for the trip. After getting
on the CBBT we stopped on Island one around 12:30 pm . Here we found a good
number of Brant , Surf Scoter & Northern Gannet . Also we had about 15 Ruddy
Turnstone & about 10 Purple Sandpiper . Since we could not stop on the other
Islands we made our way to the Eastern Shore . Some where in between Islands 2
& 3 we saw hundreds of Bonaparte's Gull feeding . We made our way up to
Chincoteague where we stayed until Monday morning .We stopped at Ramp Road pond
& it had only a few Gadwall . On ward we went up Rt. 600 to look for the
Collared Doves , no luck . So we went up to Rt. 655 & where the trees & swampy
area is we found a large number of Yellow - rumped Warblers . In this mix of
yellow -- rumped we found one Gray Catbird & one Orange - crowned Warbler .
On the way up somewhere in between Exmore & about 3 miles north of Exmore we
had a total of 38 Wild Turkeys in several open fields . Here at Chincoteague
on Sunday morning we had Am .Oystercatcher on the causeway & late in the
afternoon on the north end of Snow Goose pool we had about 3 thousand Snow
Geese with one Ross's Goose mixed in . Earlier in the day on one of the roads
where you go to the Landfill ( there is a new housing development at the end of
this road) . On the brushy side we found a Winter Wren & Brown Thrasher along
with a few Savannah Sparrow's . A stop off at Willis Warf on Saturday produced
a Red -- throated Loon & about 125+ Marbled Godwits & on the return trip on
Monday we had a Common Goldeneye . As we crossed the CBBT on Monday we saw many
Great Black -- backed Gulls on the light posts as well as on the railings . In
between Islands 4 & 3 we saw an Adult Lesser Black -- backed Gull standing on
the rail . We stopped on Island one for lunch & as we were about to leave we
saw 5 Brown Pelicans fly north . While we were there I counted at least 135
Northern Gannets flying on the pier side of the Island .
Today we went to Jamestown in the Williamsburg area . Here we drove thru the
wildlife loop at Jamestown & best birds here were several Bald Eagles , A
Redheaded Woodpecker , about 5 Brown Headed Nuthatches & a Gray Catbird . All
in all it was a very relaxing weekend for both of us .
Pat & Allen Larner
Staunton
