Hi all,
Eve Gaige and I birded the Eastern Shore including Chincoteague on Wednesday
3/27 and Thursday 3/28 and spent the night in between in Chincoteague. In all
we logged in 123 species including quite a few highlights. Eve added an
impressive 16 life birds to her rapidly growing list and I logged in my 492nd.
On Wednesday we started at Sherwood Lakes in Virginia Beach and was successful
in finding the Pacific Loon as well as both species of Scaup, etc. We stopped
off at CBBT Island #1 (South Thimble Island) where we found Blue-winged Teal,
all 3 Scoter species, Long-tailed Ducks, an impressive group of at least 1,000
Northern Gannets, 7 Great Cormorants, Ruddy Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers, a
Lesser Black-backed Gull, and an early Caspian Tern that gave a really great
look, etc. Working our way up the Eastern Shore, we dipped on the collared
doves at Magotha Rd but did find 15 Pipits and a boatload of Yellow-rumped
Warblers. Farther north along Seaside Rd we were surprised by a Wild Turkey in
a field. At the Cheriton Landfill we didn't find anything out of the ordinary
but tons of ducks, coots, and gulls. South of Nassawadox along Seaside Rd we
found a pond with 2 Snow Geese and 1 Ross's Goose as well as a Great Cormorant
and a N. Rough-winged
Swallow flying nearby. At Willis Wharf we picked up Willet, Marbled Godwit,
Sanderling, Forster's Tern, etc. Along the causeway to Chincoteague we found a
group of Brant.
Wednesday afternoon at Chincoteague NWR we had 46 species. Highlight was the
continuing Black-tailed Godwit which was a lifer for both of us. What a
fantastic bird. Other notables included tons of ducks but nothing unusual (no
Eurasian Wigeon unfortunately despite much scanning of Wigeon flocks), Snowy
Egrets, Black-bellied Plovers, Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, the
continuing American Avocet, Marbled Godwits, Sanderlings, and Dunlins. At dusk
on Wednesday along the causeway connecting Chincoteague and Assateague Islands
we had 1 Clapper Rail calling as well as Northern Harrier and a Purple Finch
nearby.
At Chincoteague NWR on Thursday morning in 4 hours we had 66 species.
Highlight was the continuing Black-headed Gull. Other notables included tons
of ducks including Greater Scaup, Red-necked Grebe, 4 Glossy Ibis, shorebirds
(same species as seen previous day but we didn't see the Black-tailed Godwit),
Brown-headed Nuthatches, Brown Thrasher, and Savannah Sparrow.
Heading south on the Eastern Shore, this time we were successful with ticking
the Eurasian Collared-Doves on Magotha Rd as well as a flyby Merlin. At the
Eastern Shore of VA NWR we added a Tricolored Heron. Our final stop was a last
check of CBBT Island #1 (South Thimble Island) where we saw the same birds as
we saw the previous day except several species we saw the previous day weren't
present and Greater Scaup was present on Thursday but not the previous day.
A very exciting, productive, and fun trip. Thanks so much to Eve. Good
birding,
Gabriel Mapel
New Hope, Va
Ps. Eve and I heard and saw a very early Eastern Wood-Pewee near Palmyra this
morning.
