After all the heavy rain, Fort Monroe's flooded fields are attracting a number
of shorebirds. This morning in the flooded mowed grass fields alongside the
"tarmac" I saw:
Black-bellied Plover 1 (breeding plumage)
Semipalmated Plover 4
Killdeer 16
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 14
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Sanderling 1
Least Sandpiper 10
Pectoral Sandpiper 9
I was busy scanning and counting, since the birds spanned the entire length
alongside the tarmac, when 15 police cars pulled onto the tarmac, flushing the
birds. Turns out the police academy uses the tarmac for high-speed driving
training. I had to leave, but the shorebird viewing was excellent and I suspect
there was much more had I been able to stay.
I probably can't return tomorrow, but if anyone is in the area it may be worth
a check for more interesting species. At a minimum the viewing and photography
conditions were excellent since you can really get close to the extensive
puddles. I was told tomorrow there will be no high-speed training!
Directions: Enter Fort Monroe and drive quite a ways north along the center
main road. Before the campground, to the west, is a long stretch of concrete
called the tarmac. The large grass areas all along the tarmac, from the
campground south to the small red buildings, are all flooded. Look for the
large loitering flocks of gulls and geese: the shorebirds were mixed in,
spanning hundreds of yards. It's best to approach from the east, such as
pulling into the small driveway by the small red "house."
Diana Doyle
m/v Semi-Local
Facebook.com/Birding.Aboard
