I spent the last two days birding Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore.
First stop Thursday morning was Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where I
heard the call of a LEAST BITTERN just off the west side of the dike trail. I
walked down to First Landing State Park and back, in hopes of finding a King
Rail, but no such luck.
I arrived at Chincoteague in the afternoon and drove the refuge's wildlife
loop. Some of the first birds I saw on the left around the first curve were two
male AMERICAN AVOCETS and a HORNED GREBE in full breeding plumage. The rangers
there informed me that the grebe and at least four avocets (two pairs) had been
seen there for several days. There are still many WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS on
the loop, and this morning there were some RED KNOTS out on the beach.
On the way home this afternoon, I stopped by Low Ground Road in Emporia to look
for kites (thanks to Rexanne Bruno for her recent eBird report on this
location). Three MISSISSIPPI KITES were present along this road between Little
Low Ground Road and Jones Road.
Great trip!
Wes Teets
Buchanan, VA
