Hi Birders,
Headed out to Hog Island WMA this morning in Surry County to look for early
shorebirds. There isn't a lot of available habitat with the lack of rain so
overall numbers were low. The highlight was two AMERICAN AVOCET in the
southeast corner of the refuge and a Western Sandpiper on the north-most
cell (found by Adam D'Onofrio). We also had small numbers of Semipalmated
Plovers and Least, Solitary, and Spotted Sandpipers. Four species of tern
were present, including good numbers of Least and a lone Caspian. Full list
below.
Good birding,
Frank Fogarty
Smithfield
Hog Island WMA - CSW04, Surry, US-VA
Jul 30, 2014 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.5 mile(s)
54 species (+4 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 15
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 2
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 5
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 15
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 20
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 8
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 5
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 6
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) 2 Two individuals feeding
with Snowy Egret in shallow creek. Distinctive, large sandpipers. Striking
Black and white plumaged, rusty wash on the head and odd, curved bills.
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 5
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 4
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) 2
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 2
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) 1
peep sp. (Calidris sp. (peep sp.)) 2 Distant birds. Probably SESA.
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) 3
gull sp. (Larinae sp.) 7 Too distant to ID.
Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) 25
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 1
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 10
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) 4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 6
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 3
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 4
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2
crow sp. (Corvus sp. (crow sp.)) 5
Purple Martin (Progne subis) 5
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 3
swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.) 10
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 8
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 50
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 5
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 12
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 7
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 4
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 8
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 30
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 4
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 10
