A juvenile Upland Sandpiper was foraging this morning with Semipalmated and
Black-bellied Plovers, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a Ruddy
Turnstone north of Kiptopeke State Park. This species has become very
scarce on the Eastern Shore in recent years; I only see about one per year
now.
At Sunset Beach, the migration was very light this morning, with only about
10 each kingbird and Bobolink, and highlights limited to two Least
Flycatchers and the season's first Philadelphia Vireo. A single Northern
Flicker and 2 Baltimore Orioles will hopefully be the first of hundreds
there in the next few weeks. Wnds were very light overnight from the
northeast, not a good combination for flights here. The staff at the
Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR has checked the beaches all around Wise Point,
Sunset Beach, and Fisherman Island, looking for seabirds deposited by Irene,
but none were found.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, Va.
