http://www.flickr.com/photos/34227153@N06/
Headed to the Eastern Shore this weekend with Dave Wendelken. Target birds were
Pacific Loon, Black Tailed Godwit and Black-headed Gull. Managed the first two
but struck out on the Black-headed Gull. The Pacific Loon was a lifer. Many
thanks to Elisa Enders for finding, identifying, and reporting this bird!
I did not get any sharp photos due to distance, poor lighting, and technique
deficits; however, I was able to get some nice comparison photos with the
Black-tailed and Marbled Godwits in flight and while feeding (See flickr link
above). There is also one fuzzy shot of Pacific and Common Loon together.
The Black-tailed Godwit is transitioning into breeding/alternate plumage and is
now sporting a rufous orange neck but the belly remains bright white. The sharp
contrast between belly and rufous neck/ breast was quite apparent even at
considerable distances and was (for me at least) the easiest way to find the
Black-tailed Godwit when viewing distant Godwit flocks. Of course this bird may
look quite different in the next week or two depending on how fast it
transitions into full breeding plumage. The white belly should be replaced with
dark barring and rufous. I checked multiple field guides and they vary
considerably in how much white will be retained in lower belly/vent -with the
Peterson guide "Birds of Britain and Europe" showing the most white and Sibley
and Geo showing considerably less. Perhaps they darken as the cross the pond:)
Alternatively and perhaps more likely is that this a difference in subspecies.
Our last stop late Sunday (4:00 -5:00 PM) at the CBTB Island one was excellent
with the wind kicking up and the sleet raining down hard, the Gannets were
dive bombing left and right and the Scoter flocks were larger and more active
then on Saturday. At the last moment we pulled a single White-winged Scoter
out of a flock of Surf and Black Scoters for a Scoter hat trick. Would like to
have stayed longer but we had a long trip ahead with lots of rough driving in
Virgil's
snow. It appears Williamsburg and Richmond are not big on snow plows.
best,
William Leigh leightern@xxxxxxx
Bridgewater, Virginia
Date Range "Mar 23, 2013 - Mar 29, 2013" Total Number of Species 64
Locations Back Bay NWR - CSY06 : CBBT--South Thimble Island (#1) :
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge : Sherwood Lakes Total Number of
Checklists 5
"Sherwood Lake
on Locksley Arch Virginia Beach, Backbay, CBTB, Chincoteague"
23-Mar 24-Mar 26-Mar 27-Mar 28-Mar 29-Mar
Number of Species 41 32 -- -- -- -- --
Number of Individuals 544 "1,306" -- -- -- -- --
Number of Checklists 3 2 -- -- -- -- --
23-Mar 23-Mar 24-Mar 24-Mar 25-Mar 25-Mar 26-Mar 26-Mar 27-Mar
27-Mar 28-Mar 28-Mar 29-Mar 29-Mar
Species Name High Count Sample Size High Count Sample Size
High Count Sample Size High Count Sample Size High Count
Sample Size High Count Sample Size High Count Sample Size
Brant -- 300 1 -- -- --
-- --
Causeway Chincoteague- several groups 200-300 birds est
Canada Goose 2 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
American Wigeon -- 4 1 -- --
-- -- --
American Black Duck -- 100 1 -- --
-- -- --
Northern Shoveler -- 500 1 -- --
-- -- --
Lesser Scaup 62 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Surf Scoter 20 2 -- -- --
-- -- --
CBTB
White-winged Scoter -- 1 1 -- --
-- -- --
CBTB
Black Scoter 10 2 50 1 -- --
-- -- --
"Backbay ocean, CBTB, Chincoteague ocean"
Long-tailed Duck 13 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
CBTB
Bufflehead 4 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Red-breasted Merganser 20 2 10 1 -- --
-- -- --
Ruddy Duck 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Red-throated Loon 1 1 X 1 -- --
-- -- --
"Backbay, Chincoteague"
Pacific Loon 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Sherwood Lake on Locksley arch Virginia Beach
Common Loon 4 3 -- -- --
-- -- --
"Sherwood Lake on Locksley arch Virginia Beach, Chincoteague, CBTB"
Pied-billed Grebe 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
C
Horned Grebe 4 2 -- -- --
-- -- --
Northern Gannet 200 2 10 1 -- --
-- -- --
"200- 300 at Backbay ocean very large contingent - ocean, and also CBBT in
smaller numbers "
Double-crested Cormorant 30 3 30 1 --
-- -- -- --
Brown Pelican 3 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Great Blue Heron 2 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Great Egret 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Osprey 1 2 -- -- -- --
-- --
Bald Eagle 3 1 5 1 -- --
-- -- --
Red-shouldered Hawk -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
American Coot 30 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Sandhill Crane -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
Domestic bird Chincoteague not on official list
Piping Plover -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
Chincoteague
American Oystercatcher -- 10 1 -- --
-- -- --
American Avocet -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
Chincoteague
Greater Yellowlegs -- 3 1 -- --
-- -- --
Willet -- 100 1 -- -- --
-- --
Black-tailed Godwit -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
"Swans Cove, Toms Cove Chincoteague"
Marbled Godwit -- 35 1 -- --
-- -- --
Chicoteague
Ruddy Turnstone 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Sanderling 2 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Purple Sandpiper 2 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
CBBT
Dunlin -- 100 1 -- -- --
-- --
Bonaparte's Gull 2 1 7 1 -- --
-- -- --
Laughing Gull 3 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Ring-billed Gull 40 2 -- -- --
-- -- --
Herring Gull 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Great Black-backed Gull 5 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Rock Pigeon 2 1 10 1 -- --
-- -- --
Mourning Dove -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
Great Horned Owl -- 2 1 -- --
-- -- --
Belted Kingfisher 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
American Kestrel -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
Fish Crow 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Brown-headed Nuthatch -- X 1 -- --
-- -- --
House Wren 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Back bay
American Robin -- 2 1 -- --
-- -- --
Gray Catbird 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Northern Mockingbird 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Eastern Towhee 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Savannah Sparrow 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Song Sparrow 2 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Swamp Sparrow 1 1 -- -- --
-- -- --
Northern Cardinal 1 1 2 1 -- --
-- -- --
Common Grackle -- 20 1 -- --
-- -- --
Boat-tailed Grackle -- 3 1 -- --
-- -- --
House Sparrow -- 2 1 -- --
-- -- --
