Another day at the seaside

An ultimately fruitless return to Chincoteague after news that the arctica Dunlin was seen last weekend but nevertheless an enjoyable day.

I explored further down the beach than I had done previously, it helped me find the first flock of smithsonius Dunlin of the day in the northern corner of the pool. It was a chilly NW wind but a spectacular beach-scape, feeling very remote with (for most of the time) no sight nor sign or anyone else. Alone that is, except for the company of Yellow-rumps! In many of the bushes (or what remains if them) there were groups of them. The bush below contained maybe 35-40 birds, some of which got a little agitated by a little light pishing.

On the sea, their was a little scoter movement and a few Gannet but the big difference from three weeks ago was the number of Loons. Several hundred flew south and, a bit later, many were seen on the sea, often just beyond the breaking waves. A nice, cleanly marked, dark Red-throated caught me again (as this plumage often does!), but it didnt look convincing enough to be anything else. A few Sanderlings and the odd Western? Willet paraded the beach and three adult Lesser Black-backed Gull  went north along the sand. The Willet feeding in the pool were deep-wading birds, a habit indicative of Western.

On the pool there were 14 Tundra Swans (and 54 from the wildlife loop later), a Cackling Goose joined a couple of the swans.

poor record shot of the Cackling Goose

Along the creek opposite the visitor center, a female Greater Scaup rested and eventually gave up a few decent photos

Female Greater Scaup, showing the white spreading to the inner primaries, and a good head shape

Later in the day an increasing passage of Bonapartes Gull was seen at first struggling to get good distant looks (a 'real' "SEA GULL"?) - I then found 40 odd on a mud bar in Tom's Cove, only for them to be found, on the rising tide, feeding alongside the roadside near the visitors centre....

1st W Bonapartes Gull, Tom's Cove, Chincotaegue, 12/4/10, digiphoned & cropped

The tide running away to a midday low tide didn't help keep the waders in one place as the uber-hide tides of last month must have. I check all the Dunlin that I could find but to no avail...

<Sure there was more to be written here....> !




On the wildlife loop, impressive numbers of wildfowl were constantly being shuffled by one  of the adult eagle. But that did give the oppportunity to hear the Long-billed Dowitcher flock (54!) calling for confirmation of their ID. At one point it looked like it was going to take a Teal but the duck escaped shortly before impact.
There was a huge flock of Tree Swallows over the water, I guestimated 750 although there was probably more than that.

An adult eagle about to shuffle several thousand Duck

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