Chincoteague and Pea Island Birding Trip - 3

[Rowe, Richard A, 'Dick']

On the day of my arrival at Chincoteague and the Wildlife Refuge, almost everything was frozen over.  The harbor at Waterman's Memorial, the ditches along the beach access road, and Swan and Tom's Cove were frozen over.  There were a few spots of open water on Swan Cove and the Tundra Swans were congregated there.  The Snow Geese were roosting on the ice or in marsh grass.  By the end of Thursday, almost all of the water was open.  At the beach there were about 50 Tundra Swans, 300 Snow Geese, the usual gulls, and to my surprise a small group of Brants.  This is the first time I've found Brants at the beach/marsh along Tom's Cove.  On the ocean there were rafts of Surf and Black Scoters, a few Common Loons, and I spotted one Northern Gannet.  Sanderlings and Willets (only a few of each) were along the beach.  Overall, there were many Black Ducks and Northern Shovelers in the ditches and open ponds.  I must have caught Black-crowned Night Heron migration - I saw 4-5 along the ditches on the Refuge and over at Saxis I saw 10 in one tree.  The harbor at Waterman's Memorial remained clogged with ice all three days, so there were very few birds there: one Common Loon, 4 Buffleheads, and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls.  Interestingly, there was a flock of Brants along the road/standing in the road going to the harbor (they were there both Wednesday and Thursday.  Other birds/mammals that I found while wandering the Refuge: Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Fox Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Black-bellied Plovers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and many Yellow-rumped Warblers.

I've uploaded photos from the Refuge and other local places in Chincoteague, if you are interested.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vmibiology

Dick