Mid-Atlantic Specialties Trip Report
May 6-May 9, 2000
(Click on the pictures to enlarge the image)
Four people enjoyed the rescheduled Mid-Atlantic specialties birding trip.
We started out Saturday evening and drove down to just south of Washington DC. After trouble checking out of the Comfort Inn - the clerk was clueless about the computer system - we headed out to Huntley Meadows.
This
freshwater marsh held Great Egrets, Solitary, Least and Spotted Sandpipers, Green and
Great Blue Herons. An adult Bald Eagle soared overhead and a Bank Swallow was
found amongst the Tree and Barn Swallows. The surprise find was a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Unfortunately
the King Rails were no where to be found.
Tent
Caterpillars were everywhere and as expected with this important food source,
plenty of Yellow-billed Cuckoos.
After a great lunch at the Polo Grill on Route 1, we headed down to the Great
Dismal Swamp. We did an evening foray into the swamp and had great looks at
Prothonotary and Hooded Warblers
.
The next morning it was back out to the swamp. We heard, but did not see, three Swainson's Warblers. Another Yellow-billed Cuckoo was spotted along with plenty of Prairie Warblers and Great Crested Flycatchers. A number of different butterflies were seen including the large black and yellow Palamedes Swallowtail to the small Spring Azure. A Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper was neat as well as the Southern Pearly-eye and Red-banded Hairstreak.
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The
afternoon took us over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. We had permission to
bird all four of the man made islands. At Island #1, Ruddy Turnstones were
common and some came right up to us, almost begging for food. The parking lot
had a Seaside Sparrow and the rocks held Sanderling
and late Purple Sandpipers.
The
find of the trip occurred on island #4 where we spooked up a Short-eared Owl from the
rocks! It was a weird site to see an owl, in the middle of the ocean during the
day! After the bridge Kitapeck Park had plenty of Brown Pelicans and Osprey. The
evening took us to Saxis Marsh that had plenty of Clapper Rails and Seaside
Sparrows, but no Black Rails.
The
next mourning Milburn Landing gave us looks at Scarlet Tanager,
Yellow-throated Vireos, Pine, Prothonotary, Worm-eating and Yellow-throated
Warblers. Pink Lady Slippers were everywhere in the woods. We ran into a snake
sunning itself on the path. From its quick movements we believed it to be a Black
Racer.
At
Chicoteague National Wildlife Refuge we had the usual looks at the ponies and
Sika Deer. Plenty of Boat-tailed Grackles were evident and we found Whimbrel on
the beach with Laughing Gulls overlooking us. Other finds at the refuge include Northern
Bobwhite along the road, Dunlin and Short-billed Dowitchers on the mudflats,
Purple Martin overhead, Brown-headed Nuthatches in the woods along with a young
Great Horned Owl in a nest. Later that night we heard, but did not see
Chuck-wills-widow and American Woodcock.
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The final day of our trip yielded Blue Grosbeak as we exited Cypress Swamp and Yellow-breasted Chat at Little Creek. Both Black-necked Stilt and American Avocet were at Bombay N.W.R. We ended up with 146 species for the trip.