Chincoteague and Chesapeake Bay
2010 Winter Field Trip
January 14-18

Forsyth Audubon had a great trip to Chincoteague Island National Wildlife Refuge, Blackwater NWR, and other parts of the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland over a long weekend from January 14-18, 2010.  Nineteen birders from Forsyth were joined at Chincoteague and Blackwater by local residents George Budd and Jack Collins, who were generous with their time and shared their expertise on local birds.  Despite some challenging weather, at times, the group found 111 species over the five-day period.

Chincoteague Birders by Don Adamick

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A highlight of the trip occurred on Friday the 15th when 16 of the group birded the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  The weather that day was unusually mild and helped in spotting birds typical for the area such as Greater and Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Great Cormorant, Bufflehead, Brant, Ruddy Turnstones, and Purple Sandpipers.  After the morning activity on the bridge, the group worked its way north by birding at Cape Charles, the Virginia Coast Reserve, and along the highways enroute to Chincoteague Island.

Saturday the 16th was spent at Chincoteague NWR where we were entertained by huge flocks of Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, and flocks of thousands of Red-winged Blackbirds.  The usual water birds were seen, such as American Wigeon (alas, no Eurasian variety), Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Dunlin and Great Egret, along with less-common Glossy Ibis and Wilson's Snipe and a pair of Peregrine Falcon.
 
The weather report for Sunday the 17th was unfortunately right on the money, but 12 hardy souls braved the elements and drove to Blackwater NWR and birded mostly from their cars. We were rewarded though with some good sightings of very tough Bald Eagles, over 25 of them, clouds of Snow Geese, including a number of the “Blue Goose” morph, and a few other species that we had seen elsewhere.  Nevertheless, it was a good last day for all.  We finished our activities with a count dinner on Chincoteague Island.  All agreed that the trip was a resounding success, with good fellowship and good birding in beautiful settings.

The group continued to count birds on the way home, as far as I-95, and some were rewarded with good sightings.  Phil and Mary Dickinson and David Shuford were able to find an elusive Ash-throated Flycatcher in Virginia Beach; several of the group had tried and came up empty, but they were rewarded with some good views of the bird.  Thanks go to Andrew Baldelli, local birder, who guided the Forsyth birders to the correct spot.

Don Adamick