Brigantine 7/28--Black-bellied Whistling Duck, American White Pelican, Western Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Royal Tern, White-eyed Vireo (Whew!)

Searing heat, 100% humidity, violent, soaking thunderstorms, and biting flies--what a great day to be at Brig! 3 go-rounds of the wildlife loop, 2 on a field trip led by Pete Bacinski with Scott Barnes & Linda Mack, yielded many rarities (Black-bellied Whistling Duck, American White Pelican, Snow Goose, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Lesser Black-backed Gull, & Dickcissel), as well as a few other first of year birds (Stilt Sandpiper, Royal Tern and White-eyed Vireo).

American White Pelican
Photo: Shari Zirlin

Aside from the Snow Goose, which I found myself on the 2nd trip once I knew where it had been seen, and the pelican, which is gigantic and hard to miss when it is out in the open, I doubt if I'd would have identified or even noticed the other birds--maybe the BBWD because that one was the one I most wanted to see and we were looking hard--but certainly not the sandpipers mixed in among the thousand peeps. It really is a joy to bird with and learn from great birders. And one of the techniques I'm constantly relearning is to have enough patience to look carefully. 

Caspian Tern with Juvenile
Photo: Shari Zirlin

I had 73 species for the day; Shari saw a couple of others, including Brown Thrasher which I traditionally miss when she sees one. The group as a whole had 104 or 105 species. Some were seen before we got there and some just zipped by or I missed hearing them. I did see all the "marquee birds" so I'm extremely happy with the 8 hours we spent battling nature.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  1    With flock of black ducks near Peregrine Tower
Snow Goose  1    with Canada Geese near Peregrine Tower
Canada Goose  150
Mute Swan  12
American Black Duck  12
Double-crested Cormorant  25    Flock sitting on old fish factory
American White Pelican  1    NW Pool. 
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  100
Snowy Egret  50
Little Blue Heron  1    Gull Pond. Juvenile. Almost all white with just some smudging. Grayish bill
Tricolored Heron  1
Green Heron  1    Gull Pond
Black-crowned Night-Heron  4
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  1    At start of Wildlife Drive
Glossy Ibis  120
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  10
Northern Harrier  1
Peregrine Falcon   1
Clapper Rail  1    Heard
Black-bellied Plover  2
Semipalmated Plover  10
American Oystercatcher  6
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Willet  1
Lesser Yellowlegs  10
Whimbrel  15
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1000
Western Sandpiper  2    Picked out by Linda Mack & Scott Barnes
Least Sandpiper  2
White-rumped Sandpiper  1    Picked out by Scott Barnes
Stilt Sandpiper  3
Short-billed Dowitcher  500
Long-billed Dowitcher  4
Wilson's Phalarope  1    Fly by, identified by Scott Barnes
Laughing Gull  100
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull  100
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1    NW Pool, found by Scott Barnes
Great Black-backed Gull  50
Gull-billed Tern  4
Caspian Tern  3    Juvenile begging for food.
Forster's Tern  25
Royal Tern  1
Black Skimmer  25
Mourning Dove  1    Heard
Downy Woodpecker  1    Near exit ponds
Eastern Phoebe  1    near exit ponds
Eastern Kingbird  1    Gull Pond
White-eyed Vireo  1    Near exit ponds, feeding juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird juvenile
Blue Jay  2    Heard
American Crow  2    Heard
Purple Martin  10
Tree Swallow  50
Barn Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  2    Heard
Tufted Titmouse  2    Picnic tables
White-breasted Nuthatch  1    Picnic tables
Marsh Wren  1    Beginning of Wildlife Drive
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2    Gull Tower
Gray Catbird  2    Near exit ponds
European Starling  1
Chipping Sparrow  1    Picnic tables
Seaside Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  2    Heard
Blue Grosbeak  1    On road to Gull Tower
Dickcissel  1    Dogleg, found by Linda Mack
Red-winged Blackbird  200
Common Grackle  3
Brown-headed Cowbird  1  Juvenile.  Fed by White-eyed Vireo
American Goldfinch  4