Brig 6/7--American Avocet

Black-necked Stilt & American Avocet

Because I haven't been paying very much attention to the rare bird alerts of late, I didn't know until Shari & I got to Brig that there were reports of American Avocet from the previous day. This was in addition to the long-staying Black-necked Stilts, which I was hoping Shari would get a chance to see. 

The magic Goose Marker of late is number 4 and when we arrived there I immediately spotted the stilts and so did Shari and then a couple of birders we knew who we'd been following said that the avocets were also in sight. It didn't take long to find a couple, then another, and then somehow they coalesced into a flock of 5 with the stilts prancing around them. No need to go to Bombay Hook this year! 

Later, up at the observation tower our buddy Bob found another avocet, bringing our total up to 6. I have seen both species in the state and at Brig previously, but I have never seen them both in one day and I have certainly never seen them together. That's the kind of occurrence that keep your interest in birding alive during the summer doldrums. Of course at Bombay Hook you might see 400 avocets in the Raymond Pool but as my saying goes, you only need one and today we had that times six. 

American Avocet up at the observation tower area (#6)

We did one loop around the Wildlife Drive and took a walk from the parking lot that including the Leeds Eco-trail and the grasslands area around the still-closed Visitor's Center. Egrets were surprisingly sparse. We did well with the tern species, with 6 examples of the family including our favorite, Black Skimmer. No raptors to speak of, other than the ubiquitous Ospreys, still attracting the heavy artillery of photographers who are still trying to get "the" shot.  

55 species in a little over 5 hours. And not a greenhead fly in sight--in a month that will drastically change. 

Canada Goose  50

Mute Swan  13

Mallard  25

Wild Turkey  1

Mourning Dove  3

Clapper Rail  2

Black-necked Stilt  3    Continuing black and white shorebirds with pink legs

American Avocet  6    Shorebirds w upturned bills, russet heads, black and white bodies

Semipalmated Sandpiper  20

Greater Yellowlegs  6

Willet  9

Laughing Gull  100

Herring Gull  5

Great Black-backed Gull  1

Least Tern  3

Gull-billed Tern  4

Caspian Tern  2

Common Tern  1

Forster's Tern  50

Black Skimmer  48

Double-crested Cormorant  3

Great Blue Heron  5

Great Egret  5

Snowy Egret  10

Black-crowned Night-Heron  1    Dog leg

Glossy Ibis  20

Turkey Vulture  1

Osprey  15

Willow Flycatcher  1    Heard

Great Crested Flycatcher  1    Heard

White-eyed Vireo  3    Heard

Blue Jay  2    Heard

American Crow  1

Fish Crow  3

Tufted Titmouse  1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1

Purple Martin  12

Tree Swallow  3

Bank Swallow  4

Barn Swallow  2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1

House Wren  2    Heard

Marsh Wren  10    Heard

Carolina Wren  1    Heard

Gray Catbird  5

American Robin  2

House Finch  1    Feeder

Seaside Sparrow  20

Song Sparrow  2

Red-winged Blackbird  50

Brown-headed Cowbird  4

Boat-tailed Grackle  1

Common Yellowthroat  4

Yellow Warbler  3

Pine Warbler  1