Brig 7/11--Western Sandpiper, Black Tern

Yesterday I thought I'd go to Brig to try to find the Ruff at the dogleg (actually a Reeve, since it was a female, a much more difficult bird to identify) but a little tropical storm got in the way. On the off chance (there's that phrase again) that the bird would still be hanging out there, and hoping that maybe something else interesting would have been blown in by the storm, I went down early this morning. Of course, I had no luck with the Ruff/Reeve (nor, apparently, did anyone else) but I still had a good day. 

For one thing, I ran into a few birders I hadn't seen in a long time and we spent a while going through the birds at the dogleg. Migration has started, again, and it was good to see Spotted Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, etc, again after a couple months hiatus. There was even a few Western Sandpipers, one of which I was willing to list when it was pointed out to me--it was just on the edge of being a "if you say so" bird but I could see the longer bill, the slightly larger size, and so forth. I didn't realize until I got home that it was my FOY WESA. I assumed I'd had one in the winter, but the winter seems years ago now. 

Before that, I did a walk I like, from the parking lot to Goose Marker #4 then turn around and walk to the Gull Pond before returning to the parking lot via the fly infested corridor that was once part of a railroad bed. Down at the Gull Pond I was surprised and happy to see a Black Tern fluttering over the water. I was able to follow it as it flew across the path into the next pond, the back again, but lost it long before I could even think about taking a photo. My first thought was, "Great, there's no one else here." However, it turns out that this time of year, Black Tern isn't especially rare, and I was pleased to see that later in the day someone else listed the bird in the same spot. In alternate plumage, not that hard a bird to identify, but still, I doubt myself sometimes. 

American Avocets continue at Brig, in ever increasing numbers. First I saw 3 avocets with my friend, then later, once I was driving around, I had 7 a little farther up the drive. On my second go round I had 10 in once spot (7+3, duh). The avocets and the Black-necked Stilts earlier, take the sting out of not going to Bombay Hook this year. 

7 American Avocets

10 American Avocets

For my 2 trips around in 6 3/4 hours I had 61 species. 

Canada Goose  125

Mute Swan  25

Mallard  20

American Black Duck  4

Mourning Dove  8

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1

Clapper Rail  4

American Avocet  10    

Semipalmated Plover  2

Least Sandpiper  15

Semipalmated Sandpiper  2

Western Sandpiper  1

Short-billed Dowitcher  3

Spotted Sandpiper  5

Greater Yellowlegs  14

Willet  25

Lesser Yellowlegs  1

Laughing Gull  100

Ring-billed Gull  1

Herring Gull  20

Great Black-backed Gull  5

Least Tern  19

Gull-billed Tern  2

Caspian Tern  6

Black Tern  1    

Common Tern  3

Forster's Tern  30

Black Skimmer  22

Double-crested Cormorant  10

Great Blue Heron  9

Great Egret  16

Snowy Egret  25

Black-crowned Night-Heron  4    Dogleg. 3 in Cedar tree

Glossy Ibis  40

Osprey  17

Downy Woodpecker  1

Willow Flycatcher  1    Heard

Eastern Phoebe  1

Blue Jay  1    Heard

American Crow  1    Heard

Fish Crow  10

Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard

Purple Martin  10

Tree Swallow  30

Barn Swallow  6

House Wren  2    Heard

Marsh Wren  7

Carolina Wren  3    Heard

European Starling  120

Gray Catbird  8

Eastern Bluebird  3

American Robin  1

American Goldfinch  5

Chipping Sparrow  2

Field Sparrow  1    Heard

Seaside Sparrow  3

Eastern Towhee  1

Red-winged Blackbird  100

Boat-tailed Grackle  1    dogleg

Common Yellowthroat  5

Northern Cardinal  1    Parking lot

Common Tern