Brig 7/26--Long-billed Dowitcher, Least Bittern

As the saying goes, "Fourteenth time's the charm." At least it seems like fourteen times this year that I've

American Avocet

walked or driven by marker 4 on the Wildlife Drive looking for a bird that everyone else seems to have no problem finding. Today, I was there early and, as has become my custom, I started out walking from the parking out to along the start of the drive. Today I got as far as marker 5 where I met a few birders I know. We stood around a bit, admiring the long-staying American Avocets--now no longer considered "rare" at Brig, but still flagged because of the high number (8)--until I turned around because I wanted to get down to the Gull Pond before I was due to meet Bob Auster at the lot. So, I was not really looking anymore for the bird that has eluded me, when, what should pop out of the reeds by the canal, fly across the road, and land once again in the reed, disappearing immediately, but the Least Bittern I'd been seeking all those times these last few months.  Most of my sightings of Least Bittern have been like that--one flushes, I see it fly, I see where it goes, it vanishes, and that's it for the day, I won't find it again. 

Bob arrived on time and after we ran into another birding friend of ours (at #5 again, where the elite meet) we made up a mini-caravan and did a socially-distanced turn around the dikes. Lots of shorebirds and not too much shimmer made for some long stops at various points. In all, we had 15 species of shorebirds, not bad, not great. The only new one for me today was Long-billed Dowitcher, which Chris picked out from a big flock of Short-billed Dowitchers (of both subspecies). Once it was pointed out, it seemed pretty obvious, but, not being a patient birder, it is doubtful I'd have ever picked it out myself. I did, however, come up with a White-rumped Sandpiper (rare for the time of year) at that stop, and a Pectoral Sandpiper up at the dogleg. When Bob and I made a second loop, I also managed to find in the heron roost in the big cedars at the dogleg an immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, which was a

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

year bird for Bob. Our only disappointments were that we were unable to come up with an oystercatcher or Stilt Sandpiper. 

I was there for 8 1/2 hours and recorded 68 species. Probably a walk in the woods would have padded the list with some passerines but it would have been an extremely fly-bitten walk. 

Canada Goose  40

Mute Swan  25

Wood Duck  2

Mallard  27

Mourning Dove  4

Clapper Rail  1    Heard

American Avocet  8    Exact count

Black-bellied Plover  3

Semipalmated Plover  4

Ruddy Turnstone  1

Least Sandpiper  6

White-rumped Sandpiper  1    Crossed wings at tail, larger size

Pectoral Sandpiper  1

Semipalmated Sandpiper  200

Western Sandpiper  1

Short-billed Dowitcher  85

Long-billed Dowitcher  1

Spotted Sandpiper  1    Exit Pond

Greater Yellowlegs  8

Willet  2

Lesser Yellowlegs  5

Laughing Gull  200

Ring-billed Gull  2    Dogleg

Herring Gull  60

Great Black-backed Gull  5    Dogleg

Least Tern  5

Gull-billed Tern  25

Caspian Tern  3

Common Tern  3

Forster's Tern  30

Black Skimmer  45

Double-crested Cormorant  100

Least Bittern  1

Great Blue Heron  5

Great Egret  50

Snowy Egret  15

Black-crowned Night-Heron  8    Four in cedar at dogleg

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  1

Glossy Ibis  80

Turkey Vulture  2

Osprey  15

Bald Eagle  1

Willow Flycatcher  1    Heard Overlook

Eastern Kingbird  2    One at overlook, one at Gull Pond

American Crow  1

Fish Crow  5

Northern Rough-winged Swallow  10

Purple Martin  40

Tree Swallow  10

Barn Swallow  2

House Wren  1    Heard Parking Lot

Marsh Wren  15

Carolina Wren  1    Heard upland

European Starling  30

Gray Catbird  4

Northern Mockingbird  2

American Robin  1    Parking lot

American Goldfinch  3

Chipping Sparrow  2

Field Sparrow  1    Heard

Seaside Sparrow  3

Saltmarsh Sparrow  1

Song Sparrow  4

Eastern Towhee  1    Heard

Red-winged Blackbird  30

Common Yellowthroat  3

Northern Cardinal  1

Blue Grosbeak  1    Singing at intersection of Gull Pond Road and entrance to Wildlife Drive