I did two loops around Brig today with Bob Auster and, with 81 species, thought I had done pretty well until I looked at some other lists, including Bob's, and noted what I'd missed. Part of the problem is that Bob hears a lot better than I do, so I missed a couple of warblers. Some of it is just luck (bad on my part)--after we parted, he had a Scarlet Tanager on the way out of the refuge.
While standing on the north dike, scoping a huge flock of Dunlin, I said to Bob that I'd never be the one to find a Curlew Sandpiper in amongst them. I see a huge flock of birds all the same size and I get what I can only describe as visual fatigue very quickly; I just can't look at that many birds all the same size, all the same color. If a godwit or Long-billed Curlew was standing in the middle of the flock, sure, that I'd find, but not a bird that looks more or less like all the others. I specialize in easy rarities--spoonbills, lapwings, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, White Ibises. The Western Sandpiper we saw today wasn't found by me--that was Bob's perspicacity.
And, in between our two trips, a group arrived led by a much, much better birder than either of us. Sure enough, there was a Curlew Sandpiper at Brig today, right around Marker 4 where Bob & I spent a lot of time scanning in the morning. In the afternoon, on our second trip, the water was much higher and there were few birds in the pools, so we didn't stop to scan again. Of course, had we, I wouldn't have found the bird; Bob probably yes.
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| American Avocet |
For a day list of 81 species, I would hope for more than one year bird, but, I guess I've seen a lot of easy birds this year because only the
Least Tern we saw at the NE Corner was new for me, although the "returning"
American Avocets at the dogleg were a state year bird--I'd seen hundreds earlier this year in Delaware . Last year there was a small contingent of avocets all through the summer, so when I heard there were avocets again at Brig for the third year running, I didn't feel any urge to immediately rush right down. In fact, I hardly ever feel that urge anymore. But, I was happy to see them today, they being one of my favorite birds.
Snow Goose 2
Brant 22
Canada Goose 80
Mute Swan 20
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 14
American Black Duck 100
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Exit pond.\
Mourning Dove 5
Clapper Rail 4
American Avocet 3
American Oystercatcher 2
Black-bellied Plover 9
Semipalmated Plover 15
Whimbrel 25
Ruddy Turnstone 11
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 1600
Least Sandpiper 200
Semipalmated Sandpiper 50
Western Sandpiper 1 Reddish back slight droop to beak east dike w Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher 400
Greater Yellowlegs 50
Willet 15
Lesser Yellowlegs 50 Large flock
Bonaparte's Gull 3
Laughing Gull 30
Ring-billed Gull 20
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 4
Least Tern 1
Gull-billed Tern 15
Caspian Tern 4
Forster's Tern 30
Black Skimmer 145
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Great Blue Heron 10
Great Egret 24
Snowy Egret 4
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 10
Bald Eagle 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Heard
Northern Flicker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Heard parking lot
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
Eastern Kingbird 4
White-eyed Vireo 2 Heard
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 15
Carolina Chickadee 3 Heard
Tufted Titmouse 2 Heard
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 20
Barn Swallow 10
House Wren 1 Heard picnic area
Marsh Wren 3 Heard
Carolina Wren 1 Heard
European Starling 5
Gray Catbird 30
Eastern Bluebird 2
Wood Thrush 1 Jen's Trail
American Robin 4
Cedar Waxwing 1
House Finch 5
Chipping Sparrow 3
Field Sparrow 2 Heard
Seaside Sparrow 5 Heard
Saltmarsh Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Eastern Towhee 4
Red-winged Blackbird 150
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Common Grackle 1
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
Ovenbird 2 Heard
Common Yellowthroat 15
Yellow Warbler 10
Northern Cardinal 3
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| Ruddy Turnstone |
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