This was the second day of our two-day visit to Chincoteague NWR. We birded in six areas of the refuge and identified 46 species on the day. The first area was along Beach Road where we saw 25 species on both sides of the road including white ibis, glossy ibis, white ibis, great egret, tree swallow, American oystercatcher, tricolored heron, little blue heron, black vulture, willet, great blue heron, and semipalmated sandpiper. Our next area was Woodland Trail although this was a fairly short visit due to relentless mosquitoes, even though we had bug spray on. Birds identified along this trail included house wren, turkey vulture, brown-headed cowbird, indigo bunting, brown-headed cowbird, and northern flicker. Our third area was in the vicinity of the Tom’s Cove Visitor’s Center where we saw little blue heron, snowy egret, mallard, common loon, chimney swift, and eastern kingbird. The common loon was in Tom’s Cove on the Visitor’s Center side of the road near the causeway where it was yesterday. The next stop was at Little Tom’s Cove where the highlight was a family of two adult American oystercatchers and three chicks. One adult was banded on both upper legs with the letters “E RFR” on a green background. The other adult was banded on both upper legs with “P4” on a black background and a silver band on the lower right leg. Other birds seen in this area included royal tern, willet, ruddy turnstone, common tern, barn swallow, black skimmer, and Forster’s tern. In the area of the main beach we saw, among others, black skimmer, herring gull, American oystercatcher, double-crested cormorant, mallard, and Canada goose. The last area we covered the Marsh Trail starting from the Wildlife Loop parking lot. Some of the birds we identified here included white-eyed vireo, indigo bunting, cedar waxwing, mallard, red-winged blackbird, orchard oriole, and common yellowthroat.
MY PHOTOS: American oystercatcher x 3, great egret, willet, little blue heron, tricolored heron, snowy egret
