Yesterday I made my second birding trip to Assateague National Seashore, followed by my first time ever to look at Skimmer Island (Sinepuxent Bay, N of Rt 50 briddge at O.C.).  I went with my son (10 YO) - it was his first time ever to the area.  We arrived at AINS at 7:40 am, and it was dramatically different than last Sunday.  I doubt I'll ever go there again on a summer weekend, unless it is to see a Brown Booby or something of similar rarity.  We were the only visitors at the Ranger Station and it took just a couple minutes to get a permit and be on our way.

The beach was nearly empty and it was beautiful, but viewing conditions were poor due to 100% overcast with mix of heavy haze and shimmer until almost 10 am.  When the sun starting poking out of the clouds, it quickly burned off the haze and the viewing was briefly very good, until only about 11 and then the heat shimmer and heavy direct light made long distance id's very unlikely except for obvious species.  I was hoping for a view of the Booby or a Roseate Tern, but settled for quality time with my son!  He got many new species for his lifelist including great close-up views of Piping Plover, Red Knot, Whimbrel and others.  Hi-light for him (and me too) was a group of 56 (!) Whimbrels resting and foraging on the beach at about the 30 km mark at the OSV zone.  Most Whimbrels I've seen in one group.

We also saw an interesting (and old) skeleton of a Sea Turltle, with a large piece of its skin all dried up.  The skull was missing but many of the other bones were still there.

We left ASNI at about 12, and briefly tried a look at Castaway's/Eagles Nest mudflat, but there were too many people and only a few birds were present.  There where people everywhere - on the beach as well as on the mudflats and islands throughout the area.  Some had apparently waded and swam, while many others came by boat to the islands.   I doubt I will go there again unless it is before or after summer tourist season.

On to Skimmer Island.  Thanks to advice from Stan A, I parked with no trouble and had a great experience despite the heavy volume of incoming weekend traffic.  Due to high heat and humidity our stay was brief.  We glassed for about 30 minutes from 1:00-1:30, and had distant but good views.  A scope was mandatory there, species id with just binoculars would be very tricky.

Except for a few uncommon species and the group of Whimbrels noted above I did not count individuals.

ASNI (mostly OSV zone, plus a few passerines seen along road; no effort made to look for passerines)

Northern Gannet - 1 flying south rapidly at 10:20
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron - 1 flying east away from land out over ocean?
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron - 1
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Piping Plover - 1
American Oystercatcher
Willet (both)
Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot - 13 (1, 2, 10)
Sanderling
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3 adults
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Black Tern
Common Tern
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eastern Kingbird
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Skimmer Island (viewed from Rt 50)

Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret - 2
Glossy Ibis - 3
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover - 3
American Oystercatcher
Willet
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper - 1
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern - 1 adult in winter plumage
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barn Swallow
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird

Cheers!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD