Hi Everyone,

The following was posted to Virginia Birding by Ned Brinkley:

Subject: Garganey at Chincoteague
From: Ned Brinkley <23cahow AT gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 22:57:52 -0400

I studied a Garganey along the Wildlife Loop/Drive at Chincoteague today,
between 3:45 and 4:40 p.m., from a spot near the first bench on the left
as the drive exits the woodland on the east side.  The bird was about 90 m
away, observed through Leica 77x Televid scope w/ 32x eyepiece.  There were numerous other Anas present for comparison - probably 1500 in total, a very high number for early September. Based on wing pattern, I think the bird is likely an adult female, but I need to locate more literature on sex/age in September.  It was fortunate that this bird was relatively near the roadway; many ducks were feeding deep in the vegetation and not easily studied. Noted one Mallard with some "Pekin Duck" genes here (robust body, white nape and flank) but not White-cheeked Pintail, though hundreds of ducks could not be seen well in the vegetation.  Marsh overlook site has excellent vantage for many birds in late p.m.

Full list is below.  I have never seen so few shorebirds here ever.

Location:     Chincoteague NWR - CES18
Observation date:     9/6/10
Notes:     Garganey present near first bench on 'back side' of Snow Goose Pool
on wildlife loop, just as the road re-enters marshy area.  Details to
VARCOM and
posted to va-bird.  Remarkably high counts of dabbling ducks of all species
expected, but abysmally low counts of almost all shorebirds.
Number of species:     62

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     67
Gadwall - Anas strepera     34
American Wigeon - Anas americana     11
American Black Duck - Anas rubripes     155
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     190
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors     345
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata     231
Northern Pintail - Anas acuta     13
Garganey - Anas querquedula     1
Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca     280
Anas species, unidentified 200+
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus     113
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     22
Great Egret - Ardea alba     36
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula     33
Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea     9
Tricolored Heron - Egretta tricolor     23
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis     20
Green Heron - Butorides virescens     1
White Ibis - Eudocimus albus     48
Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus     2
Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus     8
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura     4
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus     4
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus     2
Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola     12
Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus     15
American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus     14
Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria     1
Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca     6
Willet (Western) - Tringa semipalmata inornata     15
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes     20
Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa     3
Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres     6
Sanderling - Calidris alba     15
Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla     5
White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis     1
Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos     4
Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus     8
Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla     250
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     10
Herring Gull (American) - Larus argentatus smithsonianus     15
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus     4
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia     18
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo     7
Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri     92
Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus     48
Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis     9
Black Skimmer - Rynchops niger     49
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     2
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     1
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     3
Fish Crow - Corvus ossifragus     10
Brown-headed Nuthatch - Sitta pusilla     1
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus     1
Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris     1
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     50
Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis     1
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     4
Boat-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus major     6

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com