Sunny, mild (60 degrees) calm
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| The Beach at Chincoteague |
Continuing our journey south, we bird Chincoteague Island along the Virginia coast in search of some new year birds as well as two sought after mammals, the wild ponies of Chincoteague and the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel. To be honest, at this time of year, the wild ponies are herded into paddocks and kept safe for the winter, so finding these is not exactly like the proverbial needle in the haystack. It’s much more like going to the petting zoo. But, they are wild, they are not tame, and they are charismatic. So, here’s the first picture of the day….the wild ponies of Chincoteague.
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| Wild ponies of Chincoteague |
As for the “year birds” we were hoping for, we did even better than anticipated. At one point, we had Bonaparte’s gulls, Forster’s terns, Snow geese, Tundra swans, Marbled godwits, Pintail ducks, and many more “expected” birds all in the same pond at the same time. We checked the beach in the hopes of spotting “first of the year” surf scoters as well, but that was to no avail.
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Snow geese and Tundra swans
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| Bonaparte's gull following Forster's tern |
We are still heading south and therefore could not spend as much time as we would have liked at this birding magnet, but for the two hours we were able to devote to the site, we were more than well rewarded. As we reluctantly departed from the Island, we did manage to come across our first of the fox squirrels, a fitting farewell to a fine stopover. For now, it’s “on the road again”.
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| Delmarva fox squirrel |
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