Thanks to an early posting by Dan Huber, Ron Payne and I went to the end
of the west trail at Brilyea Access in Addison to search for
shorebirds. A slight rise in water levels has returned a small area of
open, shallow water to the area completely grown-in by plants during the
June and July drawdown.
Among many Lesser Yellowlegs and some Greater Yellowlegs there were
other sandpipers, notably a Stilt Sandpiper, a Pectoral Sandpiper, and
three Dunlins. There were nine shorebird species in total.
We also surveyed a number of locations along the shore of southern Lake
Champlain from Orwell to Addison. Not unexpectedly there were few
shorebirds, and no noteworthy species. We did come upon 11 Horned Larks
on a short farm road leading to a manure pile at a farm on Lake Street
in Bridport.
The full Brilyea list is below.
Ian
===============
Brilyea Access, Addison, US-VT
Sep 1, 2012 2:12 PM - 5:26 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.8 mile(s)
Comments: Ron Payne and Ian Worley. Took west trail to dam, then
east along shore, then north along shore to beginning of west trail.
Most shorebirds and waterfowl were at the end of the west trail east to
the main body of open water --- an area mostly grown in since the
drawdown began a month or two ago, but with a few shallow, wade-able waters.
39 species
Wood Duck 10
Mallard 6
Blue-winged Teal 32
Green-winged Teal 19
Great Blue Heron 13
Northern Harrier 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Solitary Sandpiper 5
Greater Yellowlegs 11 One group of five, otherwise generally mixed
with Lesser Yellowlegs. Intermittently calling.
Lesser Yellowlegs 52 Actively foraging and moving about;
occasionally short flights. Usually silent. Carefully counted by
individuals.
Least Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Mixed in with Lesser Yellowlegs.
Dunlin 3 A close-knit group of three foraging amid water lilies and
Yellowlegs. Size of a largish peep, short legs, down-turned bill
noticeably longer than that of Least, Baird's, White-rumped, and
Semipalmated Sandpipers. Supercillium minimal at best. These birds did
not appear especially rotund. While the neck did not appear
exceptionally short, it was never extended far from the body. Mostly
gray, though possibly with some brownish tint on upper parts of body and
in chest area. Either juvenile or nonbreeding; breast tinted or
streaked carrying up into shoulder area. Belly light to white.
Stilt Sandpiper 1 Obviously smaller than adjacent Lesser Yellowlegs
with long, slightly down-turned bill often carried mostly
perpendicular. Bill black and moderately stout at base, evenly tapered
to tip. Yellowish to yellow-green legs, strikingly less yellow than
legs of Yellowlegs. Legs long, though not as long as those of
Yellowlegs. Probing/feeding up-and-down motion more like Dowitchers
than Yellowlegs; body well tipped-up during probing. Evident
supercilium. Breast lightly tinged. Seemed overall light enough to be
a first winter bird. Mixed with Lesser Yellowlegs; stayed in shallow
water in and around emergent grasses.
Wilson's Snipe 1 Flushed from ditch or weedy place along trail.
Ring-billed Gull 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 6
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 2
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 3
Bank Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 11
Black-capped Chickadee 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 3
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling 7
Cedar Waxwing 4
Common Yellowthroat 1
Song Sparrow 3
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Common Grackle 11
Baltimore Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org/vt)
|
