Nonpasserines
ORDER GAVIIFORMES
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LOONS: Gaviidae
Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata Pacific Loon G. pacifica Common Loon G. immer Of these, only the Common and Red-throated Loons are really probable, and Common is more likely. Look for it in Tom's Cove at CNWR, from the CBBT, or off Sunset Beach. Pacific is only known from 3-4 records in the late fall or early winter. Common is regular in Tom's Cove in autumn.
Order PODICIPEDIFORMES
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GREBES: Podicipedidae
Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus Red-necked Grebe P. grisegna Eared Grebe P. nigricollis Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis Grebes are in short supply on salt water (where Horneds arrive a bit later in the fall), but Tom's Cove is a good place to look for Horned and other grebes, even Eared. The other good spots for Eared, a rare fall visitor, are Swan Cove and large ponds at ESVNWR. The only KC record comes from 1996, at the Northampton County Landfill. Pied-billed Grebes have bred up and down the shore in freshwater and have even been seen with young chicks on the KC. Red-necked is a later migrant, and Western is a vagrant with several unconfirmed reports.
Order PROCELLARIIFORMES
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TUBENOSES: Procellariidae
Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata Trinidade Petrel P. arminjoniana Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea Greater Shearwater Puffinus gravis Sooty Shearwater P. griseus Manx Shearwater P. puffinus Audubon's Shearwater P. lherminieri Wilson's Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus Leach's Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa Band-rumped Storm-Petrel O. castro Of this impressive list of tubenoses, you are not likely to find any on the KC, but keep all of them in mind -- on rare occasions, almost all have been seen from the CBBT after the passage of tropical storms (and sometimes even nontropical storms have produced a few tubenoses).
Order PELECANIFORMES
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GANNETS and BOOBIES: Sulidae
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus Brown Booby Sula leucogaster Brown Booby is known here from only three records in summer, but keep an eye out for young Northern Gannets, a very few of which may be around the CBBT or off the beach at CNWR.
Order PELECANIFORMES
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PELICANS: Pelicanidae
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis American White Pelican P. erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican is virtually impossible to miss by driving over FINWR toward the CBBT islands, or looking on pound net stakes off Sunset Beach. White Pelicans in very small numbers are sometimes present on the coast from FINWR to CNWR, with often only a single bird (dubbed "Maytag" by local birders) present.
Order PELECANIFORMES
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TROPICBIRDS: Phaethontidae
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus Only known from 2-3 records in offshore waters, but a possible vagrant after a tropical storm.
Order PELECANIFORMES
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CORMORANTS: Phalacrocoracidae
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Double-crested Cormorant P. auritus Double-cresteds are present all over the coast in September, but Greats, which require rocky substrate, are present almost exclusively on the CBBT (small numbers in September) and off nearby Sunset Beach and KSP, on pound net stakes.
Order PELECANIFORMES
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DARTERS: Anhigidae
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Only one October record, but keep looking up! The record hails from the CBBT!
Order PELECANIFORMES
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FRIGATEBIRDS: Fregatidae
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens A handful of records, mostly summer, but possible after sustained southwest winds or the passage of a tropical storm.
Order CICONIIFORMES
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BITTERNS, HERONS, EGRETS: Ardeidae
American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret A. alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Little Egret E. garzetta Little Blue Heron E. caerulea Tricolored Heron E. tricolor Reddish Egret E. rufescens Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Green Heron Butorides striatus Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea A tricky group, though most are easy to locate in coastal habitats such as exists at all the NWR. American Bittern is a somewhat later migrant, but might be noted in either salt or freshwater marshes (not yet recorded on the KC). Little Egret has been recorded twice at CNWR and should be looked for! Reddish Egret has been reported only once, from the same refuge. Most Green Herons have begun moving south in September, but patient watching around freshwater ponds (Modest Town, in Accomack Co., has a few good ones) usually reveals one or two. Least Bittern and Green Heron may be most easily detected in nocturnal migration by their characteristic flight calls. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a puzzler: look around the in-town saltmarshes at Chincoteague village, especially at dusk -- a particularly tough species in past years. The rest of the species are easy to find.
Order CICONIIFORMES
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IBISES: Threskiornithidae
White Ibis Eudocimus alba Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus White-faced Ibis P. chihi There is only one record of White-faced Ibis (CNWR) on the Shore, but the other two are regular nesters, the Glossy being the more common of the two by far. In recent years, both have been findable near the southern tip of the peninsula. Try the observation tower at ESVNWR at dawn, or down by the boat ramp on the same refuge. Glossy may turn up anywhere, but it can be maddeningly tough to find in windy conditions. Check all freshwater sloughs, including the ponds at ESNWR.
Order CICONIIFORMES
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STORKS: Ciconiidae
Wood Stork Mycteria americana This species is a rare vagrant to the Shore. Freshwater ponds, or more likely, overhead!
Order CICONIIFORMES
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NEW WORLD VULTURES: Cathartidae
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura No problem finding vultures on the Shore! If you don't have both by noon, check to see if you're on the *east* coast.
Order CICONIIFORMES
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FLAMINGOES: Phoenicopteridae
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber A vagrant with only a handful of records, some of them after hurricanes!
Order ANSERIIFORMES
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SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS: Anatidae
Of this large family, relatively few are noted in September on the Shore, though over 30 can be found in a good day's birding in December. Concentrate on several spots: the marshes and ponds of ESVNWR (Gadwall, teal, Mallard, Black Duck, sometimes Shoveler and others), CNWR's marshes (similar species), Tom's Cove (some sea ducks such as Red-breasted Merganser and scoters), CBBT (scoters and early eiders and Harlequin Duck -- yes, they've been recorded on the KC!). And of course, don't forget to count Mute Swans at CNWR!
Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck D. autumnalis Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus Mute Swan C. olor Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Ross's Goose C. rossii Brant Branta bernicla Canada Goose B. canadensis Canada Goose B. c. hutchinsii Wood Duck Aix sponsa Green-winged Teal Anas crecca carolinensis Eurasian Green-winged Teal A. c. crecca American Black Duck A. rubripes Mallard A. platyrhynchos Northern Pintail A. acuta White-cheeked Pintail A. bahamensis Blue-winged Teal A. discors Cinnamon Teal A. cyanoptera Northern Shoveler A. clypeata Gadwall A. strepera Eurasian Wigeon A. penelope American Wigeon A. americana Canvasback Aythya valisineria Redhead A. americana Ring-necked Duck A. collaris Greater Scaup A. marila Lesser Scaup A. affinis Tufted Duck A. fuligula Common Eider Somateria mollissima King Eider S. spectabilis Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus Oldsquaw Clangula hyemalis Black Scoter Melanitta nigra Surf Scoter M. perspicillata White-winged Scoter M. fusca Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Barrow's Goldeneye B. islandica Bufflehead B. albeola Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Common Merganser Mergus merganser Red-breasted Merganser M. serrator Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
Order FALCONIFORMES
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Osprey: Pandionidae
Osprey Pandion haliaetus An abundant resident and September migrant. You will see them all through the day.
Order FALCONIFORMES
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KITES, HAWKS, EAGLES: Accipitridae
Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Marsh Harrier C. aeruginosus Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Cooper's Hawk A. cooperii Northern Goshawk A. gentilis Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Broad-winged Hawk B. platypterus Swainson's Hawk B. swainsoni Red-tailed Hawk B. jamaicensis Harlan's Hawk B. jamaicensis harlani Ferruginous Hawk B. regalis Rough-legged Hawk B. lagopus Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin F. columbarius Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus Several of these raptors (kites, Gyr, Ferruginous and Harlan's Hawks, Marsh Harrier) are vagrants, but many of them are common September migrants, including Peregrine, Merlin, and American Kestrel -- less than an hour on the hawk platform at KSP should net these and many other regular raptor migrants. It's early for a Golden Eagle or a Northern Goshawk still, but it's a fantastic time to see a Swainson's Hawk -- there are well over a dozen records for the Shore, many of them in September. Rough-legged Hawk is very unlikely in September, but in a flight year, an early immature might be hunting over the marshes at Saxis WMA. Bald Eagles are fairly numerous along the Chesapeake Shores (north of KSP but also to be expected on a good "flight day" there) and near CNWR too.
Order GALLIFORMES
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PHEASANTS and TURKEYS: Phasianidae
Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Green Pheasant Phasianus [colchicus] versicolor While the local populations of Green Pheasant are virtually gone (never recorded on the KC), populations of Turkey are increasing. Look for them in any woodlot, or around the GATR tract, but don't expect to see them.
Order GALLIFORMES
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NEW WORLD QUAIL: Odontophoridae
Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Bobwhite are still fairly numerous on the Shore. Best spot may be at ESVNWR.
Order GALLIFORMES
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RAILS, GALLINULES, COOT: Rallidae
Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris King Rail R. elegans Virginia Rail R. limicola Sora Porzana carolina Purple Gallinule Porphyrula martinica Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Rails can be easy or devilishly difficult to hear in September. The choruses at dusk of Clappers at ESVNWR (marsh overlook) and CNWR (all over in the salt marshes) can be deafening -- or absent. Vocalizations of Sora and Virginia Rail are not all that uncommonly heard in fall in places like Saxis, but don't count on them to call. Common Moorhen has been regular either at ESVNWR or at the Landfill. A King Rail should be seen well to be counted. Black Rails may still be at Saxis at this time of year -- you may hear an overhead flight call or a ground-growl, but the full "ki-ki-krrr" is not likely. If coots are around, they will be at one of the NWRs, in all likelihood.
Order GALLIFORMES
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CRANES: Gruidae
Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis In recent falls, Sandhill Cranes have been seen in very small numbers (1-3) from the hawkwatch. Good luck!
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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PLOVERS: Charadriidae
Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola American Golden-Plover P. dominica Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia Semipalmated Plover C. semipalmatus Piping Plover C. melodus Snowy Plover C. alexandrinus Killdeer C. vociferus Mountain Plover C. montanus Plovers nest in good numbers in the counties (Wilson's, Piping, Killdeer, and a solo Snowy looking for a female, 1995-1997!), but only the Killdeer is easily found without a trip out to the barrier islands. Look in agricultural fields -- but they aren't present in numbers every year. Teams have missed this species, so be vigilant about scouting for one. Also sometimes on the fields of the chicken plants in Accomack County. Of non-nesting species, look on dry flats at CNWR for the golden-plover and on any mudflat for Black-bellied. There should be plenty of Semipalmated Plovers around on flats as well. Only one record of Mountain Plover from Virginia (CNWR).
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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OYSTERCATCHERS: Haematopodidae
American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus Get out your tide charts! Easily found at CNWR along the causeway to the island or by the bridge to the refuge, but mostly at low tide, when the mussel bars are exposed.
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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STILTS and AVOCETS: Recurvirostridae
Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Two difficult species on the Shore. Any freshwater habitat, as on the refuges. Neither is a regular find in September by any means.
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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SANDPIPERS and PHALAROPES: ScolopacidaeIn good years, teams have struck paydirt with this family. Most of the species listed below are possible in September, even the vagrants. In past Septembers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper have been seen at Chincoteague. On the KC, Buff-breasted and Curlew Sandpipers have been seen!
Most species are easily studied at Chincoteague, but don't neglect farm fields, where "grasspipers" are likely to be located!
See notation for each species. Habitat codes are as follows:
S = SALTMARSH (Oyster, Chincoteague causeway, etc.)
M = MUDFLAT/FRESH WATER POOLS (Swan Cove, Snow Goose Pool)
D = DRY FIELDS (Farm, baseball fields, dry areas of Snow Goose Pool)
B = BEACH (Atlantic side, CNWR, and a little at KSP)
Lesser Yellowlegs T. flavipes S, M Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca S, M Solitary Sandpiper T. solitaria M Willet (Eastern) Catoptrophorus s. semipalmatus S Western Willet C. s. inornatus S, B Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia M Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda D Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus S, M, B (scarce) Long-billed Curlew N. arquata vagrant Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica M Marbled Godwit L. fedoa M (Oyster; check low tides) Bar-tailed Godwit L. lapponica vagrant Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres CBBT -- rocky shores usually Red Knot Calidris canutus S, M, B Sanderling C. alba M, B Semipalmated Sandpiper C. pusilla M, S Western Sandpiper C. mauri M Least Sandpiper C. minutilla M, S White-rumped Sandpiper C. fuscicollis D, M Baird's Sandpiper C. bairdii D Pectoral Sandpiper C. melanotos D, M Sharp-tailed Sandpiper C. acuminata vagrant Purple Sandpiper C. maritima CBBT only Dunlin C. alpina M, S, B Curlew Sandpiper C. ferruginea vagrant -- M, S, D Stilt Sandpiper C. himantopus M Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis D Ruff Philomachus pugnax S, M Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus S, M, B Long-billed Dowitcher L. scolopaceus M Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago rare in September,
wet fields, pondsAmerican Woodcock Scolopax minor quiet in September,
wet wood, ESVNWRWilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor M Red-necked Phalarope P. lobatus M (rare) Red Phalarope P. fulicaria M (rarer)
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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JAEGERS and SKUAS: Stercorariidae
Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic Jaeger S. parasiticus Long-tailed Jaeger S. longicaudus South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki Great Skua C. skua Most of the skuas and jaegers are pelagic migrants, not likely to be seen from shore. Parasitic is occasionally seen harassing terns in the afternoon off the CBBT or the beach at CNWR. The others would be genuinely rare in September.
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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GULLS and TERNS: Laridae
Laughing Gull Larus atricilla Franklin's Gull L. pipixcan Little Gull L. minutus Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus Bonaparte's Gull L. philadelphia Sabine's Gull L. sabini Black-tailed Gull L. crassirostris Ring-billed Gull L. delawarensis California Gull L. californicus Herring Gull L. argentatus Thayer's Gull L. thayeri Iceland Gull L. glaucoides Glaucous Gull L. hyperboreus Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus Yellow-legged Gull L. cachinnans Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Pretty nice gull list, eh? Well forget about seeing anything other than Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed, and maybe a Bonaparte's or a Lesser Black-backed, both of which are most likely by far on the CBBT. Franklin's has been seen in fall and is possible near saltmarshes or in fields. The rest would be vagrants in September.
Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica Caspian Tern S. caspia Royal Tern S. maxima Elegant Tern S. elegans Sandwich Tern S. sandvicensis Roseate Tern S. dougallii Common Tern S. hirundo Arctic Tern S. paradisaea Forster's Tern S. forsteri Least Tern S. antillarum Bridled Tern S. anaethetus Sooty Tern S. fuscata Black Tern Chlidonias niger White-winged Tern C. leucopterus September is about as good for terns as it is bad for gulls. The vagrants on this list are Arctic, Bridled, Sooty, Elegant, and White-winged (the latter two species being vagrants, with records only from CNWR). But all the rest of the species should be findable with common sense. Look for the big tern flocks feeding over fish on the CBBT in the morning -- they should have Common, Forster's, Royal, Least, and Sandwich -- Roseate is a rare possibility here. For Black and Caspian Tern -- either could be out at the CBBT (and both have been) in September, but look for these, and lingering Gull-billeds, at CNWR on Swan Cove or any other fresh water.
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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SKIMMERS: Rynchopidae
Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Skimmers are usually present in small numbers at CNWR on Swan Cove. Also present at Oyster on lower tides, roosting on the highest parts of the mudflat sometimes.
Order CHARADRIIFORMES
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PUFFINS, MURRES, AUKS: Alcidae
Dovekie Alle alle Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia Common Murre U. aalge Razorbill Alca torda Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle Skip this family! Strictly winter! A September record is likely to net you the "booby prize," which is not always a good thing!
Order COLUMBIFORMES
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PIGEONS and DOVES: Columbidae
Feral Pigeon [Rock Dove] Columba livia White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica (V) Mourning Dove Z. macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Only the good old Rock Dove (or facsimile) and Mourning Dove can be expected; the others are vagrants. Eurasian Collared-Dove cannot be far behind.
Order CUCULIFORMES
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CUCKOOS and ANIS: Cuculidae
Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus Yellow-billed Cuckoo C. americanus These two species should be easy to find if you know their nocturnal flight-calls: "rrrrr-t-chk" in Black-billed (or a version of its cooing, morse-code song), while Yellow-billed sounds similar to its diurnal calls. Finding one in migration can be tough: Yellow-billed is more common. The best strategy may be to look around KSP in the morning or watch at the hawk platform early for fly-bys.
Order STRIGIFORMES
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BARN OWLS: Tytonidae
Barn Owl Tyto alba Barn Owls nest in small numbers on the Shore, but getting one has been tough in recent years. Try the ESVNWR at dusk (listening), but Saxis is probably much better.
Order STRIGIFORMES
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TYPICAL OWLS: Strigidae
Eastern Screech Owl Otus asio Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia Barred Owl Strix varia Long-eared Owl Asio otus Short-eared Owl A. flammeus Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadius Owling, like railing, can be a hazard to your sanity at either end of a Big Day. Screech sometimes respond like wildfire to an imitation in September (try along piney areas of Route 600 north of ESVNWR), and, one some mornings and early evenings (usually still ones), Horned Owls cooperate nicely. Sometimes not. Barred Owl is the only other probable owl, and it is limited to wooded swamps of NE and NW Accomack County. Has not yet been recorded on the KC, nor have any of the others on the list. Burrowing is a vagrant with only one record, from FINWR. Short-eared Owl is an outside possibility around salt marshes, but September records are lacking. Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet migrate much later.
Order CAPRIMULGIFORMES
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GOATSUCKERS: Caprimulgidae
Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Chuck-will's-widow Caprimulgus carolinensis Whip-poor-will C. vociferus All three species are still around in September, but you'd be lucky to find either "will" in the fall. (One team found a Whip on the Pony Trail at CNWR in 1996.) Common Nighthawk is a reliable bird at KSP but especially at ESVNWR -- approaching very late afternoon or dusk, when large groups (exceptionally over 500) form.
Order APODIFORMES
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HUMMINGBIRDS & SWIFTS: Apodidae & Trochilidae
Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus There is a record of a Selasphorus hummer at KSP from early fall, but the other two are only likely finds on the KC. Look anywhere (over towns, ponds, KSP) for the Chimney Swift. The hummingbird is most likely as a mid-morning migrant past the hawk platform in the morning, but it has even been seen in a headlamp at 4:00 am on the GATR tract!
Order CORACIIFORMES
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KINGFISHERS: Alcedinidae
Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon Remember to look around quiet ditches at CNWR for this one, if you haven't already seen one at ESVNWR. Also possible on ponds at Modest Town, Cape Charles, and elsewhere.
Order PICIFORMES
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WOODPECKERS: Picidae
Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus Red-headed Woodpecker M. erythrocephalus Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens Hairy Woodpecker P. villosus Northern (Yellow-shafted)Flicker Colaptes auratus Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker C. auratus cafra Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus September is too early for a Sapsucker, but the rest of the species are present. For Red-headed, a stint standing watch at the hawk platform is your best shot, whereas for Downy and Hairy and Pileated, a walk in the woods north of Magotha or other seaside towns on Route 600 is advised. They can be notoriously tough to find. Red-bellied is a bit noisier and a bit easier, and flickers are abundant as migrants -- should be no problem. Red-shafted Flicker is known from only one record, and there is one record of a bird that was either a partially erythristic Yellow-shafted, or a hybrid between the two subspecies -- found mummified on top of Smith Island Light!