Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
/The last refuge on our trek was Chincoteague. I’ve posted about our two prior trips (fall 2014kingfisher, egrets, cormorants, herons, gulls, lighthouse, and sunrise/sunset; spring 2013vultures, blue grosbeak, and egrets). We always see Great Blue Herons at Chincoteague. When I photograph them now I am looking for something a bit out of the ordinary. There was one that was all fluffed up in the cold – standing very still on one leg – framed by dry grasses and brush.
Another Great Blue Heron was perched on a branch over some water – preening.
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I noticed a lot more dead and splintered trees this trip and found out that the pine bark beetle had been particularly hard on the pines the past few years and
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Winter storm Jonas brought such high winds that is brought trees down on the refuge.
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There were tundra swans that we saw in greater numbers at Eastern Neck
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And snow geese (sleeping here) that we saw in greater numbers at Blackwater.
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This ring-billed gull (adult non-breeding) was not pleased that we pulled up on the road shoulder near him.
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We saw a few pintail ducks (and some buffleheads which, again, were difficult to photograph – and I am refraining from posting another blurry picture!).
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The birds I had to look up on allaboutbirds were this marbled godwit (I think)
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And a juvenile black-crowned night heron (my husband is the one that spotted this one in the brush over the water where we often see other herons).