BIRDQUEST2004

After leaving Virginia and the Godwit we left hurried to Sussex County in Delaware.  There had been another Crested Caracara seen in this area feeding on a deer carcass.

Pressed for time (had to catch the ferry to Cape May) we put the pedal to the metal, the GPS worked flawlessly and we arrive in no time.  Turning up the road we noticed a group of biders, and none had happy faces.  There was plenty of action over the carcass and in the air but no Caracara.

Birds eluded us on this trip, 3 Northern Lapwings and the Crested Caracara.  One I need for my ABA list and one I just wanted to see.

Below are my photos, taken elsewhere.

Ciao for now……

We struck out on the Lapwing and moved on to Salem, NJ.  There had been a Crested Caracara in the area most of the winter.  It had been feeding on carrion in the Featherbed Lane, across Auburn-Sharptown Road area.  Rick and I spent a few hours cruising the roads in the area,  We didn’t see the Caracara, so off we went in seach of the nearest Comfort Inn.  I needed a good nights sleep, lots of miles of driving had taken their toll.

Once we’d had some dinner and returned to our room, I checked the ABA Rare Bird Reports.  I found that a Black-tailed  Godwit was being seen in Virginia.

It had been spotted in the Chincoteague NWR ( National Wildlife Refuge), on Chincoteague Island.  This was another 3 hours south of us.  We had a hard decision to make:  drive in search of the Caracara and bird Cape May the next day or go for the Godwit.  The Godwit was a lifebird for Rick and I.  The Caracara was a life bird for Rick.  We had a lengthy debate and then decided to sleep on it.

When the wakeup call came at 6am, We both decided the Godwit was worth the drive.  We could also search for a Caracara that was seen in Delaware in the afternoon.

We drove straight to the spot, 187 miles, pulled into the parking area and saw the birders, scopes and cameras.  Bird #637 was in the books.

The 2nd photo shows the bird in breeding plumage, taken in Iceland.  We also found 3 Piping Plovers on the beach and I managed to get a flight shot (inset), the small raptors were constantly harassing the shorebirds.

The Godwit was a bit further out than I would have liked for a great photo but with the number of people who were enjoying this bird and those still to come.  A distant photo served the purpose.

Ciao for now…..