Chincoteague NWR > June 2013
Archive Index Michael W Masters
info@GrayFoxImages.com

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There was a time when birds were plentiful in both numbers and variety of species at Chincoteague NWR, but in recent June visits this has been less so.  Atlantic storms have radically altered much of the habitat near the Assateague Island beach, and as a result many locations that once were productive are now barren.  The shorebird population in particular has been much reduced, with few species in evidence other than resident willets and a few oystercatchers.  Elsewhere on the refuge, great egrets and snowys are usually present, but great blue herons are less frequent these days, and small herons are especially hard to spot.

The net result is that unless weather is good there is almost nothing to do except chase gulls on the beach.  That was the case for much of this visit.  For most of the week it either rained or was windy or the sky was darkly cloudy.  There was one high point however, and that was that we arrived during piping plover nesting season.  On the first day I happened to spot two mature chicks at the turnaround at the end of the beach parking lot.  They didn't tarry long, but I managed to get a few images.

Thereafter, I watched two females on nests within cages inside the restricted area, staked out by refuge staff to keep out casual beach visitors.  Piping plovers are a protected species and, along with least terns and black-necked skimmers, their nesting area is roped off each spring during nesting season.  I was rewarded a couple of days later by witnessing three newly hatched chicks scurrying about within their cage, under the watchful eye of their mother who was likely sitting on a fourth egg -- the next morning all were gone, indicating that the final egg had hatched.

Throughout the rest of the week I was able to spot the newly hatched chicks as well as their older companions running about the sand dunes within the restricted area.  I also witnessed the older chicks fledge.  Although no memorable photographs emerged from this encounter the experience was by far the best of the week.  Otherwise it was mostly gulls -- which helped prompt the writing of my most recent (and hopefully entertaining) essay.

The final full day dawned well, with bright sun and little wind.  A pair of bathing juvenile willets turned up as well as a fishing tricolor heron at a little inlet behind the beach parking lot, a spot within Little Tom's Cove that I've dubbed Tiny Tom's Cove.  This is an excellent morning location when the tide is in (and the cove's mud flat shallows are covered).  The Sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean is directly behind, making for full frontal lighting, and green marsh grass in the distance makes a good backdrop for more distant shots.

The next morning brought a visit to the beach for a sunrise photoshoot with my daughter before packing up and departing.  Her web page is here.

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AtlanticSunrise-AssateagueVA-2013June_D4C0985 AtlanticSunrise-AssateagueVA-2013June_D4C1010 BarnSwallow-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1176-copy BarnSwallowBaby-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0902 ChincoPony-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0767
ChincoPony-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0773 ChincoteagueBayHDR-2013June_S3A6913_4_5 GreatEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0624 GreatEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0630-copy GreatEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0632
GreatEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0633 GreatEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0823-copy GreatEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0826-copy HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0982 copy HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0999
HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1004 HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1006-copy HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1016 HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1025 HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1026
HeronTricolor-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1057 HerringGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0871-copy HerringGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0872-copy HerringGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0888-copy HerringGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0898-copy
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LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0748-copy LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0763 LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0769 LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0773 LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0794
LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0813 LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0815 LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0830-copy LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0832-copy LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0843
LaughingGull-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0856 NightHeronBC-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0807-copy Oystercatcher-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0860 Oystercatcher-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0867 Oystercatcher-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0884
Oystercatcher-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0893 Oystercatcher-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0894 PipingPloverChick-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0782 PipingPloverChick-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0833 PipingPloverChick-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0844
PipingPloverChick-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0848 PipingPloverChicks-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0778 PipingPlovers-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0838-copy PipingPlovers-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0840-copy PipingPlovers-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0842-copy
PipingPlovers-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0847-copy Rabbit-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0802-copy Rabbit-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0804-copy SnowyEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0660-copy SnowyEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0668-copy
SnowyEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0671-copy SnowyEgret-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0819-copy TernForsters-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0719-copy TernForsters-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0720-copy TernForsters-ChincoNWR-2013June_D4C0728-copy
Willet-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0762 Willet-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1126-copy Willet-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1134-copy Willet-ChincoteagueNWR-2013June_D5A1139 Willet-ChincoteagueNWR-2013June_D5A1143
WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0927 WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0973-copy WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0976 WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1068-copy WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1074
WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1076-copy WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1087 WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1094 WilletJuvenile-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1156-copy WilletJuveniles-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0944
WilletJuveniles-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A0959 WilletJuveniles-ChincoNWR-2013June_D5A1118      

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