Hello Whimbrel FansI really don't know what to say. today was the most amazing day I have ever seen at Whimbrel Point or anywhere else for that matter. The folks down at Machipongo, God bless 'em gave us the heads-up first thing. 3000 Whimbrels leaving the marshes. Sounds pretty encouraging , doesn't it? like maybe you might see a couple hundred fly past the point? Our brothers and sisters were right. They said get ready to stay out all day!
So out we trudged in our warm clothes having been told it was going to get hot later but so what it was cold at 6am and after all we are Canadian. As long as we saw some Whimbrels who cares? I can't remember exactly when they started to come but I do remember having to put my lunch down to record the first bunch of birds. When the next bunch came and looked like they might land I went out as fast as I could and put out the signs to keep the dog walkers off.
Then the flocks started. and they were not too afraid to land. In fact, for the rest of the day we practically had to beat 'em back with a stick.
Just listen to this. I'll have the breakdown for you tomorrow but as of 6 pm when we were all out of the Park we had seen 4,458 Whimbrels, some 500 or so which for some time landed at Whimbrel Point,accompanied by dozens of BlackBellied Plovers and a few RuddyTurnstones and huge bunches of Dunlin.
We'll give you some breakdowns tomorrow. Right now I'm still shaking.
And I have to go to bed.
GoodNight and GoodBirds,
Tim
No comments:
Post a Comment