Assateague Island Visitor Center
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Our first Delmarva Birding field trip was on the last Friday in January. We parked at the Assateague Island Visitor Center near Berlin, Maryland. It was cold and windy; there had been mist as we were driving but it was dry for the afternoon. They had large table maps of Assateague Island at the visitor center; we’d been to the Tom’s Cove end of the Island (when we went to Chincoteague, Virginia) but had never been to the northern part of the island.
After the group gathered, we headed off toward the Verrazano Bridge which has a nice walk/bike path on a separate span than the car traffic.
Before we got to the bridge we saw a Mockingbird and then a cluster of Greater Black-backed Gulls as we started up the ramp of the bridge.
Once on the bridge, there was a lot to see in the water underneath. I managed to photograph a few birds. There were a pair of Horned Grebe (non-breeding plumage) and then I got another as a silhouette in the glints of sunlight.
A Red-Breasted Merganser (male) was below as well.
The Bufflehead were numerous but diving a lot. I managed a few pictures…but they were mostly blurs or butts.
We headed back to the visitor center and then on the trail toward the Rackliffe Plantation House. A Great Blue Heron was feeding in the wetland grasses.
I couldn’t resist a few botanical photos – a pinecone with sun glint needles in the background and a twig with some very curly lichen.
A flock of Brant (a small goose) were avoiding the golfers on the course.
They would fly up occasionally…move a short distance…settle down again.
Then there were some Eastern Bluebirds that flew into some trees near our group…kept a wary eye on us.
We then hiked back to the visitor center and caravaned around toward the entrance to Rum Point Seaside Golf Links. The ponds had Ring-necked Ducks (and mallard and black ducks).
A Great Egret was searching for food nearby.
There were also some Canada Geese in a field. I am including a picture here to compare with the Brant. The Brant are smaller but they are both geese so have a similar look.
And then the Canada Geese took off…and it was the ending time for the field trip anyway!
