The Scribbling Jay: Dauphin Island

After an unsuccessful first trip to Dauphin Island, Eamon and I went on a return trip when we were sure there would be no parades blocking the only main street on the island. We had heard many great things about shorebirds this time of year with reports of red knots and a stilt sandpiper. After getting a fairly early start, we got to the island in the morning with fantastic weather. I had seen the location of the local Audubon sanctuary on a map, so we headed that direction first. I didn't realize it was a forest area, which will be great for migration fallout in the spring, but little good this time of year (especially when looking for shorebirds!). We went to the eastern edge of the island with little luck, and it turned out that all the good reports were from the other side of the island. There were some buffleheads up close, and some male red-breasted mergansers in the distance and one of the docks.

Female and Male Bufflehead

Male Red-breasted Merganser

We drove to the west side of the island and went for a walk on the beach, looking for some good birds. After walking along the shore, we came across some inland pools that looked like they filled with the tide or during storms. We came to the first pool and were hesitant as to not scare the birds away. As we got closer, we saw that there were more pools even farther back. After scanning for the red knot and stilt sandpiper, I decided to walk between two pools in an attempt to get some close ups on some of the birds.

Dunlin

Dunlin making a funny face

Black-bellied Plover

American Oystercatcher

Northern Gannet

Male and Female Redheads

Reddish Egret

Short-billed Dowitchers trying to run away!

After scouring the western beach for the red knot and stilt sandpiper, we decided to try our luck at a beach that was near a golf course on the south central part of the island. We drove up to the golf course and saw that the gate was closed, and a sign with charges for admission to just walk around the grounds. We were just getting ready to leave when a man pulled up next to us on a motor scooter. He asked us in a very Philadelphian accent if we were trying to get out onto the course. I told him that we were, and he asked where in Pennsylvania I was from, as he was from Philadelphia. I told him where I was from, and he knew of the area. He wanted to know what we were looking for since he had seen my camera and our binoculars. We explained about working on the Sandhill Crane Refuge and that we were biologists just looking for some bird species on our day. He was very interested since he had friends who were biologists, and hunters who had hunted for Sandhill Cranes in North Dakota. I should mention that it is legal to hunt them in many mid-west states. He told me to follow behind him so he could show us the way the locals get onto the course.

Willet

Horned Grebe

I got some fairly close pictures of a banded piping plover while on the western beach. Below is a brief description of all of the different bands on the bird's legs. Feel free to email me if you want to know any more about them! scribblingjay@gmail.com