I just got back from the young birders new ABA camp called Camp Avocet. It took place in Cape Henlopen located in southern Delaware from August 11-17th. It was an age group ranging from 13 to 18. There were many counselors every day. The counselors were Bill Stewart, Bill Schmoker, Holly Merker, Gwen, George Armistead, David La Puma Jeff Gordon, the Apples to Apples champion Liz Gordon, and for one day we were accompanied by National Geographic Illustrator Jonathan Alderfer. We stayed over night at the Biden Center in Cape Henlopen State Park. We all had a dorm with three campers in it. We woke up very early in the morning, usually around 6:00, but once we had to wake up at 4:45, and then we would take a trip to a different place every day.
On the first day, Sunday, we went over to the beach at the point of Cape Henlopen State Park. There I got one lifer, a Royal Tern. We also got black scoters, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and a Common Loon. Before leaving, we turned the scopes towards the sky and looked at the moon and Saturn.
The second day, Monday, we changed our plans from going to Prime Hook to going to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Assateague, Virginia because there was a report of a Bar-tailed Godwit. Throughout the whole day I got seven lifers. At Chincoteague, I got six lifers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Sandwich Tern, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Pectoral Sandpiper. Earlier that day I got my lifer Brown-headed Nuthatch at the Biden Center.
On the first day, Sunday, we went over to the beach at the point of Cape Henlopen State Park. There I got one lifer, a Royal Tern. We also got black scoters, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and a Common Loon. Before leaving, we turned the scopes towards the sky and looked at the moon and Saturn.
Blurry, digiscoped Saturn
The picture of Saturn above looks like there are multiple Saturns, but that is just because of me shaking with the long exposure shutter speed.
The second day, Monday, we changed our plans from going to Prime Hook to going to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Assateague, Virginia because there was a report of a Bar-tailed Godwit. Throughout the whole day I got seven lifers. At Chincoteague, I got six lifers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Sandwich Tern, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Pectoral Sandpiper. Earlier that day I got my lifer Brown-headed Nuthatch at the Biden Center.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Blue Grosbeak
Bar-tailed Godwit (Center)
On Tuesday we went out to the Great Cypress Swamp in south-western D.E. There I didn't get any life birds but it was flooded with Red-headed Woodpeckers and I got one lifer Five-lined Skink and a lifer Southern Leopard Frog. There were also many Common Grey Tree frogs.
Red-headed Woodpecker
Southern Leopard Frog
Common Grey Treefrog (Dark Green Phase)
Common Grey Treefrog (Light Green Phase)
Five-lined Skink
After the Great Cypress Swamp we went to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. There I got three lifers, a Black-necked Stilt and a White-rumped Sandpiper.
White-rumped Sandpiper
Black-necked Stilt
On Wednesday we had to wake up extra early to do a night call walk. We didn't get much, but we got a ton of Common Nighthawks. After that we went to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. There I got three lifers, a Tundra swan, American Avocets, and Western Sandpiper. After that we went to the Dupont Nature Center in Mispillion Delaware. There I got one lifer, a King Eider.
Tundra Swan
American Avocet
On Thursday we took a ferry over to Cape May, New Jersey. There I got one lifer, a Euraisan Collared Dove. We also saw many Great Black-backed Gulls fishing behind the Ferry on the way over.
Euraisan Collared Dove
Great Black-backed Gull
On Friday, the last day before we were picked up we did a Big Green Hour. This was in the state park. We were given just one hour to find as many bird species as possible with out using a car or any motorized vehicle. We were arranged into teams of 3 to 5. My team consisted of four people, me, Eamon, Brenden, and Noam. During this I surprisingly got one life bird a Prarie Warbler. The rest of my team also got a life bird, a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler
After the Big Green Hour we went to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge but didn't see much. After that, we went swimming in the ocean. Friday evening we finished up the day with a photo quiz held by Bill Schmoker, and we listened to a few "birderized" spoofs of prominent songs. The photo quiz is pretty self explanatory, there were photos of birds in unusual plumages or in odd positions that we had to guess what species of bird it was. There were 32 possible points. First place, Brendan got 28 out of 32, second place, Silus, got 26 out of 32, and third place, Mike and I tied, got 24 out of 32. Like I said, after the photo quiz, we listened to song spoofs performed by Brendan, and Caleb. They sang 5 songs, Moves Like Jeager, originally Moves Like Jaeger, Chase Me Maybe, originally Call Me Maybe, Flight Calls, originally Thrift Shop, Migrants Go By, originally American Pie, and Bill Stewart, originally Piano Man. Then we went to bed.
The next morning we watched a Black Widow eat a Lady Bug then sadly packed up our things, said our goodbye's and then left.
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