Chincoteague Virginia - Dave Grant - Sandy Hook, NJ index.htm

Chincoteague Virginia
Chincoteague Virginia is famous for its ponies, wildlife and especially oysters (Just like Sandy Hook Bay was a century ago). Development and industrial pollution forced out the oyster industry in New York Harbor 100-years ago; but Chincoteague has avoided major development so far.

	Can this be "Misty" the famous pony? In the background is the tallest landmark in the area, the Assateague lighthouse. Like the Sandy Hook lighthouse in New Jersey, it was built where there is accretion occurring and is now inland from the surf.
A Forster's tern admires the lighthouse.
	Shorebirds and other wildlife are abundant because of the proximity of the National Wildlife Refuge.
Barn swallows and other insectivorous birds thrive on mosquitoes and other biting insects like flies.
	The channelled whelk (Busycon canaliculatum) is a common inhabitant of the bay. These are the largest of the local snails, are predators on bivalves and open them by banging their heavy shells against their prey. They are also a main ingredient of the favorite Italian dish *scungili*.
A "Jimmy" (Large male blue claw crab) expresses his concern over being caught in a trap. Don't worry, we let him go. (Below) Laughing gulls nest on the marsh islands in the early summer, and broods of ducks are common too.


Fishing is big business for man and beast at Chincoteague.
A favorite activity on the beach at night is searching for the semi-terrestrial ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata). Here is a female (Above) with a male (Below). Ocypode means "swift-footed."
	Sea oats (Uniola) During the day we went on beachwalks and looked for southern dune plants like sea oats, and the studied the shifting shores and evidence of it - like these alternating laminations of storm and fair-weather sands.
At night we explored the freshwater areas searching for tree frogs, important environmental indicators.
	Sometimes the frogs found us!
A female snapping turtle searching for a nesting site, and toads searching for food are some of the many wetlands dependent creatures at the refuge.
	Fowlers toads (Bufo fowleri) and the habitat of other amphibians can be threatened by human activities.
Glossy ibis.
The woodlands are filled with singing birds in the Spring and on the edges you might spot a fence lizard basking in the sun.
	Hunters train their dogs in anticipation of the Fall waterfowl hunting season.
A lazy cat on someone's porch waves "good-bye."