Date: 8/27/12 9:08 am
From: Frank Marenghi <frank_marenghi...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Eastern Shore, Sunday 8/26 - Wilson's Phalarope, Am Golden Plover, Baird's, Merlin, 11 warblers



I spent the whole birding the Eastern shore yesterday with Jeff Shenot where we were able to successfully dodge almost all of the thunderstorms! We started at John Brown Rd unsuccessfully looking for the previously reported Buffies (virtually birdless here expect for a few Horned Larks.

We then headed to Terrapin Beach Park on Kent Island where we found several nice warbler flocks including Blue-winged, Canada, Magnolia, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, etc. We then stopped at the Chesapeake Environmental Center (Horsehead) and added Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine, Brown-head Nuthatch, and a surprise Merlin, seen well perched in the top of a snag along the edge of the marsh.

We head towards Tanyard Marsh but at this point we got walloped by some very intense rain that caused almost zero visibility, very reminiscent of a tropical storm! In Easton, several of the streets had turned into fast flowing streams of several inches of water. Luckily, we were able to drive through to the other side of the storms and by the time we got to Hurlock, it was no longer raining. We found 3 American Golden Plovers in near-breeding plumage in a flooded field with lots of Killdeer, Pectoral Sands, Semi Plovers, Semi Sands, etc. and a large flock of Laughing Gulls at teh corner of 331 and Stagecoach Rd, just west of Hurlock. Here, Jim Staz let us know about a Wilson's Phalarope that he had in the NW cell at the Hurlock WWTP. After several minutes of searching the bird appeared - it was always moving quickly in and out of the grass eating insects off the grass the blades. We watched it for quite a while getting to study its distinctive plumage, posture, and feeding style with excellent scope views. There were also at least three White-rumped Sandpipers here with a number of Semi-sands, etc.

From there we headed to some flooded fields on Log Cabin Rd outside Salisbury where Jim reported seeing a Buff-breasted. We did not relocate this bird but did turn up a Baird's Sandpiper, seen well in the scope. It was loosely associating with a flock of approx. 20 Pectoral sands, which gave a good comparison.

Another great day of birding on Maryland's eastern shore. Full list below.

Frank Marenghi
Annapolis, MD



Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin - CBEC; seems like an early migrant
American Kestrel
Osprey
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper - single bird in flooded field near Salisbury
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
American Golden Plover - 3 individuals near breeding plumage; Stagecoach Rd and 331
White-rumped Sandpiper - 3 at Hurlock WWTP, NW cell
Pectoral Sandpiper - up to 2 dozen, log cabin rd, Salisbury; various other fields
Baird's Sandpiper - 1 individual log cabin rd, Salisbury;
Wilson's Phalarope - 1, Hurlock WWTP, NW cell
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Laughing Gull
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Brown-headed Nuthatch - CBEC
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Pine Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler - CBEC
Northern Parula - Terrapin Beach Park
Black-and-white Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Magnolia Warbler - Terrapin Beach Park
Canada Warbler - Terrapin Beach Park
Chestnut-sided Warbler - Terrapin Beach Park
Blue-winged Warbler - Terrapin Beach Park
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow - Cherry Ln sod farm
Bobolink - various fly-overs
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
European Starling

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