Hi Everyone,
Bill Hubick and I had a fun, full day of birding this past Sunday, 9 Sept
2012. We started at Bayside on Assateague at dawn. Scott Housten arrived
soon after us, and we got to bird with him for a little while before he
headed off to work. We had big plans for Assateague, hoping for a big
movement of migrants with the passage of the front. Unfortunately the
front had not quite pushed through by Sunday morning. Migrants were
relatively few, and we began the day with an overcast sky and even some
intermittent rain. Mosquitoes were impressive on the island; not in a good
way.
Highlights on Assateague included single Whimbrels and Red Knots on the OSV
Zone (see nice photos by Bill in eBird checklist linked below); Solitary
Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Least Flycatcher, and a flock of 3
Red-breasted Nuthatches in the Bayside Campground; and 13 species of
warblers between Bayside, Life of the Marsh, and Life of the Forest,
including a Prothonotary--my first for the island!--at Bayside. The other
warblers were: Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat,
American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Yellow, Pine,
Yellow-throated, Prairie, Black-throated Blue, and Yellow-breasted Chat.
Only Pine Warblers were in double digits (Life of the Forest).
Our Bayside checklist, including a documentation shot of the Prothonotary
Warbler by Bill:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11555106
Our OSV checklist (be sure to enjoy Bill's really nice Whimbrel portrait):
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11559383
We kept our optimism going throughout the OSV Zone, including Fox Hill
Levels, where Bill spotted 2 Western Sandpipers. But even before we exited
the OSV, we were already scheming about the Sabine's Gull: "You know, if we
hurry, we could still chase the Sabine's..." Turned out to be a great idea!
We swung by Skimmer Island "on the way" and saw 4 Marbled Godwits, which
were nice. But way too many people on the island, which was not.
We had to stop at my house in Salisbury to get Bill's car. While I was
inside talking to Carol, Bill was birding and finding a Philadelphia Vireo
right in our yard! A new Wicomico bird for all of us--thanks, Bill! See
Bill's photo of the vireo in the eBird list linked below:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11557641
The drive to Triadelphia was uneventful, and we rushed down to the lake to
find many birders and the very cooperative Sabine's Gull--such a cool bird.
Thank you, Tom and Geraldine! The Sanderling and Baird's Sandpiper were
great bonuses.
A recent photo update from Bill, including some shots from Sunday:
http://www.billhubick.com/photos/updates/20120911.php
Sabine's Gull photos at Maryland Biodiversity:
http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewSpecies.php?species=1076
Have fun,
Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD
<rlgutberlet...>
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