Jim -- You are correct. My early morning highlights were Merlin, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Nashville Warbler. I did not get your Tennessee, Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, or Blue-headed Vireo, but I did get Cape May, Blackburnian, Canada, and Wilson's. For a "slow" day, it was still one of the best lists I've had this year.
Tim Carney
Baltimore/Anne Arundel
On Wednesday, September 12, 2012 11:12:20 PM UTC-4, jim green wrote:
> Hi everybody:
> �
> I arrived at Elk Neck St. Pk. about one hour before daylight and had some time to kill. Taking advantage of the open gate to the boat launch area I made that my first destination. About 1/3 of the way down the road I heard first one then another Great Horned Owls calling. After listening to them for 15-20 minutes I guessed that there were two pair calling back and forth. At one point one of them flew across the road and landed in the top of a tree and gave me a nice silouette against the beginning dawn light. Once I was down at the boat ramp it was fairly inactive both on the water and land. Ten minutes after the Great Horned Owls stopped calling I heard a not so distant E. Screech Owl call several times.
>
> �
> I�headed over�to the Turkey Point parking area and slowly made my way to the point. Since the winds were from the SSW last night I was not overly optimistic. I decided to spend some time in the partially sunlit forest edges on the way out instead of heading directly to the point. About half way up the path I encountered Tim Carney on his return trip�from the point. If my memory is correct his highlights were a Merlin, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and�a�Nashville�Warbler (none of which woud make their way on to my list). Since the only warbler I had seen up to this point was an American Redstart I headed directly to the point.
>
> �
> Adding to my slow start was a park employee cutting the grass around the lighthouse the entire time that I would be there. I spent the first hour around the perimeter of the lighthouse and had very few migrants. I finally found a pocket of warblers down in the corner�in the woods to the far left of the lighthouse. The vast majority of them were A. Redstarts, N. Parulas and Magnolias. I heard several RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES calling�and had good looks at a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER and a TENNESSEE WARBLER. On the way back I continued to check field/forest edges and added a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a BLUE-HEADED VIREO.
>
> �
> I then drove over to Bethel MHA, arriving shortly before noon�and walked clockwise along the dike. Through my scope I could tell that there were some shorebirds at the water's edge at the far end so I continued in that direction. 3/4 of the way down the path I set up my scope to check out the shorebirds in the shade supplied by a dead tree. As I began to scope I heard�a chip note behind me. In the tree behind me were several birds. Two of them immediately flew out, but of the remaining birds there were 1 N. Parula, 2 Blackpolls and 1 PHILADELPHIA VIREO. At one point� the vireo came down to�a lower branch about 10 feet from me which came me the best views of this bird I had ever seen.�
>
> �
> I then started scoping the shorebirds. I saw 6 Lesser and 4 Greater Yellowlegs, 24 Semi-palmated and 16 Least Sandpipers. There were 2 other shorebirds further around the edge from the others. After moving closer I realized that they were 2 STILT SANDPIPERS. After returning back to the car and looking in Sibley I would say that they juvenile birds. I also saw two terns flying aroung and dive-bomb/feeding that I had not noticed before. One was a Forster's tern and one was a COMMON TERN. There were also Green and Blue-winged Teal present�as well as�Barn, Tree and Rough-winged Swallows feeding and drinking over the water. I saw 2 Great Egrets and one immature Little Blue Heron.
>
> �
> After leaving Bethel MHA I headed back north and then east down Rt. 40 and then hit a few back roads. My most productive stop was at a dried-up creek crossing on Carpenter's Point Rd. where I had 8 species of warblers: Blk-Thr Green (3), Blk & Wht (2), N. Parula(2), Blk Thr Blue (2), A. Redstart (3),TENNESSEE (3),�CANADA (1) and�CAPE MAY�(1).
>
> �
> It was a beautiful day to be out and for me one of the most rewarding days I have spent in Cecil County!
> �
> Jim Green
> Gaithersburg, MD
> �
> work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!
--
|