Second Annual Assateague Sage Thrasher Hunt - 10/27/2012
Background
One of the rarest western vagrants to the East Coast of the United States,
from the sage lands of the interior west, the Sage Thrasher has been record
one time in Maryland - October 24, 1971 (Rowlett 1971), on Assateague
Island, in the area around the boarder between the northern edge of the
State Park and National Seashore (roughly the end of the Shell Road). In
those days, this was an area of dense scrub thickets.
There are several additional late-fall records for the Atlantic seaboard
(by year):
Barnegat, New Jersey, 27 Nov 1949
Shinnecock Inlet, New York, 18 Oct 1958
Plum Island, Massachusetts, 26 Oct 1965
Chincoteague NWR, VA, 10 Oct 1985
Spring Lake , New Jersey, 30 Oct 1990
Sandy Hook, New Jersey, 20-21 Oct 2009
The vast majority of records fall in a narrow window during the latter part
of October, and have occurred very close to the immediate coast. Hence,
the effort is to get a team of people looking for this species in the
proper habitat and at the proper time of year.
I have always been concerned that potential declines in the species'
population would lessen the potential for a vagrant record, but was pleased
by the 2009 record from New Jersey. Hope lives!!
Last year�s effort was largely weathered out, but we will trying again on
this coming Saturday, October 27th.
The Habitat
As we know, migrants often tend to occur in habitat with at least
morphological similarities to their nesting or wintering areas. Hence, the
thickets of myrtle and bayberry between the dune line and the wooded
hammocks and marsh of Assateague would appear to be the best areas to
search.
The Plan
Assateague has been divided into a group of sectors, and folks will be
assigned to parties and sectors like a CBC. Bird records will be kept by
sectors. For those in the OSV zone, keep a separate list for the
ocean-side as "OSV Zone", but just included birds ocean-ward of your
assigned sector.
We will coordinate by meeting at the traditional Bayside Point for the
"dawn flight", where I will hand out maps. If folks want to go straight to
their area, that is ok with me, but let me know and I can email the maps.
Email me privately if you are interested in participating, there are more
details that I will go be going into; also let me know if you have an OSV
pass. Of course, this is a great time of year for other western vagrants
as well.
Good birding,
Mark Hoffman
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