Subject: Poplar Island Sightings from December 4, 2012
This report is submitted on behalf of Jan Reese of Talbot County, who
continues to periodically survey the flora and fauna of the Paul Sarbanes
Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island.
The summary of bird observations that follows was taken by permission
from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and MD Port Administration, December
2012, Fauna Monitoring Report for the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration
Project at Poplar Island.
Current conditions of the site include hundreds of acres covered
with barren solidified maintenance dredge materials and/or fresh aqueous
dredge slurry, and excavation/hauling/grading heavy equipment construction
activity widespread within the site. Just off the west side of the island
are numerous sea duck hunters providing frequent loud barrages of
discharging shotguns. Under these conditions the bird inhabitants of the
site are very skittish and many are ready to abandon the location or have
already done so.
Highlight of the census is the presence of five species of
commonly ground-feeding birds using the current sparsely vegetated open
habitats. Most notable is the Lapland Longspur, found for only the second
time in the past decade.
--- Jan Reese
Weather: Moderate Overcast am & pm
Temp: 49-60 degrees F
SPECIES Number of birds
Canada Goose (535)
Tundra Swan (4)
Gadwall (4)
American Wigeon (4)
American Black Duck (464)
Mallard (1552)
Northern Shoveler (6)
Northern Pintail (511)
Green-winged Teal (1419)
Lesser Scaup (1574)
Surf Scoter (1)
White-winged Scoter (1)
Long-tailed Duck (61)
Bufflehead (306)
Red-breasted Merganser (1)
Ruddy Duck (92)
Common Loon (4)
Pied-billed Grebe (3)
Horned Grebe (8)
Northern Gannet (2)
Double-crested Cormorant (8)
Great Blue Heron (23)
Bald Eagle (5)
Northern Harrier (4)
Sanderling (1)
Dunlin (107)
Ring-billed Gull (12)
Herring Gull (262)
Great Black-backed Gull (455)
Horned Lark (10)
European Starling (79)
American Pipit (1)
Savannah Sparrow (5)
Song Sparrow (50)
Lapland Longspur (1)
Snow Bunting (42)
Red-winged Blackbird (588)
Les Roslund
Easton MD 21601
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