Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 10:29:14 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "J. B. Churchill" Subject: Re: Ocean City CBC scouting In-Reply-To: <002501c069c0$9ae04440$ab8e13cf@default> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Ben, Allow me to answer for Marshall. Skimmer Island is often called "4th Street Flats" from which the island is best viewed. I believe it was called Skimmer Island in the 1950's when Colonial Waterbird studies were first conducted there by Robbins and Stewart. You get to the 4th street area by driving into Ocean City and turning left on 3rd Street and heading towards the bayside. When it dead ends at the bay, turn right and park. Scope out the island/sandbar for gulls, shorebirds, pelicans and cormorants. Directions to Eagles Nest CG are on the MOS shorebirding page. http://www.mdbirds.org/shorebirds.html#Worcester Be sure and check in at the office (or with the guy in the golf cart if hes not in the office). South Point is the area South of Rt 611 as you head towards Assateague. The road to AINS headquarters (Rt 611) turns sharply left less than a mile before the Verrazano Bridge. If you go straight here instead of following the main road, you will go to South Point. It is mostly private property but there are 2 golf courses, a public boat landing (at the end of the road) and a few as yet undeveloped lots that can have birds. Good Birding, J.B. At 08:35 AM 12/19/2000 -0500, you wrote: >Marshall: > I am planning a trip to the OC area this week. Some of the locations on >your post are unfamiliar to me. If time would permit, could you identify >the locations of the following: Skimmer Island, Eagles Nest Camp Ground, >and South Point. Many thanks for your help. > >Ben Poscover >Towson MD >bposcovde@bcpl.net >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Marshall Iliff" >To: >Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 8:56 PM >Subject: [MDOSPREY] Ocean City CBC scouting > > > > Hi all, > > > > I will be leading a pair of Victor Emanuel Nature tours (VENT) trip to >Belize > > starting Thurday 21 Dec and running through 3 Jan. As a result, I will >miss > > my five favorite Xmas Counts (Ocean City, Chincoteague, Crisfield, Cape > > Charles, VA, and of course, Annapolis). I had hoped that my living in >Ocean > > City would allow me to discover a number of hot stakeouts for the OC CBC, >but > > unfortunately, have been unable to produce anything really stellar. > > Nonetheless, below are a few decent birds I have seen in the area recently > > which Ocean City counters should be on the lookout for: > > > > At the Inlet: 1 Red Knot was present through at least Friday, 8 Dec. I >expect > > this bird to winter here. Harlequin Ducks peaked at 5, all of which may >still > > be present. Still no eiders. > > > > At the Wal-Mart fields: Sparrow number sare much reduced for last year >(but > > may build by count time). Several White-crowned Sparrows are present and >an > > Orange-crowned Warbler was present along the gut dividing the first field > > field (where the CCSPs spent most of their time last year). I saw it w/ > > George Armistead 7 Dec as it foraged about 2/3 of the way along the brushy > > hedgerow bordering the gut. A Lincoln's Sparrow *may* have vocalized from >the > > Phrag area where the gut meets the road, but was heard by George A. only, > > also 7 Dec. > > > > Skimmer Island: One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, in heavy wing molt, >has > > been present on and off on Skimmer Island and feeding in the Bay around >the > > island. One evening I saw what was likely the same bird roosting with a >large > > gull flock on the beach just north of the Fishing Pier (or directly >opposite > > Division St. if you want to drive there instead of walking from the >inlet). I > > believe this flock gathers an hour before dusk and stringly recommend that > > someone check it on count day as it is the largest flock on the beach >south > > of 28th St. (I rollerbladed from there to the inlet one evening). > > > > At West OC Pond: Not much of note, but 1710 Canvasbacks today. No Redhead > > today in a cursory look, but many ducks were tucked out of view in the > > willows. One male Redhead was there last week. Also present were N. >Pintail, > > GW Teal, BC Night-Heron (17+), Greater Scaup (1 fem), Lesser Scaup, Am. > > Wigeon (just 2), shoveler, etc.. I have seen no summer herons in the Ocean > > City area since late November. > > > > At Ocean Pines Pond: Still relatively few ducks, but 1-3 Double-crested >and > > 2-3 Great Cormorants present on most visits. Since the Greats are present > > most but not all of the time, I'd be interested to know if anyone sees >them > > roost there at night or if they always leave the pond to roost. Always has > > struck me as a strange location for the species. > > > > At Eagle's Nest Campground: No sightings of the Marbled Godwit since >Sunday, > > 3 Dec. From 1-3 Willets have been present however on most visits, though I > > did not see any today. The highlight today around 4:00 was a single > > Semipalmated Plover, a bird not seen on most recent counts but which we >had 2 > > of last year, also at Eagle's Nest. > > > > Assateague Boat Ramp: No recent sightings of the Lark Sparrow, but >something > > for Norm and Fran to watch for. > > > > South Point: The Genesar Mansion grounds *always* has at least one > > Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The immature Great Cromorant found by John B. > > Churchill in mid-November has continued most days at the Ocean City Golf > > Course on the right about 2 mi after the split with Rte. 611. > > > > In the Chincoteague CBC circle George Armistead and I found FOUR > > Yellow-breasted Chats on 8 Dec, and a detailed map of each location has >been > > passed on to Michael O'Brien who will be expected to produce at least one! > > > > That's all I have to offer. No Snowy Owls had shown up by Monday, 18 > > December, so that pretty much guarantees that one will be present and > > much-enjoyed by all between 21 Dec-3 Jan...probably sitting on my roof! > > > > Good CBC-ing to all, > > > > Marshall Iliff > > miliff@aol.com > > Ocean City, MD > > > > ======================================================================= > > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > > ======================================================================= > > > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= ====================================================== John B. Churchill, M.S. Home (304) 292-5072 GIS Analyst Work (304) 293-4832 West Virginia University ext. 4456 Natural Resource Analysis Center http://www.nrac.wvu.edu/users/jbc ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================