Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001 20:14:43 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Mark Hoffman Subject: Crisfield CBC-Worcester County Sector Results Comments: cc: 74077.3176@compuserve.com, Chan_Robbins@usgs.gov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit WORCESTER COUNTY SECTOR 2000 CRISFIELD, MARYLAND, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Hickory Point, Worcester County, MD. Dec. 27, 2000. Times: 0645-1715; owling 0523-0645. Freshwater ponds frozen, Pocomoke River open. Observers: 1 in 1 party. Total party-hours 10.5; 8.5 on foot, 2.0 by car. Total party-miles 11.8; 5.0 on foot, 6.8 by car. Owling party-hours 1.4; party-miles 1.5. All areas in Worcester County, Maryland, including Hickory Point Road and Swamp, adjacent Pocomoke River, and Pocomoke River from Cedar Hall Wharf Road Boat Ramp. All comments refer to the 7 years (1993-2000, except 1995) for which complete data is currently available for this sector. Species in caps are new to the cumulative list. New highs are indicated. (X/7) means the species has been recorded on X of the 7 counts. Pied-billed Grebe 0 (2/7); Great Blue Heron 1; Black Vulture 0 (4/7); Turkey Vulture 62; Canada Goose 610 (new high, prev. high 265); Wood Duck 2 (4/7); American Black Duck 3; Mallard 175 (new high, prev. high 107); Green-winged Teal 4 (4/7); Red-breasted Merganser 1 (2/7, Cedar Hall Wharf); RUDDY DUCK 1 (new species, Cedar Hall Wharf); Bald Eagle 7 (6 ad., 1 imm); Northern Harrier 2; Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 (new high); Cooper's Hawk 1; Red-shouldered Hawk 3 (new high, prev. high 2); Red-tailed Hawk 5 (new high, prev. high 2); American Kestrel 1; VIRGINIA RAIL 4 (new species, Pocomoke River marsh near Hickory Pt. Road); Killdeer 6; Common Snipe 4; Ring-billed Gull 512; Herring Gull 16; Great Black-backed Gull 5; Mourning Dove 6; Eastern Screech-Owl 4; Great Horned Owl 6 (new high, prev. high 5); Barred Owl 3 (4/7); Belted Kingfisher 0 (6/7); Red-bellied Woodpecker 13; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4 (new high, prev. high 3); Downy Woodpecker 28; Hairy Woodpecker 4; Northern Flicker 28; Pileated Woodpecker 4; Eastern Phoebe 0 (3/7); Blue-headed Vireo 0 (3/7, not found since '97); Blue Jay 0 (3/7, scarce here); American Crow 48; Fish Crow 21; Carolina Chickadee 66; Tufted Titmouse 12; White-breasted Nuthatch 4 (new high, prev. high 3, 2/7); Brown-headed Nuthatch 7 (ties high); Brown Creeper 2; Carolina Wren 26; MARSH WREN 2 (new species, Pocomoke River marsh near Hickory Pt. Road); Winter Wren 4; Golden-crowned Kinglet 30; Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2; Eastern Bluebird 32; Hermit Thrush 60 (not a new high, but a lot for one observer in one day); American Robin 68; Gray Catbird 4; Northern Mockingbird 2; Brown Thrasher 13 (new high, prev. high 9, 6/7); European Starling 270; Cedar Waxwing 0 (5/7); Yellow-rumped Warbler 173; Pine Warbler 3 (new high, prev. high 1, 2/7); Eastern Towhee 3; Chipping Sparrow 60; Field Sparrow 5; VESPER SPARROW 2 (new species, pasture/field along Hickory Point Rd); Savannah Sparrow 41 (new high, prev. high 17, 3/7); Fox Sparrow 24 (new high, prev. high 19, 6/7); Song Sparrow 25; Swamp Sparrow 29; White-throated Sparrow 180 (new high, prev. high 115); Dark-eyed Junco 59 (new high, prev. high 40); Northern Cardinal 38; Red-winged Blackbird 15,000 (new high, prev. high 10,000); Eastern Meadowlark 7; Rusty Blackbird 2 (4/7); Common Grackle 23,000 (new high, prev. high 20,800); Brown-headed Cowbird 100; American Goldfinch 37. TOTAL SPECIES 70 (ties best, same as last year). 40,988 individuals. Cumulative species total 94, 4 species added. PARTICIPANTS: Mark L. Hoffman (MLH, compiler-7263 Norris Ave., Sykesville, MD, 21784, Mhoff36100@aol.com). Commentary: The highlight at Hickory Point this year was access to a parcel of private property along Hickory Point Road, with Pocomoke River marsh frontage. This allowed the addition of Marsh Wren and Virginia Rail to the cumulative list, while the Vesper Sparrows were found in the cattle pasture/fallow fields here. Interestingly, of the three times I have found Vespers on Worcester County CBCs since 1993 (twice on Chincoteague and once here), on each occasion the birds were within a couple hundred feet of a house. Marshall take note! (Although he did finally get one his WC Vesper this fall on Assateague). ------------------------------- Mark L. Hoffman Sykesville, MD Mhoff36100@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================