Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2001 08:21:47 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Mark Hoffman Subject: Ocean City CBC Results MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable For those Ospreyers who did not participate on the Ocean City CBC, the=20 results as complied by Jay Sheppard. Note that two good territories (Berlin= =20 and South Pocomoke) were not covered, so if you are interested in=20 participating in Maryland's premier CBC (other than the Worcester sector of=20 the Chincoteague count, of course), contact Jay next December! --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2000 OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Fifty-third consecutive Christmas Bird Count including Ocean City Inlet, the= =20 north end of Assateague Island, and several miles of the Pocomoke Swamp. Ocean City, MD. 38=BA 19'N, 75=BA 13'W, center 0.8 mi ESE center of Berlin.= =20 Dec. 28, 2000; 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM; temp. 25-34=B0F. Wind WNW 3-35 mph. =20 Freshwater ponds, salt marshes and small coves mostly frozen; large bays,=20 ocean and running water open; 0-2" old snow on ground. AM partly cloudy, PM= =20 mostly clear. Observers: 45 in field in 26 parties (non-owling); 6 hours=20 and 32 miles owling. Total party-hours 219; party-miles 615; 159 hours and=20 98 miles on foot, and 60 hours and 517 miles by car. Red-throated Loon (found on 53 counts of 53 held) 78, Common Loon (52) 94,=20 loon sp. (3) 3, Pied-billed Grebe (52) 16, Horned Grebe (53) 33, Northern=20 Gannet (37) 313 [Rec. high, previous =3D 176], Brown Pelican (1) 2 [1st rec.= =20 for count day], Double-crested Cormorant (46) 11, Great Cormorant (22) 3,=20 American Bittern (40) 1, Great Blue Heron (53) 132, Tricolored Heron (19) 5,= =20 Black-crowned Night-Heron (44) 30 [New 2nd highest count, current high =3D 4= 1],=20 Black Vulture (49) 59, Turkey Vulture (53) 456, Snow Goose-white phase (49)=20 42,000, Blue phase (35) 98, Ross' Goose (3) 1 [South party], Canada Goose=20 (53) 7,854, Brant (53) 9,283 [Highest count since 1976], Black Brant (1) 1=20 [Inlet party (Douglas Gill), 1st rec.], Mute Swan (6) 6, Tundra Swan (38)=20 285, Wood Duck (40) 20, Gadwall (38) 285 [Rec. high, previous =3D86], Eurasi= an=20 Wigeon (6) 2 [Assateague party; found there in all of last 4 counts],=20 American Wigeon (52) 217, Am. Black Duck (53) 2417, Am. Black Duck OR Mallar= d=20 (1) 48, Am. Black Duck X Mallard hybrid (1) 1, Mallard (53) 4300, Northern=20 Shoveler (43) 213 [New 2nd highest count, current high =3D 222], Northern=20 Pintail (48) 38, Green-winged Teal (53) 59, Canvasback (53) 340, Redhead (31= )=20 9, Ring-necked Duck (48) 45, Greater Scaup (36) 72, Lesser Scaup (35) 35,=20 Common Eider (27) 1, Harlequin Duck (19) 5, Surf Scoter (53) 7, White-winged= =20 Scoter (53) 2, Black Scoter (52) 33, dark scoter sp. (9) 6600, Long-tailed=20 Duck (53) 63, Bufflehead (53) 2680, Common Goldeneye (52) 14, Hooded=20 Merganser (42) 127, Common Merganser (24) 6, Red-breasted Merganser (53) 373= ,=20 Ruddy Duck (51) 173,=20 Bald Eagle (48) 45 [20 ad, 24 imm, 1 unk.; Rec. high, previous =3D 38],=20 Northern Harrier (53) 25, Sharp-shinned Hawk (52) 18, Cooper's Hawk (45) 8=20 [Ties 2nd highest count, current high =3D 10], Red-shouldered Hawk (52) 1,=20 Red-tailed Hawk (53) 39, Rough-legged Hawk (16) 1, Golden Eagle (6) 1=20 [Jenkin's Pond party], American Kestrel (53) 19 [3rd lowest], Merlin (30) 7=20 [Rec. high, previous =3D 5], Peregrine Falcon (29) 1, Wild Turkey (4) 3,=20 Northern Bobwhite (53) 44, Clapper Rail (47) 5, Virginia Rail (32) 3,=20 American Coot (51) 31, Black-bellied Plover (53) 206, Semipalmated Plover=20 (20) 1, Killdeer (53) 87, American Oystercatcher (23) 48, Greater Yellowlegs= =20 (42) 17, Ruddy Turnstone (43) 71, Red Knot (21) 2, Sanderling (53) 343,=20 Western Sandpiper (35) 14, Least Sandpiper (30) 4, Purple Sandpiper (52) 56,= =20 Dunlin (53) 2,140 [Highest count since 1981], Long-billed Dowitcher (3) 1=20 [Assateague party], Common Snipe (50) 17, American Woodcock (50) 38 [Ties=20 highest count], Bonaparte's Gull (53) 117, Ring-billed Gull (53) 9,000,=20 Herring Gull (53) 2,000, Lesser Black-backed Gull (13) 1, Great Black-backed= =20 Gull (53) 382, Forster's Tern (43) 1, Rock Dove (27) 204, Mourning Dove (53)= =20 311, Eastern Screech-Owl (51) 32, Great Horned Owl (53) 15, Northern Saw-whe= t=20 Owl (16) 1, Belted Kingfisher (53) 27, Red-bellied Woodpecker (53) 47,=20 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (52) 10, Downy Woodpecker (53) 65, Hairy Woodpecker= =20 (53) 6 [2nd lowest count, lowest =3D 5], Northern Flicker (53) 185, Pileated= =20 Woodpecker (53) 10,=20 Eastern Phoebe (46) 9, Blue Jay (52) 97, American Crow (53) 304, Fish Crow=20 (35) 1041, crow sp. (3) 119, Horned Lark (53) 15, Tree Swallow (22) 1,=20 Carolina Chickadee (53) 227, Tufted Titmouse (53) 81, White-breasted Nuthatc= h=20 (52) 1, Brown-headed Nuthatch (49) 35, Brown Creeper (53) 8, Carolina Wren=20 (53) 200, House Wren (48) 2, Winter Wren (53) 26, Sedge Wren (39) 2, Marsh=20 Wren (44) 1, Golden-crown Kinglet (53) 119, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (52) 20,=20 Eastern Bluebird (53) 215, Hermit Thrush (53) 50, American Robin (53) 37,000= =20 [Rec. high, previous =3D 30,000], Gray Catbird (53) 10, Northern Mockingbird= =20 (53) 119, Brown Thrasher (52) 19, European Starling (53) 6800, American Pipi= t=20 (46) 114, Cedar Waxwing (51) 87, Orange-crowned Warbler (25) 2, Yellow-rumpe= d=20 (Myrtle) Warbler (53) 3095, Pine Warbler (45) 18, Western Palm Warbler (40)=20 8, Yellow Palm Warbler race (25) 10, Common Yellowthroat (43) 1,=20 Eastern Towhee (53) 50, American Tree Sparrow (41) 4, Chipping Sparrow (45)=20 101, Field Sparrow (53) 61 [Rec. low, previous =3D 77], Savannah Sparrow (53= )=20 148, Ipswich race (48) 31, sharp-tailed sparrow sp. (49) 8, Saltmarsh=20 Sharp-tail Sparrow (4) 4, Seaside Sparrow (20) 4, Fox Sparrow (52) 57, Song=20 Sparrow (53) 915, Lincoln's Sparrow (13) 1, Swamp Sparrow (53) 313,=20 White-throated Sparrow (53) 1705, White-crowned Sparrow (37) 37, Dark-eyed=20 Junco (53) 376, Northern Cardinal (53) 197, Red-winged Blackbird (53) 12400,= =20 Eastern Meadowlark (53) 433, Rusty Blackbird (48) 16, Common Grackle (53)=20 36000, Boat-tailed Grackle (48) 4 [Low], Brown-headed Cowbird (53) 1700,=20 House Finch (36) 96, American Goldfinch (53) 247, House Sparrow (53) 312. TOTALS: 151 species (11th highest, 14 of 53 counts have had 150 or more=20 species), 4 forms, 1 hybrid; no additional species seen during count week;=20 200,185 individuals. PARTICIPANTS: Compiler-Jay Sheppard, 3359 Cranberry South, Laurel, MD=20 20724-2419; EM: jmsheppar@aol.com; Stan Arnold, Tom Bancroft, Marty Barron,= =20 Joy Bowen, Michael Bowen, Paul Bystrak, John Churchill, Lynn Davidson*,=20 Susanna Engvall, Rob Etgen, Kay Gibbons, Doug Gill, Matt Hafner, Joe Halpin,= =20 Sue Hamilton, Tom Harten, Mark Hoffman*, E.B. James, Marge King, Margaret=20 Laughlin, Susan Lawrence, Woody Martin*, Taylor McLean, David Mozurkewich*,=20 Charlie Muise, Dotty Mumford*, John O'Brien, Michael O'Brien*, Paul O'Brien,= =20 Daryl Olson, Paul Pisano, Barb Polilli, Dave Powell, Sue Ricciardi, Chandler= =20 Robbins*, Fran Saunders, Norm Saunders, Mark Scallion, Mark Schilling, Jay=20 Sheppard*, Jim Stasz, Mary Ann Todd, Dave Weaver, Hal Wierenga*, and Louise=20 Zemaitis. (*area leaders). Commentary: This count was preceded by a cool, dry fall, and the numbers for= =20 species that are affected by early cold weather are reflected here. Five=20 species set new record high counts, 1 tied the record high count (Am.=20 Woodcock!), and 3 set new or tied second highest counts. One species that=20 has been seen on all 53 counts set a new low count (Field Sparrow), and=20 several were definitely low in numbers. It was again encouraging to see a=20 new record high set for Bald Eagle. The only species added to the cumulativ= e=20 species list was the Brown Pelican, which had been seen in count week in=20 1994, so it was expected some year although I was surprised it was this year= =20 in the cold. A new form was added: a Black Brant seen by Doug Gill at the=20 inlet. The cumulative list now stands at 238 species, with 25 forms,=20 hybrids, unidentified groups (e.g., crows, scoters). Species not seen on this year's count or during the count week this year but= =20 which have been seen on 11 or more of the previous 25 counts include Great=20 Egret, King Eider, Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl,=20 Red-breasted Nuthatch, Vesper Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, Purpl= e=20 Finch and Evening Grosbeak. A large roost of Am. Robins in West Ocean City,= =20 plus many others seen by other parties accounted for the new high for this=20 species. The low count of Hairy Woodpeckers resulted in the highest ratio o= f=20 Downys to Hairys of 11:1 compared to the previous high of 5.9:1. I thought the berry and seed crops were not exceptional. The terrible winds= =20 and cold weather on the day of the count were factors, including a brief=20 flurry of snow during the morning of the count. Although we had a good=20 turnout of participants, both the Berlin and South Pocomoke areas were not=20 covered this year. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Gail Vaughn, who passed away this=20 past year. She was a staunch supporter of this and other counts in the=20 region, and she will always be missed by all of us who knew and cherished=20 her.-J.M.S. [Jay M. Sheppard, email JMSheppar@aol.com] -------------------------------- Mark 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================