Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 23:43:09 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Arlene Ripley Subject: Spring Count--Flag Ponds, Cove Point Comments: To: md-smas@yahoogroups.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Here's a summary of my Spring Count day in Calvert County, MD: FLAG PONDS PARK: What a difference a few days make! As I arrived at the beach just after dawn, I was delighted to find several hundred HORSESHOE CRABS along the edge of the surf. They were actively engaged in mating. They're earlier than usual this year and because of this I'm hoping for a good shorebird showing over the next few weeks. This morning I found that the SPOTTED SANDPIPERS had really moved in with 21 counted along the beach. Also seen were LEAST SANDPIPERS (6), WESTERN SANDPIPERS (2), SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS (1), SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (1) and a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS. I was pleased to find a pair of AMERICAN PIPITS at one of the beach ponds -- a new addition to the Flag Ponds checklist! Other highlights at Flag Ponds were a large flock of ROYAL TERNS, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS (2), YELLOW-THROATED (2) and BLUE-HEADED VIREOS, VEERYS, and 19 species of warblers. Newly arrived were MAGNOLIA, BLUE-WINGED and BLACKPOLLS. Both LOUISIANA and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES were seen and heard and SCARLET (9) and SUMMER TANAGERS (4) were easy to find. A single female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was found along lower North Ridge Trail. COVE POINT (Williams Cove Pt. Natural Gas Plant): A surprisingly good variety of waterfowl were found on the larger reservoir. Included were a single RING-NECKED DUCK, WOOD DUCK (11), AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (2) in amongst the many breeding Canada Geese and Mute Swan pair (no cygnets, thank goodness). The beach area yielded a SOLITARY SANDPIPER, Greater Yellowlegs, Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls as well as Forster's and Common Terns. The two tanager species were common as well as many breeding Osprey here. A single BLUE GROSBEAK was found on the path to the beach. A few other stops in Calvert County found RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS, ORCHARD ORIOLE, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, HORNED LARK and EASTERN MEADOWLARK. I searched in vain for Bobolinks at all of the usual spots but got rained out before finishing my search. Total species for the day: 115 Except for the rain squall at the end of the day, the weather was perfect. //////// Arlene Ripley | || Calvert County, MD | 0 || aripley@nestbox.com | || http://www.nestbox.com || ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================