Date:         Wed, 6 Jun 2001 19:07:37 -0400
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Stan Arnold <blackrail@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      WW Scoter; BN Stilts; Sedge Wren; Moorhen...
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Hi Folks,

I took the day off today (Wed., 6 June), and wanting to go to Hart-Miller
Island to pursue some of the birds found during Gene Scarpulla's latest
visit, was reminded by Gene that H-M is only accessable to birders on
weekends.  Rats.  So I went the other direction, and found myself spending
the day on the eastern shore, mostly in Dorchester and Somerset Counties.
Had some interesting finds, including two birds to add to the year list
(stilt & moorhen).  Highlights:

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER--Elliott's Island Rd.
BLACK-NECKED STILTs--    ditto
SEDGE WREN--        ditto
VIRGINIA RAIL-- ditto
COMMON MOORHEN--Deale Island WMA
CLAPPER RAIL--ditto
SNOW GOOSE--Hurlock WWTP
RUDDY DUCK--  ditto
BANK SWALLOW--ditto
CASPIAN TERN--Tanyard Marsh

Details:

First stop of the morning was Blackwater NWR, in Dorchester Co.  It was a
wet, but still morning, with low clouds and no further rain.  The birds were
singing all over the place.  SUMMER TANAGERs sang at each end of the woods
between the Marsh Trail area, and the open impoundments further down the
wildlife loop.  A BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH uttered a single squeak as I drove
past some pines, and ROYAL and FORSTER'S TERNs dove over the impoundments.
Also, a pair of LEAST TERNs sat on the sandbar of the large impoundment on
the north side of Key Wallace drive, just east of where the wildlife loop
begins.  And finally, ORCHARD ORIOLEs sang from the treetops around the
parking lot at the refuge visitor center.

I departed the refuge via Egypt Road, which was just a flurry of activity.
I listened to a good half dozen N. BOBWHITEs, singing PRAIRIE WARBLERs and
YELLOW-BREASTED CHATs, along with dozens of E. MEADOWLARKs, and a continuous
symphony of singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs.  I even had one of these little
sparrows walking across the road in front of me.  That's a first!  Two WILD
TURKEYs, a flyby RT HUMMINGBIRD, and two singing BLUE GROSBEAKs competing
vociferously with each other atop thistle plants completed the show.  I
loved it.

From there it was off to Elliott's Island Rd., where I had repeats of
EVERYTHING from Egypt Rd., and then the birding really started getting good.
In his Big Day post last month, Marshall Iliff made some inferences about
the ease and consistency with which one can find key birds at Elliott's Is.
Rd.  This is truely one of Maryland's premier birding locations.  Summer,
Winter, day, night, and everytime in between, it's a great place to bird--as
long as you bring plenty of bug juice in the summer.

While on the northern half of Elliott's road, I added YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO,
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, and BALTIMORE ORIOLE to my list for the day.
Passing a stand of pines produced several squeaking BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHes.
After emerging from the woods, in the first large water impoundment on the
right, I found two BLACK-NECKED STILTs, near the southern edge of the water,
easily viewed from the road.  I continued driving, at maybe 15 mph, ever
hopeful of finding a moorhen, which had eluded me all year, despite my
pursuing every report.

MARSH WRENs chattered every foot of the way, and SEASIDE SPARROWs gave
frequent reminders of their presence.  Both of these birds spent plenty of
time at the top of the marsh grass, and were easily viewed with binoculars.
A VIRGINIA RAIL sounded off during one stop I made, and a NORTHERN HARRIER
came sailing overhead.  Among the Black Ducks and Mallards, I was able to
spot a single male GADWALL.  Still no moorhen, but as I approached the town
of Elliott, I could see Fishing Bay on the right, and thought that this
might be an opportunity to find my long-sought Maryland Whimbrel.  I pulled
off the side of the road, and walked the 30 or 40 feet to the water's edge,
and began scoping.  No Whimbrels, but way off to the north, about a half
mile away, was a duck that I thought might be a scoter.  I looked at the
bill shape--could it be an Eider? Nah, maybe possibly a Ruddy Duck, but I
still thought Scoter.  I sure didn't want to walk a half mile up the beach
(it was like quick sand in places), but this could be something good, so off
I slogged through the silt in order to get a better look.  When I had cut my
distance to the duck in half, I again took a look through the scope, and the
dark head had a white teardrop around the eye, and there was small white
patch towards the rear of the flank.  It was an adult male WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER, probably the best find of the day.  Also along the "beach" along
with many WILLETs were three SANDERLINGs.  Finally, to wrap up the finds at
Elliott, about a mile south of where I stopped for the scoter was a SEDGE
WREN, singing from the reeds on the west side of the road.

I didn't find my whimbrel, nor my moorhen, so off I headed to Deale Island
WMA in Somerset Co.  Following the gravel road into the main part of this
refuge, I listened to the usual Marsh Wrens and Seaside Sparrows.  I added
TRICOLORED HERON to the day's list, as I watched many fly by.  I stopped at
the closed gate on the left, which blocks a dirt road along a dyke between
impoundments.  Here I watched several FORSTER'S TERNs, a pair of ROYAL
TERNs, and a single COMMON TERN.  A pair of GADWALLs flushed about 100 feet
away.  Then, out of the impoundment not more than 50 feet distant came the
raspy trumpet sound of COMMON MOORHEN.  I searched and waited and searched
and waited, but the rascal never would show itself.  Oh well, not much
mistaking that voice.

The next locale was Riley Roberts Rd., to the west, leading to a different
part of Deale Island WMA.  Along this road I saw another pair of Gadwall, a
silver-gray N. Harrier, and added CLAPPER RAIL and GLOSSY IBIS to the list.

Now it was time to head back west, with two stops to go.  A stop at Hurlock
Waste Water Treatment Plant in Dorchester Co. produced a pair of SNOW GEESE,
four RUDDY DUCKS (all but one Ruddy being in the southeast cell; usually a
few of these birds summer here every year), and a pair of BANK SWALLOWs
flying over the dyke between the two eastern cells.  I have found this to be
the best place in MD to find Bank Swallow, especially in late summer when
they can amass here by the hundreds.

The last stop was the Tanyard Marsh, Caroline Co., on the east side of the
Hwy 331 bridge over the Choptank River (separating Talbot from Caroline
Co.).  Here a pair of CASPIAN TERNs was the only sighting of interest.

So, the June doldrums aren't always so; there are still a few things out
there to find, when one can take the time to do so.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie
blackrail@earthlink.net

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