Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 08:13:55 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: bob Rineer Subject: Re: On the breeding status of Ruddy Duck in MD MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Marty and Bob, I was leading field trips and doing a lot of birding at the treatment plant in the early nineties. There was a pair of Green-winged Teal that stayed into the summer, however; breeding was never confirmed. Bob Rineer Robert Ringler wrote: > Marty, > I do not recall any Green-winged Teal breeding records other than the > ones Marshall mentioned. I agree with Marshall that all extralimital > breeding records should be documented and that it is unfortunate that the > records committee does not review them. A report of Ruddy Ducks breeding at > Deep Creek Lake during the Atlas was not accepted because their was no > description of the young which may have been one-year old birds summering > with an adult male. The latter bird was easily identified but the birds > traveling with it were just assumed to be its brood. > The new Atlas will be starting next year and we will be requiring > documentation for all such reports. > > Bob Ringler > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Marty Cribb > To: > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2001 4:53 PM > Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] On the breeding status of Ruddy Duck in MD > > > I seem to recall on one of my early field trips with the Baltimore Bird > Club > > around 1993-94 a mention of breeding Green-Winged Teal at the Back River > > Waste Water Treatment Plant in Eastern Baltimore County does anyone else > > recall this or is memory really the second sense we lose. Good Birding, > > Marty Cribb, Point Lookout, St Marys Co, Md > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Marshall Iliff" > > To: > > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2001 2:55 PM > > Subject: [MDOSPREY] On the breeding status of Ruddy Duck in MD > > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > Carol Erwin's recent post raised the possibility of Ruddy Ducks breeding > > at > > > Hurlock Waste Water Treatment Plant, Dorchester County. I thought some > may > > be > > > interested to know what the breeding status of Ruddy Duck actually is in > > > Maryland. > > > This is all of the top of my head so please forgive any minor errata. > > > > > > Maryland has two breeding records of Ruddy Duck, both recent. The first > > > record was in the early 1990s (about 1993?) when a pair bred at Druid > Hill > > > Lake, Baltimore City (some of you may know Druid Hill as the site of the > > > Baltimore Zoo). The second breeding was in 1999 (I think) when Dave > > > Mozurkewich saw a female with a brood of several half-grown young at > Deal > > > Island W.M.A., Somerset County. > > > > > > Ruddy Duck is the most regular summering non-breeding species of > waterfowl > > in > > > Maryland, is annual all summer at Hurlock, and invariably can be found > at > > a > > > number of other small ponds, or sewage ponds (e.g. Easton, Pocomoke, > > Berlin), > > > across the state. Last year I kept track and had Ruddies in June or July > > in > > > Dorchester, Talbot, Caroline, Queen Anne's, Kent, Worcester, and > Baltimore > > > Counties. The Yellow Book has their status drastically underestimated > for > > > summer. > > > > > > I have long anticipated breeding at Hurlock given the regularity with > > which > > > Ruddies summer there (sometimes 10+ birds). Breeding probably would have > > > already occurred if there were more marsh around the edges, but > rip-rapped > > > sewage ponds are not particularly good for nesting waterfowl. Still, the > > fact > > > that weeds often grow up along the dikes and the fact that Ruddies are > > ALWAYS > > > present at Hurlock, makes it a logical choice for the next MD breeding > > > record. > > > > > > That said, I do think it is important to document rare breeding events > > such > > > as Ruddy Ducks. Photos are ideal, but a careful study of the birds > > supported > > > by a detailed description is second best. Many records committees review > > rare > > > breeding records, and I personally (I do NOT speak for the committee > here) > > > think that the MD/DC Records Committee _should_ review such records. If > > you > > > are fortunate enough to witness a rare breeding event such as Ruddy > Ducks > > > breeding in MD, please document it as best you can. > > > > > > Finally, I will close by saying that waterfowl are famous for producing > > > extralimital breeding records. In addition to Ruddy Duck, consider the > > > following ducks that have nested in MD: > > > > > > Ring-necked Duck - one breeding record during the 1990s from Patuxent > > > Wildlife Research Center, Prince George's Co., MD > > > > > > Northern Pintail - One nest with eggs found in 1970s (I think) along the > > > shores of Assawoman Bay, Worcester Co., MD > > > > > > Green-winged Teal - One nest found by Harry Armistead at Deal Island, > > > Somerset Co., in the 1970s (see Maryland Birdlife article) and one brood > > > found by Rick Blom at Courthouse Pt., Cecil Co., MD, more recently > (early > > > 1990s). > > > > > > Northern Shoveler - One brood seen in the Blackwater area of Dorchester > > Co. > > > during the Atlas (mid-1980s). > > > > > > Cinnamon Teal? - One of the more interesting and confusing stories in MD > > > birding lore...a male Cinnamon Teal of unknown provenance was seen at > West > > > Ocean City Pond from April to June sometime in the 1970s. At one point > it > > was > > > noted that he was consorting with a female teal, either Blue-winged or > > > Cinnamon (even Blue-winged would be rare breeding in Worcester). The > > female > > > was never identified but was flushed off a brood of eggs at one point. A > > > Cinnamon Teal breeding record or no? > > > > > > Finally, I note that other states have breeding records of even weirder > > > waterfowl. Delaware has an American Wigeon breeding record apparently, > and > > I > > > heard a rumor of a successful BLACK SCOTER nest in NORTH CAROLINA > (though > > I > > > don't know the details)!! Common Merganser has not been confirmed > breeding > > in > > > MD yet, but would make most top ten most likely lists. Food for thought > > > perhaps... > > > > > > Best, > > > > > > Marshall Iliff > > > > > > *********************** > > > Marshall Iliff > > > miliff@aol.com > > > Annapolis, 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 > > ======================================================================= > > > > ======================================================================= > 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================