Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 06:35:46 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Stan Arnold Subject: Re: Marbled Godwit Question Part 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mark, Nice rundown on the MAGO! Thanks from all of us who didn't ask the question, but still appreciate the help. Stan Arnold -----Original Message----- From: Mark Hoffman To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Date: Thursday, July 19, 2001 10:54 PM Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Marbled Godwit Question Part 1 >Norm - > >I'd like to follow-up on your post requesting information about finding >Marbled Godwits (MAGOs) in Maryland. As a species by far most common in >Maryland in Worcester County, your hitting my "home" turf. The status line >in the yellow book is basically its status there. Also, it has always been >one of my favorite species to see in Maryland, and finding one always makes >for a red-letter day, so I welcome the chance to talk about this species. My >Worcester database says I have seen this species on 15 occasions in the >county. > >A quick query of the database comes up with a total of 85 county "records" (a >complete listing, due to its length, is provided in a second email). I don't >know the combined number or reports for other locations in Maryland (with >Hart-Miller certainly being by far the best), but this species has only shown >up a handful of times at locations like Sandy Point State Park, Deal Island, >etc. Along the East Coast of the US, it is a very maritime species. In >fact, there might be more "inland" records of Hudsonian Godwit for Maryland. > >For Worcester County, I have actually drafted a species account for MAGO for >my Birds of Worcester County, Maryland (in prep.): > >MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa) >STATUS: Rare spring and uncommon fall migrant, rare winter visitor. >SPRING: Five records. 1, 1 May 1976 (WC, MOS May Count); 1, 8 May 1965 (WC, >ANS May Count); 1, 10 May 1968 (OC, MOS Convention); 1, 14 May 1955 (OC, >Stewart and Robbins); 1, 19 May 1956 (West OC, P. G. DuMont). >FALL: Extreme arrival: 1, 26 Jun 1994 (AI/Fox Hill Levels, Hoffman); 1, 28 >Jun 1978 (AI/North End, Wieboldt); 1, 16 Jul 1980 (AI/North End, Hoffman), >regular thereafter. Normal period: Late-Jul to late-Oct. Peak: Late-Aug to >mid-Oct. Maxima: 14, 31 Aug 1952 (OC, Griffin & Westhaver); 8, 6 Sep 1952 >(OC, Power) and 27 Sep 1969 (OC/6th St. Flats, Warfield); 5, 19 Oct 1985 (AI, >M. O'Brien et al.). Extreme departure: Occasionally occurs into winter, so >departure status of some late individuals problematical. Remarks: >Approximately 46 records as follows: Jun (2 records/2 individuals), Jul >(6/6), Aug (13/28), Sep (18/38), Oct (9/18). >WINTER: Has occurred in Nov (3 times), Dec (7), Jan (4), Feb (2) Mar (1), and >Apr (1). Recorded to late-Dec in 1958 (1 individual), 1967 (3), 1970 (1), >1977 (1), 1980 (3) and 1996 (1) (all OC CBC); with singles lingering to Jan >in 1978 , 1981, 1997; to Mar in 1971, and to Apr in 1997. All records in >Jan-Apr of individuals known to be present in OC area since late-Dec, except >for 1, 29 Jan 1994 (Skimmer Island, M. O'Brien and Hoffman) and 1, 19 Jan >1998 (OC, Jett), not preceded or followed by other sightings. Extreme >departure: 1, 22 Dec 1996-15 Apr 1997 (OC, Mult. Obs.). >HABITAT: Tidal flats. >FINDING: Skimmer Island, AI/North End, Hungerford, Fox Hills Levels, Eagle's >Nest. > >Additionally, given the interest is this species I would also add something >along the following: > >Location > >Traditionally, the best area in Worcester County for Marbled Godwit has been >the bayside flats along the northern end of Assateague Island. This is were >the species was first "officially' recorded in the county in 1945 by Robert >Stewart and the location of many subsequent records, despite the relative >inaccessibility of this area. In the past, this area was birded by boat or >by walking up the north end of Assateague from the State Park. Due to the >closures of the north end of Assateague, this can only be done starting in >the fall (I checked with the National Park Service, 410-641-3030, and they >said access restrictions to the north end would probably be lifted just >before Labor Day). MAGOs are still possible through October, so this would >certainly be a viable approach. The hike is a long one, but wonderful. >Logistics are described fairly well in Claudia Wilds' book, although there >has been much additional over wash in the past decade. > >The only spot to get a view of the bayside flats along the north end of >Assateague is from the Eagle's Nest Campground boat ramp area. Be sure and >check in at the office, they seem very friendly. The large (buoy #11) flats >are clearly visible to the southeast. Low tide and afternoon light is best. >Several recent MAGO records are from these flats. The upcoming boat trips >during the MOS Convention will visit these flats and should give a shot at >this species, although on any given day your chances are not great. > >The sand flats on the west side of Skimmer Island (best visible from the west >end of the Route 50 bridge) have also hosted many MAGO records. In >particular, many of the birds that have wintered (at least partially) in the >OC area did so on these flats and the shallow water between the flats and the >mainland. However, although these flats are birded much more than the north >end of Assateague, they seemed to be used much less by godwits in migration. >They are certainly worth checking. > >Other good areas include the Hungerford Flats and the Fox Hill Levels. Both >of these areas are in the Off-Road Vehicle Zone of Assateague Island National >Seashore, so access is difficult if you do not have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, >permit, etc. However, I would encourage anyone so inclined to visit these >areas. They are wild and wonderful. Especially during July and August, you >don't have to worry about running into any other people! (The million >misquotes take care of that.) Walking access to the Hungerford Flats is >doable and described in the Wilds' book (be sure to hit the Little Levels >also). It is about an hour to the north end of the flats, but an all-day >trip. I have visited Hungerford and/or Fox Hill on 51 different days during >July to September over the years and seen Marbled Godwits on six occasions >(12% of trips). > >Timing > >Although the database suggests your odds are fairly equal from mid-July >through October, my personally bias favors July and August as the best time >for Marbled Godwit. My fall records are in June (1), July (4), August (4), >and September (2), while I have not seen the species in October (month >listers take note!). Some of this is probably related to July and August >being prime shore birding time, while once September roles around, land >birding, vagrant hunting, etc. has gotten my focus. > >The species does sometimes (but not usually) stick around in one spot. A >notable exception is that the birds that have wintered in the Skimmer Island >area have been very reliable. One strategy for seeing this species in >Maryland is to simply wait until some godwits try to winter there again. A >quick follow-up trip after the OC Christmas Bird Count could work. >Unfortunately, this only seems to happen every 10 years or so. (Marbled >Godwits winter in good numbers and annually at the southern tip of the >Delmarva in the Cape Charles area). A few of the fall migrants have stayed >in the same place (Skimmer or Eagles' Nest) for several days. Also, some of >my records (particularly from Assateague) are of fly-bys, which would very >much be a hit-or-miss proposition. > >In summary, I would offer the following suggestions: > >1) Bird the OC area, as normal during July to October, checking the Skimmer >Island flats and Eagles' Nest. >2) Do the MOS Convention boat trips down Sinepuxent Bay (you could also do >this area in a rental boat). Some of the "nature cruses" out of OC go down >there also to see the ponies. >3) After the Assateague/North End closure is lifted, do the hike from the >State park to the Inlet. >4) Do the hike to the Hungerford Flats from the end of the paved road in >Assateague Island National Seashore. >5) Use a 4-wheel drive vehicle and explore Hungerford and the Fox Hill Levels >on the south end of Assateague. > >None of these are guaranteed to get you and Fran a beautiful Maryland Marbled >Godwit, but they will be a lot more fun than waiting for a twitchable one to >show up some place more convenient! The ultimate sense of accomplishment, >when successful, will only enhance your enjoyment of the bird. > >Good luck! > >Mark Hoffman >Mhoff36100@aol.com >Sykesville, 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================