Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 10:39:58 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Dorchester fall count MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii A peaceful 3-day weekend with my entire family together for at least part of it. My daughter, Anne, witnessed the collapse of one of the W.T.C. towers. She had an easy flight to Phoenix yesterday, arriving there ahead of schedule. Getting into the countryside certainly is good for the soul. Fri., Sept. 14, 2001. Rigby's Folly, Ferry Neck, near Royal Oak, Talbot County. For the first time this year Liz A., Mary A. and I examined closely the ground at the base of the Bald Eagle nest in our woods and found the intact shells (carapace and plastron still attached) of 6 Diamondback Terrapin and one large Spotted Turtle plus a few unidentified bones. An adult eagle was perched nearby in its favorite, scraggly Loblolly Pine. Sept. 15. 5th annual Dorchester County fall bird count: Hooper's Island (A.M.); Blackwater N.W.R. (mid-day); Hurlock W.W.T.P. (early afternoon); Elliott Island (the rest of the day). 130 mi. by car, 2 on foot. 5:45 A.M. - 8 P.M. Clear. Winds NE 15-20 m.p.h. dropping in late P.M. to 5 m.p.h. or less. 52 - c. 78 degrees F., a cool, sometimes cold, day. Harry Armistead, Jon Beadell & Carol Erwin. 115 species. The strange, cold, windy, northeasterly weather system for days on end made for a mediocre flight of passerines and neotropicals, at least here, resulting in a somewhat low species total. Shorebirding was mediocre also. Of most interest: 4 Brown Pelicans (at pound nets far offshore from Hooper's). 130 Great, 115 Snowy and 65 Cattle Egrets (many roosting on duck blinds in the Honga River). 285 Mute Swans. 675 Green-winged Teal (mostly at Blackwater). 37 Blue-winged Teal (mostly at Elliott). Only 4 Ospreys (often strangely scarce at this time of year in this area where hundreds breed). 30 Bald Eagles. 17 sharpies. 9 American Kestrels (low). 1 Peregrine Falcon (probably an imm. female Tundrius, at Hurlock). 5 Clapper and 6 Virginia Rails. 14 Common Moorhens (Elliott, at the "Moorhen Spot"). 3 Am. Golden Plovers (Hurlock). 75 Sanderlings (Hooper's, an excellent count for Dorchester). 31 Pectoral Sandpipers (widespread). 5 Common Snipe (Elliott). 1,075 Laughing Gulls. 24 Caspian and 205 Forster's Terns. 2 E. Screech, 6 Great Horned and 1 Barred Owl. 25 N. Rough-winged Swallows (Hurlock). 33 Carolina Chickadees. 14 Tufted Titmice. 11 Brown-headed Nuthatches. 29 Carolina Wrens. Only 9 warbler species incl. one Yellow-rumped. Blackbirds were scarce with Common Grackles only seen once, a flock of c. 500. 8 heron types was O.K. 12 waterfowl and 11 raptors were good. 11 shorebirds was a mediocre total. 4 woodpeckers was poor. Interesting misses: No Gadwall, gallinaceous birds, kingbirds, Bank Swallows, Fish Crows, yellowthroats, grosbeaks, buntings, towhees, Chipping Sparrows, Boat-tailed Grackles, or orioles. (!! ??). Mammals/furballs. 1 Sika and 4 White-tailed Deer. 2 Fox Squirrels. 3 Red Foxes. Herptiles. 53 Painted, 3 snapping, 1 Mud, and 1 Red-bellied Turtle. A few Green Frogs calling. Butterflies: 17 Monarchs, 1 Silver-spotted Skipper, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Res-spotted Purple, 1 Spicebush Swallowtail, 1 Black Swallowtail, 1 Pearl Crescent, 4 Bronze Coppers, 1 Eastern-tailed Blue, 140 or so Buckeyes (esp. at Hurlock), 50 Orange Sulphurs, 65 Clouded Sulphurs, 15 E. Cabbage Whites. Sept. 16. Blackwater N.W.R. Birdwalk, 8 - 11 A.M. Uneventful. Tidal water 0.5 ft. higher than yesterday submerging almost all muddy areas. Several species were seen that we missed yesterday, such as 1 each of yellowthroat, kingbird, and Bank Swallow plus 6 Chipping Sparrows, a Nutria, a Gray Squirrel, and 2 Viceroys. Also, 30 Chimney Swifts vs. only 1 all day yesterday. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119. Any off-list replies, please, to harryarmistead@hotmail.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================