Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2001 21:00:59 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Rigby, Hooper's, Blackwater Nov. 8 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Nov. 8, 2001, Thursday. Clear. Warm, 47-68F. Wind SW 15-20. Rigby's Folly, Ferry Neck, near Bellevue, Talbot County. 7 - 11:30 A.M. Mostly did chores then took the "Mudhen" to Gootee's at Golden Hill for winter storage. 7 Forster's Terns, 1 Cooper's and 2 Red-tailed Hawks. 4 Gray Squirrels. Our new trail system is much bigger than my previous estimate and based on my pacing count today is c. 2,700 feet, roughly rectangular with a central cross-trail plus 4 short spurs. It should make woodland birding much more productive here and diversify a tract otherwise choked with young Loblolly Pines. In the midst of this is the Bald Eagles' favorite roost tree c. 100 yards from their nest. The roost tree is a Loblolly c. 38 in. in circumference, rather spindly-looking, and c. 70 ft. high. This was my first visit to the base of the roost tree but in contrast to the nest tree there were no bones or turtle shells in evidence. The Olszewski family killed an 8 point buck, c. 140 pounds and 3 years of age. Hooper's Island. 1:15 - 2: 15 P.M at the hawkwatch spot on Swan Harbor Rd. No flight to speak of but there were a few birds, all flying north: 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 N. Harrier and 22 Turkey Vultures. 320 Canada Goose flying from the Honga River to the sand bars in Tar Bay, where I also heard Tundra Swans calling. 1 Buckeye. It was so slow here I did some experiments with the minnows in the small brackish ditch next to the road. They LIKE ground-up salt-and-vinegar potato chips (Herr's). They seemed attracted when I poured some Pepsi into the water. Golden Hill. 2:25 P.M. 175 Laughing Gulls. Blackwater N.W.R. 2:30-3:45 P.M. 410 Blue Geese and c. 1,000 Snows. 95 Dunlin. 15 Red-bellied Turtles in Pool 3B (where the water's very low) and 8 in Pool 5B (plus 10 Painted Turtles, where the water's very high); that's a total of 23. I don't think I've ever seen more than 5 or 6 in a day previously. A dead Gray Fox near Rt. 335 X Wildlife Drive which the refuge salvaged when alerted to it, plus a Sika Deer near there (and a roadkill Sika near Gum Swamp). The Gray Fox is a species I never see but I encounter Red Foxes frequently. A Fox Squirrel next to Egypt Rd. with considerable black pelage, esp. around the face, plus another roadkill nearby being fed on by a T. Vulture. A few sulphurs. Too bad to see so many dead creatures but that's the way it often is in November, when we see roadkill Gray Squirrels all the time in the city here. I'm off to Kiptopeke State Park, VA, Nov. 10-14. I'd be glad to see anyone who wants to drop in there at the hawkwatch then. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119-1225. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================