Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 03:16:42 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Marshall Iliff Subject: Common Snipe BREEDING (?) in Maryland Comments: cc: fpope@mail.gcnet.net, Georgearmistead@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all, This past weekend, Jim Stasz and I, almost as an afterthought, decided to go to Cherry Creek Glades (off Accident-Bittinger Road) to see if we could hear any Common Snipe displaying. We were well-rewarded with two birds giving the characteristic winnowing display a few times (3x) in the pre-dawn hours around 5:55 a.m. Although this is peak migration time, and although Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye (1988: The Birder's Handbook) say that the winnowing display is "also performed during migration and winter," Jim and I believe this is a breeding season display, that the birds we heard were on territory, and that this provides strong evidence for the atlas of the species breeding in the state. Whether it provides sufficient evidence to be added to the atlas on this date will not be up to us, but this is definitely a bird to watch for. We would be interested in comments from others regarding this conclusion, as well as the propensity for snipe to winnow away from breeding areas. Some quick history on the breeding status of the species in the region. Common Snipe has never been confirmed as a breeder in the state of Maryland, and is not even mentioned in summer in Stewart & Robbins' 1958 Birds of Maryland. Snipe is known to breed in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, though I know none of the WV details (cited in Hall 1984 (Birds of West Virginia), I believe). In PA, according to their atlas (D.R. Brauning, ed.1992. Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania), Common Snipe breeding was confirmed only in 2 blocks in Tioga County, but probable (12) and possible (24) breeding was recorded in other blocks across the northern tier of the state. The most southerly records (classed as probable breeders) were in Somerset County, IMMEDIATELY north of Garrett County, MD. Egg dates are given as 1 May-4 June. In Virginia, Kain (1987, Virginia Birdlife:An Annotated Checklist) mention records from the highlands of Augusta County 25 Jun & 25 Jul 1980. In Maryland I am aware of several reports suggesting breeding: * two winnowing (and one seen) at Accident-Bittinger Road 24 Mar 2002 (M.J. Iliff, J.L. Stasz). * Singles winnowing in Garrett County at Cranesville Swamp, Accident-Bittinger Road, and Foy Road, 17 May 1998 (M. O'Brien et al., M. O'Brien pers. comm.). * One flushed at Accident-Bittinger Road, 1 Jul 1995 (M.J. Iliff). * One winnowing at Cranesville Swamp 15 Apr 2000 (J.B. Churchill pers. comm.) * Additionally, in late May 2000 Michael O'Brien, George Armistead and I talked with a local landowner living right on the edge of Cherry Creek Glades about winnowing snipe. He was familiar with the noise but said that he heard it most often in April and that it was usually finished by May. * One (??) winnowing in Garrett County, ???, (K. Dodge) I would be interested in any additional reports of winnowing or of summering birds in western Maryland as well as any additional details on the reports above (especially the last report - anyone have Kevin Dodge's email address?) My interpretation of the records is this: Common Snipe are _regular_ breeders in very small numbers (2-10 pairs) in Maryland, probably at both Cherry Creek Glades and Cranesville Swamp. I suspect that winnowing occurs primarily early in the season (April). The early season display may be one of the reasons that winnowing snipe are rarely detected in May, a season which has received regular attention form Maryland Big Day teams as well as other birders. During the past three springs Michael O'Brien and I have scouted Garrett County intensively in late May for Big Day runs (Michael has been doing this for many years more than I have), and I have made special efforts to try to hear snipe to no avail. Given the winnowing records in March and April, and the relative lack of success in May 1999, 2000, and 2001, I conclude that May 1998 was an anomaly. Perhaps a cold snap at the onset of the breeding season delayed the breeding season that year, or perhaps lost broods caused some delay, explaining the three birds winnowing through 17 May. In any event, I assume that snipe winnow regularly at Cherry Creek and Cranesville and are simply not detected by birders, who do not visit these areas near dawn and do not visit these areas as early as April. Note however that snipe are apparently very sensitive to wet/dry years, and may not breed in Maryland during drougt years. I recommend that interested birders (especially Western MD folks - Fran, Ray, J.B., et al.) make an effort to survey for winnowing Common Snipe throughout April (and into May). I also know that several bird clubs do bird trips to Garrett County during late May and early June, and numerous others will probably be heading out there to atlas this year. Collectively, we should try to ascertain a) their consistency b) their approximate population c) any additional breeding evidence d) their phenology, especially regarding the period during which they winnow in Maryland. Please report any observations on MDOsprey. Most of my experience with winnowing snipe has come from breeding grounds in Nevada, where they winnow into June and continue throughout the day. I expect this is not the case in Maryland. I'd be interested in any comments on timing of display (both seasonally and daily) elsewhere in the east. I assume it is at least in part dependent on the number of territorial males occupying a male and the success that males have in finding females. If just one pair occupies each site in Garrett County, that might explain early termination of winnowing. The birds we heard this past weekend winnowed only a couple times near dawn, and were not heard after sunrise. Michael et al.'s 1998 birds winnowed well past dawn, and J.B.'s 2000 bird apparently was winnowing near dawn. Might winnowing continue to late morning or must we get out at daybreak to hear this species? Confirming breeding of snipe will be extremely difficult, and would require essentially flushing a bird off eggs in the middle of a wet marsh or seeing downy chicks among 2 ft tall grass in the middle of the same wet marsh. Still, that might be a project someone might be willing to take on to try to advance our knowledge of our breeding avifauna. Best, Marshall Iliff PS - Note that Common Snipe is not on the atlas card! *********************** 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================