Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 18:29:30 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Dorchester County May 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline "Rigby's Folly", Armistead property on Ferry Neck, Talbot County, MD, near Bellevue. May 3, 2002: Mallard nest now has 10 eggs, vs. 9 when last seen April 27, 1 imm. Bald Eagle, 13 Chimney Swifts, 11 Purple Martins, 1 House Wren. May 5, beautiful male Box Turtle, lovely markings, on the driveway, the rain really brings them out to the roads. 69th Dorchester County May Bird Count. May 4 (70th will be next May 11). Midnight-8:30 P.M. clear to fair to overcast. 38-65 degrees. Wind mostly N or NE calm (midnight - 2 A.M.) to 10 or 15, SW-W 10 at end of day. Rain 6-8:30 P.M., becoming steady late on. A cold day. 144 species. Today's most unusual birds. 1 Red-throated Loon, a flyover, same flight line as Common Loons at Robbins s. of Shorter's Wharf, only the 3rd spring count record here. 2 Brant, Hooper's I., right next to the road and Honga River shore n. of Ferry Narrows Bridge, first May count Brant since seeing 115, 0, 45, 64 & 51 respectively on the first Saturdays in May 1967 through 1971 in the shallows off of Hooper's Island s. of Barren I. Cooper's Hawk, only 2nd record, a female flying south over the Nanticoke River (!?) at Lewis Landing, close range. Stilt Sandpiper, 2, roosting on rocks of experimental jetty with Dunlin s. of Ferry Narrow Bridge, Hooper's I. Also of interest: 3 Least Bitterns. 205 Brown Pelicans (most ever; many on marsh island just s. of Barren I., sitting on 'Baccharis halimifolia' bushes, where last year Dave Brinker et al. found them building nest platforms but not successfully breeding). Hen Am. Black Duck with 8 downy young, Elliott I., Rd. & seldom do I see black duck broods anywhere. 1 Tundra Swan (cripple, no doubt). 32 Green-winged Teal. 1 male Canvasback (Fishing Bay). 56 Bald Eagles (most ever; unfortunately the big nest tree easily seen 200 yards west of the "Moorhen Spot", Elliott Island Rd., has snapped off recently; in the first 18 May counts here 1966-1976 the high count for Bald Eagle was 16.) 1 female Merlin (hunting dramatically, making fast flights 2-3 feet off the ground/water, at the shorebird roost at Seward's, Key Wallace Rd.). RALLIDS: 1 Black, 7 Clapper, 3 King, 23 Virginia & 1 Sora rail & 6 Common Moorhens (I really worry about the future, and present, for the Black Rails here). The marshes seem to be becoming depauperate. There are more open, unvegetated areas than, say, 20 years ago, and these are getting larger. Not as many rails, Willets, and sparrows. Dorchester's woods are more fragmented with fewer birds also. 18 shorebird species, close to best ever, incl. 5 Black-necked Stilts at Elliott Island (in the little ponds across from the Island Creek "launching ramp" at Elliott I. Rd.). 5 Least Terns. OWLS: 1 Barn, 7 screech (most were calling spontaneously), 10 horned & 3 Barred. 15 Chuck-will's-widows. 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers (2 conspicuous around the "observation site" and the new blind, Wildlife Drive, Blackwater; 2 at Money Stump Swamp). 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 5 Cedar Waxwings. 1 Solitary Vireo (singing). 1 ad White-crowned Sparrow (Visitors Center). 9 Bobolinks. Passerines (7 warbler species) were a disaster and not just because of my high-frequency hearing loss. But with lingering species (kinglets, waterfowl, sparrows, etc.) combined with many birds I often have trouble getting (Bobolink, waxwing, Baltimore oriole, kingfisher) plus a surprisingly good showing by birds often scarce or lacking the first May weekend (e.g., Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5, Indigo Bunting 4) the upshot was a rather good species total. Without the rain the last 2.5 hours I probably would have seen 2 or 3 additional species. The night was beautiful and clear but chilly, the Milky Way quite visible. The "Moorhen Spot" referred to above is just to the west of Elliott I. Rd. where the mainland pine woods ends and the open marsh begins, opposite the n. end of Savanna Lake. One day in September 2000 I saw 18 moorhens here, my best county total. They have been seen often enough in the cold months so that some refer to it now as the "Long-billed Dowitcher Spot". However, 18 Short-billed Dowitchers were there today. Other critters: 1 Fox & 6 Gray Squirrels, 1 'possum, 3 Muskrats, 12 Nutria (all heard only), 28 deer (does), 2 cottontails, 4 Sika Elk, 6 Red-bellied Turtles, and few butterflies but 1 Tiger Swallowtail. 15 Carpenter Frogs (11 at Elliott I. Rd.). Once again, I failed to see the hepatic phase, alternate-pelaged, Vermiculated Wampus Cat. Barbarism at McCready's Creek landing. This is at the end of Elliott I. Rd. I heard 3 shots when I was a few hundred yards away. As I approached 3 pickup trucks full of good old boys filed out. At the little harbor I saw a beautiful laughing gull floundering in the water, quietly trying to deal with its broken wing, while another (its mate?) hovered over it. I guess when they saw me draw near these folks decided it was best to leave ("Here comes that birdwatcher"). At least my presence may have brought them some fear or shame. I hope they find something else to do the next time they are bored. There are plenty of Laughing Gulls and I did some stupid things like that myself when I was an adolescent. Still, the incident made me feel sick. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119-1225. 215-248-4120. Please, any off-list replies to: harryarmistead@hotmail.com "Caribou love the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. They like to rub up against it and have babies." - George Herbert Walker Bush. ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================