Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 11:27:34 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: part 2, Dorchester May count analysis MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Part 2 (of 5 parts). Species abundance changes, 1966-2002, on 70 May counts in Dorchester County. Black-crowned Night Heron. 16/18. Average 7. Average now is 1-3. The area between the first 2 hunting lodges going south on the EIR marsh is almost sure fire to see them c. 25 minutes after sunset by scanning the western sky. This tough heron that eats anything it wants to is declining in many areas regionally. American Bittern. 14/18. Average 2. Had 8 on May 5, 1973 (but several of these were found by Davis Finch and Bob Smart who were not part of the count). Now they are almost never encountered. Mute Swan. 1/18. Now dozens are usually found each count. In the recent past hundreds inhabited the Hooper's I. area before control programs were instituted. Once on August I had over 700 in sight at once there. One was seen on May 6, 1966, in the Cambridge area before they spread to SDC. A story we are all familiar with. Tundra Swan. 16/18. Average 3. An amazing 14 seen May 3, 1975. Only seen once recently. There are still excellent migration flights and wintering populations (utilizing grain fields) but in general this is another species heavily impacted by the SAV dieoffs. Any I see now I assume are sick or cripples. Canada Goose. 18/18. Average 94. Average now is several hundred due to established local breeders, a comparatively new phenomenon. In the early period bigger numbers of Canadian birds lingered later than they do now; I can remember seeing over 1,000 migrants once on the last day of April. A couple of summers ago in August I also carefully estimated over 1,000 at BNWR, just from Wildlife Drive. Brant. 4/18. Another species affected adversely by SAV dieoff, esp. of eelgrass. Hooper's I. used to be a good place to see them, where we had 115, 0, 45, 64 and 51 the first Saturdays of 1967-1971. Only one recent record. Near our Talbot County property in the early 1950's I once saw a flock of 700, one of which I shot and ate. Gadwall. 17/18. Average 4. Is now missed regularly. Has declined as a breeder both here and in their former Maryland stronghold, Deal I., as well as on the Bay islands where I have seen broods on Smith, South Marsh, Holland, Spring, and Bloodsworth islands. Northern Pintail. 8/18. Average 2. Never seen now. Found 6 straight years 1967-1972 on the first Saturday. Blue-winged Teal. 18/18. Average 55. Has also declined as a breeder. Now fewer than 10 are seen and it comes close to being missed occasionally. American Wigeon. 11/18. Average 2. Seldom encountered now. Used to be huge populations in the colder months. Still are at Deal I. Heavily impacted by SAV dieoff. Northern Shoveler. 10/18. Average 2. Rarely found now. Wood Duck. 16/18. Average 4. The nest box program at BNWR and elsewhere has obviously benefitted woodies. Now the usual total is 20 or more, although in the last few years they've slipped some, perhaps due to overhunting (fide George W. Reiger, Conservation Editor, "Field & Stream"). Lesser Scaup. 11/18. Average 106, but throw out the 1375 of May 1, 1971, and it is (still) 30. Recently it is lucky to get one or two perhaps every other count. Scaup have declined greatly in recent years in North America. White-winged Scoter. 6/18. Average 12. Since these early years the Surf Scoter has become far and away the commonest scoter on the lower Eastern Shore. Never see White-wingeds in May now. However, nor for that matter do I ever see Surfs on the SDC May counts. Ruddy Duck. 13/18. Average 20. Still see a few occasionally on Fishing Bay but not like the early years. They are regular in May at the Hurlock Wastewater Treatment Plant, which I do not get to on the May count. Black Vulture. 8/18. Average 1. Now they are found every count, sometimes 10 or more, but usually just 3 or 4 or so. Bald Eagle. 18/18. Average 8. Their recovery is a familiar story. In 2002 the counts were 56 and 51 and probably conservative at that. Most times 20 or 30 or more are seen now. Northern Bobwhite. 18/18. Average 45. Huge decrease. Now get less than 10 frequently. On local NABBS this used to be a species that was found on more stops than almost any other, often 40 or more of the 50 stops. The past few years I have heard them at our Talbot County vacation home only 3 or 4 times a year. Formerly they could be heard almost every hour of daylight from May through July. Wild Turkey. 1/18. 1 seen on May 3, 1969, only. Now they are widespread throughout SDC and are found on almost every May count. In other areas of the lower Eastern Shore of MD they are common. The field west of the road enclosed by woods on 3 sides and by Egypt Rd. on the 4th side, c. 2 mi. n. of Key Wallace Drive is an especially good place to look for them, as is the entire area between Transquaking River and the Elliott Island Rd. They are impressive to see but the extent to which to compete for mast with deer and squirrels, including the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel, must be considerable. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119-1225. 215-248-4120. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================