Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2003 22:44:19 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Ferry Neck in Talbot County, April 12-13 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. April 12-13, 2003. Liz & Harry Armistead. April 12, Saturday. Overcast - clear, winds NE-NW 20 m.p.h. - calm, 43 - 72 degrees F. The great northeast weather system is finally over, moved out. 40 species. Northern Gannet 3 adults. Double-crested Cormorant 37 (a little flight). Tundra Swan 3 (late ones). Canada Goose 6 incl. a goose on her nest with 7 eggs at Frog Hollow. Turkey Vulture 4 feeding on a deer carcass that has been around since last fall, aged to perfection, the first time I've seen anything feeding on it. Greater Yellowlegs 1 (migrating through). Forster's Tern 8. Pileated Woodpecker 1 (heard drumming all the way from Deep Neck, a mile or so away). Fish Crow 45 (loud & raucous). Also: 12 deer (11 does & a buck in 1 group). A Red Bat at dusk hawking bugs by the turn in the drive, a beauty. 3 Cabbage White plus 3 unid. butterflies, a couple suspected as anglewings, another a lady. A Painted Turtle at Frog Hollow. Winter Jellyfish in the cove. A few Chorus Frogs and Spring Peepers calling tentatively. April 13, Sunday. Clear, winds NW 20-10, 50 - 70 degrees F. 41 species. Common Loon 11 (one doing the yodel call, which I seldom hear here). Horned Grebe 32 (most in good breeding plumage). Red-necked Grebe 1 (winter plumage; once this, 4 Horned Grebes, and 2 Common Loons - 1 in winter, the other in breeding plumage - were all in my scope field of view simultaneously). Northern Gannet 5 adults. Mute Swan 6 incl. a pen on its nest near Wooden Point. Green-winged Teal 2. Surf Scoter 535 (many of them closer to shore than I've ever seen them here previously). White-winged Scoter 1 (seldom seen from shore here). Red-tailed Hawk 4 (in sight together). Downy Woodpecker 1 male excavating a nesting cavity right next to the house. Chipping Sparrow 2. Savannah Sparrow 5. Also: Spring Peepers, Southern Leopard and Chorus frogs all heard. Red Fox 1, Muskrat 1, 4 deer (does), and a very rotund raccoon alternately dozing and grooming itself in the crown of a medium-height, isolated Black Gum in broad daylight, still there six hours later. 2 Painted Turtles in W4 and a Spotted Turtle in the ditch next to the driveway. 3 Cabbage Whites and 3 Spring Azures. Delicious oyster stew made from oysters bought at Clark's in St. Michaels made with half-and-half, scallions, etc. The land is finally starting to dry out a little from the abundant rains and resulting surface water. 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 ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================