Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 09:30:43 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Lovelace, Glen" Subject: Oak Grove Area Update (Caroline/Sussex Co.) Comments: To: DE-Birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hello All, I realized that it has been a long time since I posted an update. I have been preoccupied with remodeling the farmhouse and preparing to move at then end of the month. I have not given up on Sunday morning birding (I have to have at least a little birding to maintain sanity!) and have stolen 15 minutes here and there to check puddles. Here is the rundown: 3/30 - A dreary, nasty, rainy, cold day that yielded few birds. The only thing of interest was 20 Greater and 2 Lesser Yellows at the sharp bend in Kinder Rd (MD). 4/5 - flock of 9 turkey in the back field on the farm (MD) 4/6 - a chilly, windy day and the birding was as much like late Feb. as it was early April. The puddles had all dried up except for the one on Kinder Rd, but no shorebirds or ducks were to be found there. New arrivals were a single Barn Swallow on Oak Grove Rd (MD) and 4 Yellow Rumps at the back of the farm. Birds more typical of winter were a Winter Wren and 2 Swamp Sparrows also at the back of the farm (MD). I believe this is the first April records here for both species. 4/7 - the rains came and the puddles returned, but no birds. Had to wait for a change in the weather pattern to bring something in to the re-charged puddles. 4/10 - The first thing to show up was a male Blue-Winged Teal in the small wooded pond in the middle of Oak Grove Rd (MD). By evening, a female had joined it. This was a new bird for the homelist (169). Finds like this help to compensate for the overall lack of birding time. Also saw 8 turkeys way in the back of the field at the Vesper Sparrow spot on Oak Grove Rd and a Bald Eagle on the west end on the road. 4/12 - made a small puddle tour on our way home after working on the farmhouse all day. The only find was 5 Lesser Yellows in the puddle on the corner of Kinder Rd and N Oak Grove Rd. From there, we rode Kinder, Guard, Hickory Hill, Harper, White, Handy and Houston Branch / Dublin Hill Rds and found puddles, but neither bird. The only interesting thing was a group of 7 Kestrel all together on Dublin Hill Rd (DE) and a total of 12 for the loop. 4/13 - Finally a nice spring morning and the birds began to act like it. The first new arrival was a Gnatcatcher heard but never seen in the woods on Kinder Rd. Then came a flock of 6 DC Cormorants that flew right over the farmhouse (DE) and, fortunately, I looked up at the precise moment. While making the loop of the farm, I stopped to watch the turkeys in the neighbor's field. A sizable flock of something on the horizon caught my eye. It turned into a flock of gulls in a tight formation. I thought that was odd and quickly found out why. A Peregrine Falcon emerged from behind the flock and flew off to the east to be tallied in both states. The 3rd or 4th Peregrine record here. Another new bird for the year was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers which had eluded me so far. The Winter Wren (and a second at the stream on Horseshoe Rd - DE) along with a Brown Creeper remained at the back of the farm and 3 lingering Juncos in my parents yard. In the morning, shorebirds were a mere 3 Greaters and 3 Wilson's Snipe (on North Oak Grove Rd). The BW Teal were still present. In the evening, I made another check of the puddles. Scattered yellowlegs totaling 10 Greaters and 7 Lessers, up to 5 Snipe and then 2 Dunlin in the puddle at the corner of Kinder and N Oak Grove (MD). If memory serves, the second Dunlin record. 4/14 - the evening puddle check yielded 63 Greaters and 13 Lessers. Two main groups were on Kinder Rd and at the Vesper spot on Oak Grove Rd. Also 2 Snipe. Purple Martins returned during the day. This is a week or two late, but likely due to the rain last week. 4/16 - 53 Greater Yellows and 7 Lessers in various puddles. Heard a Yellowthroat from the cutoff woods on Kinder Rd. 4/16 - Rust Rd south of Milford - made a 15 minute stop on the way home from work. 45+ yellowlegs of both flavors, 90 Dunlin, 2 Black Duck and lots of gulls. Whoever has the south side of Milford on the spring count should check this out because these puddles appear to be quite persistent and hold water well. Good Birding, Glen Lovelace III Seaford, DE ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================