Date: Sun, 4 May 2003 12:25:45 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Mark Hoffman Subject: Worcester/Festival Last Weekend MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On 04/25-27/2003, I birded in Worcester County, both atlasing and leading trips for the Delmarva Birding Festival. Species observed detailed below. Pure atlasing was on Friday pm and Sunday pm, in Ninepin Branch/NE, CW, CW, SW and SE. Trips lead/participated in were: 1) canoe trip from Porter's Crossing to Snow Hill Saturday am, 2) "Shorebird Explorer" trip, in pontoon boat from OC to Skimmer Island and south to vicinity of Eagle's Nest, Saturday pm; 3) "Night Birds of the Marsh" trip to Vaughn/Pond and Truitt's Landing Saturday pm, and 4) Warblermania trip to Colburne area along Nassawango Creek on Sunday am (Wango quad). After each species is the number of individuals observed over the 3-day period and the number of locations (e.g., "records") where I recorded the species. While I atlas, I keep detailed bird records at specific points. I have not done a final edit on the numbers, but they usually don't change much, and that may take another week! Red-throated Loon - (4 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Common Loon - (25 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Brown Pelican - (3 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Double-crested Cormorant - (2016 inds./4 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, amazing flock of 2000 feeding around Skimmer Island; small #s along Pocomoke River. Great Cormorant - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Great Blue Heron - (16 inds./6 recs.) - 04/26 - 5+ Pocomoke Canoe trip, must be nesting around Porter's Crossing; 10 on Skimmer. Great Egret - (13 inds./3 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, Vaughn pond. Cattle Egret - (30 inds./3 recs.) - 04/25 - flock of 22 near Newark, 04/26 - Skimmer Island (8). Snowy Egret - (16 inds./3 recs.) - 04/25 - pond near Newark (2); 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip (14). Tricolored Heron - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Skimmer Island. Black-crowned Night-Heron - (4 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Skimmer Island. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Skimmer Island, flushed by police boat from "Heron Island" (small island just N of Skimmer) from bushes, flew E to land on railing of condo in OC! Adult. Glossy Ibis - (124 inds./5 recs.) - Scattered inland, flock of 85 along Rt. 113 in Newark (04/26). Black Vulture - (32 inds./3 recs.) - Ninepin Branch, CE and NE. Turkey Vulture - (262 inds./40 recs.) - Throughout.. Canada Goose - (87 inds./18 recs.) - Throughout. Nest w/5 eggs at Vaughn pond (04/26). Brant - (50 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Wood Duck - (10 inds./4 recs.) - Along Pocomoke, all three days. American Black Duck - (5 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip (3) and Vaughn/Pond (2). Mallard - (14 inds./6 recs.) - Scattered throughout. Hooded Merganser - (2 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - 1 m. and 1 f., flying S. from Vaughn/Pond parking area. Potentially headed to pond where they (allegedly) nested several years ago?!? Red-breasted Merganser - (24 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Osprey - (6 inds./3 recs.) - 04/26 - Pocomoke canoe trip and Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Bald Eagle - (4 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip (3 on AI). Red-shouldered Hawk - (2 inds./2 recs.) - Inland. BROAD-WINGED HAWK - (1 inds./1 recs.) - Adult flew in landed in small cut-over area Ninepin Branch/CW. Also scare in Worcester. Merits further investigation later in year. Red-tailed Hawk - (4 inds./4 recs.) - Scattered inland. American Kestrel - (5 inds./5 recs.) - Scattered inland. Wild Turkey - (14 inds./8 recs.) - Seen/heard all three days, inland. Northern Bobwhite - (2 inds./2 recs.) - Inland. Not much singing activity yet. King Rail - (2 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Truitt's Landing. Virginia Rail - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Truitt's Landing. Black-bellied Plover - (10 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, on AI. Semipalmated Plover - (3 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, on AI. New for the comp list? Killdeer - (6 inds./5 recs.) - Scattered inland. American Oystercatcher - (10 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Greater Yellowlegs - (7 inds./4 recs.) - Scattered at inland flooded fields. 1 at Vaughn/Pond on 04/26 (pond quite dry). Willet - (10 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Ruddy Turnstone - (2 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, OC/Inlet area. Sanderling - (70 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Least Sandpiper - (10 inds./1 recs.) - 04/25 - At flooded field on Sandyfield Rd, E of Whiton Crossing. Purple Sandpiper - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, OC/Inlet area. Dunlin - (200 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, flats on AI/NE. Laughing Gull - (490 inds./39 recs.) - Common throughout. Bonaparte's Gull - (10 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, feeding with large cormorant/tern flock around Skimmer. Ring-billed Gull - (6 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip (5), only one inland. Herring Gull - (354 inds./5 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, ON on Skimmer, scattered inland. Great Black-backed Gull - (30 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. GULL-BILLED TERN - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip, on large flats on north end of Assateague. First time I have observed this species in April in Worcester. Life Worcester month bird! This is the second earliest Worcester arrival record, the best being 04/23/1977, 1, Ocean City, S. J. Mele, AB 31:985. The only other April records is 04/30/1955, 6, Ocean City, D. A. Cutler, ASDC, DVOC, AN 11:34, S&R58, CSR files. As an aside, the name S. J. Mele may be unfamiliar to even some old-timers (e.g., Marshall). Scott was a high school buddy of mine (I dated his sister - don't tell Amy), and we, as a couple of intense high school birders are wont to do, had many adventures, including a few in Worcester County. Hal Wierenga was our god, at least until Richard Rowlett showed up!! Royal Tern - (40 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Common Tern - (55 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Forster's Tern - (40 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Rock Dove - (7 inds./4 recs.) - Scattered, Ninepin quad. Local in much of Worcester. Mourning Dove - (7 inds./7 recs.) - Scattered inland. Uncommon in many forest-dominated areas of WC. Eastern Screech-Owl - (4 inds./3 recs.) - Inland. Great Horned Owl - (3 inds./2 recs.) - Colburne area and Truitt's. Barred Owl - (4 inds./3 recs.) - Along Pocomoke. Whip-poor-will - (3 inds./3 recs.) - Wango quad, SE and SW. Chimney Swift - (5 inds./2 recs.) - Inland. Ruby-throated Hummingbird - (5 inds./5 recs.) - Ninepin and Wango quads. BELTED KINGFISHER - (4 inds./3 recs.) - Pair along Pocomoke at boarder of Public Landing/NE and Snow Hill/NE. Also single bird at Massey Crossing (Ninepin/NE). Very scarce WC breeder - no evelation. Red-bellied Woodpecker - (29 inds./23 recs.) - Common inland. Downy Woodpecker - (16 inds./14 recs.) - Common , Ninepin/Wango. Hairy Woodpecker - (1 inds./1 recs.) - Harder to find as season progresses; more conspicuous in late-March. Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted form) - (6 inds./5 recs.) - Uncommon inland, Ninepin/Wango. Pileated Woodpecker - (15 inds./11 recs.) - Common along Pocomoke. Eastern Phoebe - (8 inds./6 recs.) - Confirmed in Ninepin/SW and CW. Great Crested Flycatcher - (10 inds./7 recs.) - Scatted, Ninepin and Wango quads. White-eyed Vireo - (34 inds./29 recs.) - Common inland. Yellow-throated Vireo - (9 inds./8 recs.) - Along Pocomoke. Red-eyed Vireo - (4 inds./4 recs.) - Scattered. More to come. Although not near as common in Worcester's pine dominated forests, than say in Western MD. Blue Jay - (11 inds./8 recs.) - Scattered. American Crow - (82 inds./50 recs.) - Common throughout. Fish Crow - (18 inds./10 recs.) - Common throughout. Horned Lark - (14 inds./10 recs.) - Common in inland ag areas, Ninepin quad. Purple Martin - (9 inds./4 recs.) - Scattered. Tree Swallow - (60 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Newark pond (50), Vaughn/Pond (10). Northern Rough-winged Swallow - (6 inds./2 recs.) - 04/26 - Newark pond (4), Vaughn/Pond (2). Barn Swallow - (111 inds./12 recs.) - 04/26 - Newark pond (50), scattered elsewhere. Carolina Chickadee - (34 inds./26 recs.) - Common throughout. Tufted Titmouse - (39 inds./30 recs.) - Common throughout. White-breasted Nuthatch - (4 inds./3 recs.) - Along Pocomoke Brown-headed Nuthatch - (5 inds./3 recs.) - Ninepin/SE and Wango/SW. Carolina Wren - (35 inds./28 recs.) - Common throughout. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - (80 inds./44 recs.) - Common throughout. P.S. I did try again to better the 3/28 record Worcester arrival date for BGGN this spring and succeeded at last!! Check off another major life-ambition. Had two birds on 3/26 and two on 3/27, in Nassawango/Dividing Creek area. Now I have to buy my wife the gnatchatcher carving... Eastern Bluebird - (10 inds./6 recs.) - Scattered, Ninepin quad. Hermit Thrush - (2 inds./2 recs.) - One on 04/25 and one singing on 04/27, inland. Wood Thrush - (10 inds./8 recs.) - Scattered inland. American Robin - (30 inds./14 recs.) - Scattered. Gray Catbird - (3 inds./3 recs.) - Uncommon throughout.. Northern Mockingbird - (8 inds./7 recs.) - Uncommon throughout.. Brown Thrasher - (10 inds./10 recs.) - Uncommon throughout.. European Starling - (216 inds./21 recs.) - Common throughout. Northern Parula - (13 inds./9 recs.) - Along Pocomoke. Yellow-rumped Warbler (myrtle form) - (35 inds./13 recs.) - Common inland. Yellow-throated Warbler - (9 inds./8 recs.) - Uncommon throughout.. Pine Warbler - (36 inds./23 recs.) - Common throughout. Prairie Warbler - (21 inds./14 recs.) - Common inland. Palm Warbler (yellow form) - (2 inds./1 recs.) - 04/25 - Newark area. Black-and-White Warbler - (15 inds./12 recs.) - Scattered Ninepin and Wango quads. American Redstart - (5 inds./4 recs.) - Along Pocomoke. Prothonotary Warbler - (58 inds./27 recs.) - Along Nassawango, Pocomoke, smaller creeks. Worm-eating Warbler - (8 inds./8 recs.) - Scattered, Ninepin an d Wango quads. Ovenbird - (38 inds./35 recs.) - Common inland. Northern Waterthrush - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - 1 singing along Pocomoke during canoe trip. Louisiana Waterthrush - (14 inds./13 recs.) - Along Pocomoke and smaller creeks. Kentucky Warbler - (3 inds./3 recs.) - 04/27 - Colburne area, 1 in Ninepin/CW. Common Yellowthroat - (49 inds./32 recs.) - Common throughout. Scarlet Tanager - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/27 - Ninepin/CW. Eastern Towhee - (31 inds./19 recs.) - Common in brushy cut-over areas. Chipping Sparrow - (33 inds./21 recs.) - Common throughout. Field Sparrow - (12 inds./9 recs.) - In cut-over areas. Song Sparrow - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Singing on Skimmer Island. Very local inland in Worcester. Swamp Sparrow - (1 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Singing at Truitt's Landing. I don't remember hearing spring birds sing before?!? White-throated Sparrow - (33 inds./19 recs.) - Still widespread. Northern Cardinal - (57 inds./39 recs.) - Common throughout. Red-winged Blackbird - (55 inds./11 recs.) - Still small flocks, some on territory. Common Grackle - (279 inds./28 recs.) - Abundant, multiple breeding colonies in planted pine groves, usually near human habitation. Boat-tailed Grackle - (10 inds./1 recs.) - 04/26 - Sinepuxent Bay boat trip. Brown-headed Cowbird - (142 inds./26 recs.) - Abundant throughout. Orchard Oriole - (2 inds./2 recs.) - 04/27 - Ninepin and Wango quads. American Goldfinch - (33 inds./25 recs.) - Common throughout. House Sparrow - (20 inds./5 recs.) - Scattered around buildings, chicken farms. Good birding, Mark L. Hoffman Sykesville, MD Mhoff36100@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================