Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 10:44:44 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Whimbrel Watch Weekend washout & gloom-a-thon 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. Harry & Liz Armistead. We didn't luck onto any Whimbrel flocks the way we sometimes do over Memorial Day Weekend but there is always something notable to see anyway. May 24, 2003, Sat. overcast, calm, 63-66 degrees F., 1:15-7:45 P.M. 33 species. Great Horned Owl being harassed by BOTH crow species in early afternoon. 1 Chorus Frog calling. a Muskrat and a N. Water Snake. Ben & Frances Weems asked us over to dinner. May 25, Sun. 36 species. overcast, 60-65, NE 5-10, rain off and on. Carol McCollough joined us in the afternoon to pick up her copy of "Birds of Rigby's Folly". All others requested were mailed on May 27. If you asked for a copy and don't get it in a week or so please tell me. 3 Common Loons, 2 Surf Scoters, 5 Common & 1 Least Tern, 7 Cedar Waxwings. Least Terns have made a better than average showing in places I frequented this spring. Nice Fowler's Toad chorus after dusk. May 26, Mon., Memorial Day. 54 species. overcast, NE-NW 15, 61 degrees becoming fair, NW 10-5, 5-9 P.M., 64 degrees in the afternoon. Snowy Egret 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1 (a migrant), Laughing Gull 20 (a dusk flock), Common Nighthawk 1, Chuck-will's-widow 3, Bank Swallow 2 (migrants), Brown Thrasher 1 (unusual in that it passed overhead c. 100 yards up flying due north), Blackpoll Warbler 2. Big rain last night, everything inundated, tremendous amount of groundwater with currents in the ditches and the fields saturated plus big vernal pools in the woods. The male Least Tern did his charming presentation of a minnow to the female. We visited the Jean Ellen duPont Sheehan Audubon Sanctuary (where we saw 2 Least Terns, 4 meadowlarks, and 2 Red Foxes) and gave Amy Bourque 2 copies of "Birds of Rigby's Folly". From Rigby to the Sheehan Sanctuary is 17 miles by land, 3 by water, the sort of situation that happens in Talbot County. Last Tuesday I left 2 copies for Mark Scallion at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center. May 27, Tuesday. 62 species. clear 6:30-8:30 A.M. then overcast rest of day with rain starting in late P.M. calm becoming NE 5 then NW 5-10. 56-65 degrees. A considerable influx of birds today including 7 warbler species and with these migrants: Swainson's Thrush 1, Cedar Waxwing 4, Magnolia Warbler 2 (actively singing, good views), Blackpoll Warbler 1 (nice view, singing a weak, 3-note song that I was very pleased my hearing aids picked up easily), American Redstart 1 female, Ovenbird 1, Northern Waterthrush 1. Other goodies: Common Loon 3, Surf Scoter 17 (apparently healthy, flying birds, way out on the Choptank River), Herring Gull 55 (a huge number for here this time of year ... perhaps there is a big colony at Poplar Island), Brown Thrasher 1 giving a very good Whip-poor-will imitation, Blue Grosbeak 4, Indigo Bunting 3. After sitting at Lucy Point for half an hour scanning I got up to leave and almost stepped on a small fawn. It was pressed against the grass, neck extended flat, eyes wide open looking at me. I could have picked him/her up. Did about 6 hours of bushwhacking work on the trails in these 4 days. I'd think this practically sunless spring with abundant, cool rain, and often windy conditions would have gotten the nesting season for many birds off to a terrible start. Only a few Diamondback Terrapin seen these 4 days. Butterflies non-existent. During these 4 days the temperature remained in the low 60s almost the entire time - night, day, morning, or afternoon. Every once in a while I feel obliged to say that my postings comprise a sort of diary and also newsletter to the family. Please pardon any extraneous, off-topic commentary. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================