Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 08:55:21 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Lovelace, Glen (DelDOT)" Subject: Oak Grove Area August Update (long) Comments: To: DE-Birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hello All, I apologize for much of this information being quite old, but thought it was still worth the effort to post the progress of this year's local birding. 8/3 - The highlight was a flyover Kingfisher (#127 for the year). This is an every other year bird here (when I happen to be in the right place and the right time to catch it flying by) 8/5 - heard the Screech Owls in the yard again 8/6 - A flock of swallows overhead included 2 Banks (#128) 8/9 - Discovered a Great Egret (and later a second one) patrolling the ditch banks on the farm (#129). Seen until 8/16. 8/10 - got 4 late breeding confirmations with a juvenile Red-Bellied Woodpecker, a Carolina Wren nest in a hanging basket on the front porch, and Scarlet Tanager which was, unfortunately, feeding a Cowbird chick. An early migrant of a male Baltimore Oriole and more Bank Swallows present. Saw a 8 point buck on the neighboring farm. 8/17 - I started using the screech owl tape again in pursuit of early fall migrants. I attracted numbers of Titmice and Chickadees at all stops, but in only one group did they have interesting friends. On Horseshoe Rd (DE) where the road turns away from the railroad, I had a big group of 10-12 Chickadees, 8-10 Titmice, RE Vireo, Pewee, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Robin, Chippers, 2 Redstarts, a female Black & White Warbler and a Yellow Warbler. The last two were additions for the year to push the list to 131. On the farm (MD), 4 Wild Turkey, Scarlet Tanager, Worm-Eating Warbler (assumed to be the resident and not a migrant), 2 Solitary Sands and several Screech Owls that called in response to the tape. 8/24 - The trickle of migrants continued with a BG Gnatcatcher, another B&W, a Pine, the Worm-Eating again and, the jackpot, a Prothonotary Warbler (all on the farm in MD). The Prothonotary was a completely unexpected bonus bird, the second ever on the home list and 132 for the year. I had sat down on the RR tracks and started the tape to attract some birds up in the tree tops. The Prothonotary popped up from the ground into a small bush not 15 feet in front of me. Wonderful view. Eventually it was joined by the Wormie. Unusual to see these two together and such close views. Bank Swallows were the most abundant swallow this week. 8/31 - The cold front had not really cleared our area as it was cloudy with intermittent drizzle until 9 AM or so. So I suppose that not much new had arrived because of it and it made for a bit of a lackluster day (only 41 species). Today's trickle of migrants included an Orchard Oriole, 2 Baltimore Orioles, another BG Gnatcatcher, another Yellow Warbler (this one in the front yard), 4 Redstart and 1 B&W. Today's addition was Bobolink which were flying about seemingly everywhere, but not landing anywhere. They made #133 for the year. 9/1 - Went out for an hour or so in the morning. However the weather had turned around, the humidity returned and the breeze was out of the SW. Not conducive to bringing in anything new. It turned out slower than the day before so I did not pursue it long. There were more Bobolink about, the same Yellow Warbler in the yard joined by a Redstart. Saw a splotchy Scarlet Tanager on Kinder Rd. Area Puddles: Neals School Rd (west of Hill Rd) 8/1 - 18 Least, 1 Semi Sand, 1 Pectoral Sand, 1 Spotted Sand, 1 Semi Plover 8/3 - 2 Least, puddle drying 8/10 - has water again, but grass took over in between Boyce Rd (just west of Owls Nest Rd) 8/10 - 10 Leasts 8/14 - empty 8/17 - 2 Leasts 8/18 - 1 Greater Yellow 8/24 - 23 Least Sand, 7 Lesser Yellow and 1 imm. Little Blue Heron (2nd puddle LBH record) 8/26 - 1 Least, 1 Lesser Yellow, 1 Killdeer 8/28 - empty Owls Nest Rd (a complex of puddles on the west side of the road just south the sharp curve. A new puddle shorebird spot.) 8/10 - 15 Leasts, 1 Pec Sand, 3 Killdeer 8/14 - 8+ Pec, 6+ Leasts, 3+ Lesser Yellows, 1 Greater Yellow (in back left puddle and difficult to see) 8/17 - 1 Semi Plover, 1 Lesser Yellow 8/18 - 1 Greater Yellow, 2 Lesser Yellow, 2 Least, 5 Killdeer and juvenile Horned Lark 8/26 - 24+ peep sp. (presumed Least), 4 Lesser Yellows, 7 Killdeer 8/28 - 2 Lesser Yellow, 2 Pecs, Killdeer O'Bier Rd (corner nearest to Neals School Rd) 8/14 - 2 Lesser Yellows, 2 Pecs, 2 Leasts, 1 Solitary, 1 Killdeer. Also 9 Lesser Yellow further down the road. 8/17 - 3 Greater Yellow, 12 Lesser Yellow 8/18 AM - Shelly reported 20 yellowlegs, 1 Stilt Sand, 1 Glossy Ibis 8/18 PM - I found 17 Lesser Yellows, 2 Pectorals, 2 Leasts 8/19 - empty 8/20 - 5 Great Egret 8/21 - 3 Great Egret, 3 Leasts, 1 Solitary 8/22 - empty Oak Grove Rd (MD - opposite the abandoned yellow house) 8/10 - 2 flyby Leasts 8/14 - 1 Solitary 8/17 - empty 8/19 - 10 Lesser Yellows, 2 Green Heron 8/22 - empty 8/21 - empty 8/20 - 2 Greater Yellow, 8 Lesser Yellows 8/24 - 1 Solitary 8/26 - 6 Solitary, 1 Lesser Yellow 8/27 - 4 Solitary 8/28 - 1 Solitary 8/29 - 1 Solitary Retention Pond at AgriLink (on Wesley Church Rd just south of Federalsburg Rd in Bridgeville) 8/26 - 1 Least, 1 Lesser Yellow, 1 Spotted 8/27 - 2 Least, 1 Lesser Yellow, 1 Spotted, 2 Killdeer 8/28 - 1 Killdeer 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================