Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 09:54:26 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Ferry Neck & Dorchester Co. 10/25-26 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. Saturday, October 25, 2003, clear to fair to overcast, 45-64 degrees F., wind E - SW 5-15 m.p.h. Spent all day here. 43 species. Did yard work, put storm windows in place, closed outside crawlspace vents. 85 Surf Scoters, 17 Northern Pintails (next to the World Series outcome, the high point of the day when these elegant, graceful fowl flew rapidly by on their way across the Choptank River). 4 Sharp-shinned & 1 Cooper's hawk. 3 imm. Bald Eagles. 35 Forster's Terns. 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 45 Myrtle Warblers. 12 Chipping Sparrows. 1 Purple Finch. 3 Rusty Blackbirds. No waxwings or Ospreys. Very surprising to see a bluebird in juvenile plumage, a full-sized bird but still with spots on its breast. Butterflies: 8 Pearl Crescents, 1 Orange Sulphur, 1 Question Mark, 4 Cabbage Whites, 3 American Ladies, 4 Monarchs, and 8 Buckeyes. 2 Painted Turtles. 3 Gray Squirrels, 8 deer (6 does, 1 small buck and 1 large fawn), and a freshly dead mole sp. on the Olszewski Trails. Lots of wooly bears crossing the roads this weekend. Many roadkill snakes as happens often in warm spells in late October. The cove water is now crystal clear. A large sod tump of clay has somehow materialized in the middle of the cove, compliments of Isabel one supposes. The Olszewskis' small john boat disappeared during Isabel. Our fields will probably be planted soon in winter wheat. Farmer John Swaine was working the neighbors' [the Saffs] fields at sunset today. The fields still not ploughed, disked or tilled since well over a year ago, may harbor some new yard rail species if I could just be present when they are finally worked this month. As a result scattered cattails appear throughout the fields, which is unusual. As many mosquitoes today as I have noticed all year. October 26, Sunday. 22 people on my Blackwater N.W.R. birdwalk including Levin Willey, Mary Konchar, Miyuki Yoshikami and family et al. plus a contingent from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Noonan Center at Bishop's Head in Dorchester County. 1 American Bittern (Pool 1). 300 pintails. 125 Dunlin. 1 extremely plain Pine Warbler right on the road, no yellow at all, like the first year female illustrated on p. 442 of the Sibley guide. 1 coot. 8 shovelers. 8 imm. Black-crowned Night Herons (Pool 3 in the willows). 80 Mourning Doves (Egypt Rd.). 4 American Golden-Plovers. 1 screech-owl that responded c. 9:30 A.M. 3 Blue Geese (adults) but no snows, although a largely albino Canada Goose has been here for a while. A photograph of this albino by Mary Konchar is on hand at the refuge contact station at the start of Wildlife Drive. The Visitor Center remains closed, under renovation and expansion, and may not re-open until next spring. In the mean time books, leaflets, information, a sightings clipboard, restroom, and other amenities are available at the contact station, which is the old refuge headquarters. The station is open 8-4 weekdays, 9-5 weekends. The C.B.F. center at Bishop's Head lost part of its dock during Isabel and its well was contaminated. Before the storm their boats were moved to Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield where they weathered the storm fine. The C.B.F. buildings were unharmed. All this according to the C.B.F. staff I talked with who were on the birdwalk today. Hooper's Island - Swan Harbor Rd. A brief hawkwatch, noon - 2 P.M. (E.S.T.) with Mary Konchar. Not much of a flight. Mostly overcast, low 60s - 70 degrees F. Wind SW 15 m.p.h. 57 raptors: 17 Sharp-shinned Hawks. 2 American Kestrels. 1 Merlin. 3 Bald Eagles. 1 Red-tailed Hawk. 26 Turkey Vultures. 2 Black Vultures. 1 Osprey. 4 Northern Harriers. As usual the birds were flying INTO the wind. 1 Monarch. 1 flyover Common Loon. Levin Willey, who discovered the heron roost in the willows of Pool 3 at Blackwater several years ago, estimated over 600 egrets there (Great, Snowy and Cattle) when he watched the dusk roost on October 10. This is the most ever seen there. A few Tricolored and Little Blue Herons plus Glossy Ibis have also been present there plus the Black-crowned Night Herons. Levin also conducted a hawkwatch for several hours at Swan Harbor Rd. on Hooper's Island on Oct. 10 at midday, finding 67 Broad-winged Hawks, 24 sharpies, 4 Cooper's, 5 imm. Bald Eagles plus 4 adults, 1 kestrel, 8 Black Vultures, 3 harriers, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Ospreys, 2 unid. buteos, and 1 unid. accipiter for a total of 122 raptors. Many thanks to Levin for sharing this information. Unrelatedly, It is unfortunate in the new Sibley spinoff Eastern guide that the text extends so far toward the crease of the binding that it is a tad hard to read sometimes. Best license plate of the weekend: LUX FIAT. Yes, let there be light, or at least as much as there can be now that Daylight Wasting Time is on hand as of 2 A.M. today. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119-1225. 215-248-4120. 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