Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 23:18:13 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Mark Hoffman Subject: Crisfield CBC-Worcester Sector Results-BHVI MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit WORCESTER COUNTY SECTOR 2003 CRISFIELD, MARYLAND, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Hickory Point, Worcester County, MD. Dec 27, 2003. Times: 0645-1730; owling 0554-0645. Freshwater open, Pocomoke River open. Observers: 1 in 1 party. Total party-hours 10.7; 8.7 on foot, 2.0 by car. Total party-miles 10.3; 5.0 on foot, 5.3 by car. Owling party-hours 0.8; party-miles 2.5. All areas in Worcester County, Maryland, including Hickory Point Road and Swamp, adjacent Pocomoke River, and Pocomoke River from Cedar Hall Wharf Road Boat Ramp and adjacent land. All comments refer to the 10 years (1993-2003, except 1995) for which complete data are currently available for this sector. Species in caps are new to the cumulative list (none this year). New highs are indicated. (X/10) means the species has been recorded on X of the 10 counts. All species recorded during 10-year period listed. Pied-billed Grebe 0 (2/10); Double-crested Cormorant 0 (1/10); Great Blue Heron 1 (8/10); Black Vulture 17 (6/10, second highest, high 22); Turkey Vulture 64 (9/10); Snow Goose 0 (2/10); Canada Goose 430 (10/10); Tundra Swan 1 (4/10); Wood Duck 0 (4/10); American Wigeon 0 (1/10); American Black Duck 50 (9/10); Mallard 98 (10/10); Northern Pintail 6 (2/10, new high, prev. 6, Cedar Hall Wharf boat ramp); Green-winged Teal 6 (5/10); Bufflehead 0 (1/10); Hooded Merganser 2 (4/10); Red-breasted Merganser 0 (3/10); Ruddy Duck 0 (1/10); Bald Eagle 20 (15 imm., 5 ads.) (10/10, new high, prev. 12); Northern Harrier 2 (9/10); Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 (6/10); Cooper's Hawk 0 (3/10); Red-shouldered Hawk 0 (5/10); Red-tailed Hawk 1 (7/10); American Kestrel 0 (4/10); large rail (sp.) 0 (1/10); Virginia Rail 0 (2/10); Killdeer 0 (7/10); Greater Yellowlegs 0 (1/10); Common Snipe 1 (5/10); American Woodcock 1 (4/10); Ring-billed Gull 2004 (10/10, new high, prev. 512, very large flight in am headed N along Pocomoke River, return flight in pm); Herring Gull 0 (9/10, despite all the RBGUs, unable to pick out a single HERG, normally HERG more common, though both are normally recorded in single digits); Great Black-backed Gull 1 (8/10); Mourning Dove 18 (8/10); Eastern Screech-Owl 2 (10/10); Great Horned Owl 3 (8/10); Barred Owl 0 (4/10); Belted Kingfisher 1 (8/10); Red-bellied Woodpecker 8 (10/10); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 0 (7/10); Downy Woodpecker 10 (10/10); Hairy Woodpecker 4 (9/10); Northern Flicker 4 (10/10, new low); Pileated Woodpecker 1 (10/10); Eastern Phoebe 0 (3/10); Blue-headed Vireo 1 (5/10, found last year as well, in response to screech-owl tape, along "main trail" through Hickory Point pine forest, with mixed passerine flock, see notes at end); Blue Jay 0 (5/10, scare here); American Crow 4 (10/10, new low, prev. low 6); Fish Crow 7 (8/10); Horned Lark 0 (2/10); Carolina Chickadee 24 (10/10, new low, prev. low 32); Tufted Titmouse 10 (10/10); Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 (4/10); White-breasted Nuthatch 2 (4/10, after none first 5 years, now 4 for 5); Brown-headed Nuthatch 3 (5/10); Brown Creeper 2 (8/10); Carolina Wren 13 (10/10); Marsh Wren 0 (1/10); Winter Wren 2 (10/10); Golden-crowned Kinglet 17 (10/10); Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 (9/10); Eastern Bluebird 38 (10/10); Hermit Thrush 29 (10/10); American Robin 412 (10/10); Gray Catbird 4 (9/10); Northern Mockingbird 3 (7/10); Brown Thrasher 6 (9/10); European Starling 6 (9/10); American Pipit 0 (4/10); Cedar Waxwing 2 (8/10); Yellow-rumped Warbler 54 (10/10); Pine Warbler 1 (5/10, in forest with mixed passerine (e.g., chickadee-centered) flock, have seen them like this here several times, unlike the more normal forest edge/cut-over/ag field situations with Eastern Bluebirds and Chipping Sparrows); Palm Warbler 0 (1/10); Eastern Towhee 0 (6/10); Chipping Sparrow 35 (7/10, along Hickory Point Road, with EABLs); Field Sparrow 0 (4/10); Vesper Sparrow 0 (1/10); Savannah Sparrow 0 (5/10); Fox Sparrow 7 (9/10); Song Sparrow 13 (10/10); Lincoln's Sparrow 0 (1/10); Swamp Sparrow 7 (10/10); White-throated Sparrow 12 (10/10, new low, prev. 29, last year, steady decline from 180 in 2000, ??); Dark-eyed Junco 31 (10/10); Northern Cardinal 12 (10/10); Red-winged Blackbird 414 (10/10); Eastern Meadowlark 0 (3/10); Rusty Blackbird 1 (6/10); Common Grackle 0 (8/10); Brown-headed Cowbird 0 (3/10); Purple Finch 0 (1/10); House Finch 0 (3/10); American Goldfinch 20 (10/10); House Sparrow 0 (2/10). TOTAL SPECIES 60 (best 70, in 1999 and 2000). 3,955 individuals. Cumulative species total 95, 0 species added. PARTICIPANTS: Mark L. Hoffman (MLH, compiler-7263 Norris Ave., Sykesville, MD, 21784, Mhoff36100@aol.com). Commentary: Despite the fine weather and mild fall/winter thus far, bird abundance certainly seemed below the norm, with new lows for several common passerines (especially considering in one year the party-hours were only 2.5). This was also reflected in the species total, the lowest since 1998. Although it should perhaps not be notable by now, I continue to get a "charge" from finding Blue-headed Vireos here. This year's bird was the fifth in ten years, and number 7 overall. A single bird was also seen last year, after a four year hiatus (prior records were 1 in 1993, 3 in 1996, and 1 in 1997). Up until last year, the species had not been seen here after the CBC, despite being looked for on a few occasions (at least in 1998, by Iliff et al.). However, on January 25, 2003 a single bird was found at Hickory Point at the same location as the bird on the '02 CBC (J. L. Stasz, E. Boyd, M. Hafner, NAB 57:188). To encourage others to search, I will give some hints on how to look for this species, as I have in the past. For starters, the Hickory Point area is accessed from the intersection of Routes 13 and 113 in Pocomoke City, by taking the Pocomoke Beltway southeast, to Route 371 (Cedar Hall Road). Turn south, and in several miles Hickory Point Road goes off to the west. After about a mile, the true swamp starts on the north side of the road. This is part of Pocomoke State Forest, but when wet (as now) very difficult to access. The roadside birding is good, however. A particularly birdy spot is were there are woods on both sides of the road (after a run of 3 houses on the south side of the road) and a small bald cypress tree growing very close to the south shoulder of the road (don't pull off the road too much or you will get stuck, the shoulder is very soft, keep two wheels on the pavement). Gray Catbirds and Brown Thrasher explode from the thickets here at dawn. A short distance on, the road cross a wooden bridge, and then a gated driveway goes off to the left. The road turns to dirt and continues about 1/3 a mile to a parking area. Note that there is also a small artificial pond in the field south of the road, just before getting to the parking lot, you'll have to stand on the roof of your car to check the ducks. From the parking area, what I consider three "trails". Park in the lot at the dead end, then walk down the main road. After a fairly short while, there is an area of dumped appliances, etc., and just after that a trail/old road goes off to the north (right). This is the "North Trail". This trail/old road seems to end at the "cul-de-sac" after maybe 1/2 mile or so and has young pines on the west (left) and swamp on the east (right). The vireo in 2002 was right at the cul-de-sac, then moved into the pine forest to the west. You can continue north from here, but the old road becomes a trail. Toward its end, it gets wet and you have to zig to the west a little, but eventually you come to the Pocomoke River. It helps to have an aerial photo of the area (as available at "Merlin Online", the state GIS info web-site). You have to retrace your steps to get back to the main trail. Don't wander off into the woods too much without a compass, as this area can be disorienting. A little further down the main trail, a trail goes off to the left. This has younger pine on the right and older pine on the left. Eventually it becomes swamp on the right and the trail ends after maybe 3/4 mile. I have seen vireos along this stretch 3 times. Twice in the first part with young pine/old pine and once at the very end in the swamp. Again you have to retrace your steps to the main trail. Continue down the main trail/road, this ends after maybe 1 mile. This goes through and area that was cutover in the late-1970s and is now maturing pine. I have seen vireos three times along this stretch, including this year's bird. This is all young pine, but the swamp comes pretty close in several places. One of the birds in '96 was at the interface of the pine and swamp (I had wandered off the trail). The vireo in '97 was maybe 1/2-3/4 mile from the start of the young pines. It was first right along the trail, but I followed the mixed flock for maybe 20 minutes, and they gradually hit the swamp edge and fed in that area. This year's bird was fairly close to the beginning of the trail. Several hundred yards after the "beginning" of the central trail (where the other trail goes off to the left and the young pine forest starts), there is the beginning of what appears to be a road going off to the right. The vireo was maybe 50-100 yards beyond this spot, near were a very large sweet gum tree is on the left side of the trail. Thus, of the 7 BHVIs I have seen in winter, 1 was swamp, 3 old pine/young pine, and 3 swamp/young pine. Bottom line is both habitats seem to be ok. All these birds have been in mixed feeding flocks with CACH as the core species. TUTI, GCKI, RCKI, RBNU (if present), DOWO, WBNU, MYWA, and BRCR are other flock members, at times. I use a screech-owl tape to bring these flocks in, once I hear a chickadee or some other flock member. The flocks, once located, can be followed through the woods (unless they're in the swamp). The vireos have shown some interest in the owl tape (but much less than a chickadee, for example). Desperate to photograph one with my new digital SLR, this year's bird frustrated me, as I saw it twice, went for my camera and never saw it again. I think it helps to do this area early in the day (though not a dawn), as it takes some time for the sunlight to penetrate the forest. The mixed flocks, however, seem much more active, and when I have birded the road early and hit the trails in the late-morning, I have a hard time finding mixed flocks. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================