Easterh Shore trip 9/13 - LaSp, CWWi, MaGo, BBSa
Miliff@aol.com
Mon, 14 Sep 1998 20:39:42 EDT
Hello all,
After an essentially birdless pelagic trip from Lewes, DE, to MD waters (2
Auddubon's and 2 Cory's shearwaters, 1 Palm Warbler, Bottlenosed Dlophins, an
Ocean Sunfish, and 2 Sandwich Terns (in DE)), I dropped down the coast to camp
at Assateague Island.
The dawn flight at Bayside Campground was comprised of a single, unidentified
non-redstart warbler. In other words there was no dawn flight. Among the
abundant towhees, yellowthroats and catbirds in the campground there were a
very few migrants - 15 Baltimore Orioles, 1 Western Palm Warbler, 1 juvenal-
plumaged Chipping Sparrow, 2 American Redstarts, 1 Northern Waterthrush
(target species - Worcester county #280), 10 Red-eyed, 1 Warbling, and one
Philadephia Vireo (sorry Greg!). Plus thousands of very belligerent mos-qui-
toes.
The Life of the Woods trail was somewhat more interesting in the wood-warbler
department. I had 1 Chestnut-sided, 1 Magnolia, 2 Black-and-white, 3
redstarts, 3 Ovenbirds, 2 Northern Waterthrushes, 1 Canada, and one Yellow-
throated Warbler (of the Coastal Plain/yellow-lored nominate subspecies).
Also one Chuck-will's-widow that flushed from over my head, gave its low
"chuck" note (that I heard fror the first time in TX this spring), perched
briefly for a good close range look, and disappeared. My first diurnal
sighting in MD (I did have 5 at Fisherman's Island, VA, on Sep. 10).
Best bird was a Lark Sparrow that flushed from the roadside as I was leaving.
It came back down to feed in a grassy strip. I managed several photos before
the bird was flushed by another vehicle, and flew off. Directions: After
coming over the bridge onto the island, one takes the first right (the main
drag leaiung south). The bird was about 100 ft. after this turn, feeding next
to a gray (power) box mounted on a pole on the east side of the road. It flew
off towards that northernmost parking lot and could be moving around the
general area. I have seen the species once in this vicinity before, and
another time at Bayside Campground.
The flats between Assateague and the mainland, viewed from Eagle's Nest
Campground (ask permission), held numerous shorebirds including 1 Marbled
Godwit (also present the previopus night), 1 Dunlin, 30 Caspian Terns, and 1
Sandwich Tern. Caspian Terns seem unusually common everywhere this year.
E.A. Vaughn was pretty much a bust, though the water llevels are low enough
for shorebirds. The Libertytown STP was full of water and essentially
shorebirdless.
I hit several areas on the way home. The Wicomico County Turf Farm (take
Naylor Mill Rd. west from Rte. 13 north of Salisbury. After the RR track go
right, and then take the next available right) had a single ad. Am. Golden-
Plover. There was a variety of different turf qualities, and quite a large
flock (100) of Killdeer, so the chance of a Buff-breast there seems good.
Nothing notable at Hurlock STP, Choptank, Skeleton Creek Rd., and several
other spots. Easton STP was not birdy in the impundments (1 Common Moorhen in
the lower one was the only notable), but they are umping into the recently cut
fields and there was a small shorebird flock there. It contained on Am
Golden-Plover, as well as Pecs, Leasts, and Killdeer. no Buffie.
I DID find Buff-breasted Sandpipers (5, along with 3 more Golden-Plovers) in
Talbot County. The exact location was the triangle of field habitat formed by
Lewsiton Rd., Coby Rd., and Rte. 328 (MD Atlas D3, Map 50) near the "town" of
Mathews. The birds were seen on the east side of Lewistown Rd., immediately
across from the only house on the west side of the rd. (i.e. about .3 mi north
of Rte. 328). The situation was an interesting one, and something to watch
for when searching for this species. I did my first scan about .1 mi north of
Rte. 328, and was attracted to the VERY large, plowed, dirt field. However, I
saw NO birds at all in that area, where the plowed earth was very pale and
dry. Farther up the road though I could see a large Laughing Gull
congregation folowing the farmer that was plowing under the last of the corn
stubble. Probably 200 Laughing Gulls were following the tractor (anyone who
has birded the Eastern Shore has seen gulls doing this), and along the flanks,
in the recently exposed earth were 135 Killdeer. In am,ong them were the
Buffies and Goldens. So...tractors plowing dirt fields may be something to
watch for. Obviously the shoreebirds were there for the same reason the gulls
were. My impression is that the field habitat the Buff-breasts occur in has
to harboir some food (i.e. arthropods) and that food only occurs in fields
that have something to offer. Recently turned over fields and fields with
some sparse vegetation seem good bets. Up until the cold front passage Sep.
8-9, 2-6 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (19 on August 28), and several other
shorebird species, were in a dirt field at Kiptopeke SP, VA, that had soybean
shoots just springing up. Dense soybean fields, in my experience, are sterile
(no birds!), but very recently planted ones, where birds are easily visible,
may hold promise.
Not much esle on the drive home. Ridgley Sewage Plant had 24 Am. Golden-
Plovers and 130 Killdeer, 2 Pectorals, 2 Semi Sands, and 5 Leasts.
Good birding!
Marshall Iliff
miliff@aol.com
PS - will be back on the hawkwatch platform at Kiptopeke tomorrow morning.
The first Swainson's Hawk, a light morph imm., passed over on the record early
date of Sep. 11.