Smoky Rd., Calvert County [long]
Jlstasz@aol.com
Sun, 27 Sep 1998 13:31:41 EDT
Hi Folks!
Norm has requested suggestions for birding sites in all the counties. Calvert
is my home, and rather than suggest North Beach or Flag Ponds Park, I have
chosen Smoky Road. From Sunderland [at the junction or Rt. 4 and Rt. 2.][
Delorme 38 C2] head west on Rt 262 to Mill Branch Road, then south on Mill
Branch Road to Smoky Road. Take Smoky Road all the way...where it is gated on
the Maryland DNR Wildlife Management Area. From here to the river on both
sides it is all State-owned land. From the gate the first mile of old road is
paved; the last 3/4 miles is good farm road [for those of you who like to bike
and bird]. Except for hunting season, almost no one goes here. You will have
several hundred acres to bird.
The property is essentially the land between two main creeks. The eastern half
is a plateau, with old field in the center and Oak/Beech/Hickory hardwoods on
the steep slopes that drop down to the creeks to the north and south. The
eastern half has a fair amount of secondary woodland with Virginia Pines. The
western area is mostly in corn this year..but the crop varies. There are a
nice hedgerows in the field areas and a large barn [hint]. Although there are
extensive marshes, these are largely inaccessible.
Today's list: 7AM-Noon, about 3 miles walking:
Pied Billed Grebe 1, Turkey Vulture, 1, Black Vulture 6, Red-shouldered Hawk 1
, American Kestrel 1, Merlin 1, Killdeer 2, Mourning Dove 4, Yellow-billed
Cuckoo 1, Eastern Screech-Owl 2, Chimney Swift 4, Belted Kingfisher 2, Red-
headed Woodpecker 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 4, Hairy Woodpecker 2, Downy
Woodpecker 14, Pileated Woodpecker 3, Yellow-shafted Flicker 8, Eastern Phoebe
14, Traill's Flycatcher 1, Blue Jay 40+, American Crow 4, Carolina Chickadee
14, Tufted Tirmouse 16, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Carolina Wren 12, House
Wren 6, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4, Eastern Bluebird 18, Gray-cheeked Thrush [2
immatures seen], Wood Thrush 3, American Robin 2, Gray Catbird 14, Northern
Mockingbird 1, Brown Thrasher 18, European Starling 0, White-eyed Vireo 6 [all
dark-eyed immatures], Blue-headed Vireo 1 [solitarius, not alticolis],
Warbling Vireo 2, Philadelphia Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo 13, Nashville Warbler
2, Northern Parula 2, Chestnut-sided Warbler 2, Magnolia Watbler 1, Black-
throated Blue Warbler 3, Myrtle Warbler 2, Black-throated Green Warbler 1,
Pine Warbler 2, Prairie Warbler 3, Western Palm Warbler 6, Bay-breasted
Warbler 1, Blackpoll Warbler 1, Black-and-white Warbler 8, American Redstart
7, Ovenbird 2, Connecticut Warbler 2 !!!!, Common Yellowthroat 16, Summer
Tanager 2, Scarlet Tanager 1, Northern Cardinal 22, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1,
Blue Grosbeak 4, Indigo Bunting 17, Eastern Towhee 6, Field Sparrow 14,
Bobolink 8, Red-winged Blackbird 800, Common Grackle 200, House Finch 4,
American Goldfinch 2, House Sparrow 0.
Cloudless Sulphur 30+, Monarch 20+, Question Mark, Eastern Comma, Pearl
Crescent, Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed Blue, Variegated
Fritillary.
Common Green Darner, 10-spotted Skimmer, Brown-spotted Glider.
Not many sparrows at all! But when you find the Songs & Swamps here...it is a
great place for Lincoln's.
Good Birding!
Jim
Jim Stasz
North Beach MD
jlstasz@aol.com