WORCESTER COUNTY MD - 12/28-31/1998 - Long
MHoff36100@aol.com
Fri, 1 Jan 1999 17:30:58 EST
MD birders --
I've just return from 4 excellent days of birding, despite the terrible
weather, in God's country (a.k.a. Worcester County), including participating
in three Christmas Counts (Crisfield, Ocean City and Chincoteague).
Personal highlights (described below) include 3 Lincoln's Sparrows, 1 Clay-
colored Sparrow (plus another one not seen by me in Worcester on the
Chincoteague count), 18 Lapland Longspurs, 1 Ross' Goose, 1 Blue-winged Teal,
23 Wild Turkeys, and the best bird of all - 1 Common Merganser (only to be
appreciated by county listing aficionados!).
28 Dec 1998 - Crisfield CBC
I do the Worcester County sector (the "Swamp"), which consists of Hickory
Point Road off of Route 371, south of Pocomoke City. The area consists of some
mixed ag land, but is mostly swamp forest and about a 20 year-old pine
plantation. This is a great area of forest species like Hermit Thrush and Fox
Sparrow (see below). Jim Stasz and Marshall Iliff were with me in the am.
Snow Goose - 2
Canada Goose - 30
Wood Duck - 5
Mallard - 4
Northern Harrier - 2
Bald Eagle - 3
large rail (sp.) - 1
Killdeer - 4
Greater Yellowlegs - 1
American Woodcock - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 2
Herring Gull - 6
Great Black-backed Gull - 1
Mourning Dove - 3
E. Screech-Owl - 10
Great Horned Owl - 5
Barred Owl - 4
Belted Kingfisher - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Yellow-b. Sapsucker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 9
Hairy Woodpecker - 6
Northern Flicker - 13
Pileated Woodpecker - 6
Am. Crow - 54
Fish Crow - 35
Caroline Chickadee - 52
Tufted Titmouse - 18
Brown Creeper - 4
Caroline Wren - 23
Winter Wren - 11
Golden-cr. Kinglet - 58
Ruby-cr. Kinglet - 4
Eastern Bluebird - 12
Hermit Thrush - 48
Am. Robin - 38
Gray Catbird - 7
Brown Thrasher - 7
Am. Pipit - 2
Cedar Waxwing - 2
E. Starling - 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 112
N. Cardinal - 9
Field Sparrow - 2
Fox Sparrow - 19
Song Sparrow - 28
LINCOLN'S SPARROW - 1
Swamp Sparrow - 14
White-throated Sparrow - 54
Dark-eyed Junco - 18
Red-winged Blackbird - 3800
Common Grackle - 20,090
Brown-headed Cowbird - 1
Am. Goldfinch - 9
House Sparrow - 2
The Lincoln's was in a small clear-cut just south of Hickory Point Road, about
¼ mile west of Route 371. The area is posted, but I did manage to see it from
the road. It was in the northwest quadrant of the clear-cut. I looked for it
again briefly on 12/31 and did not see it, but it is probably still there.
As for the rest of the Crisfield CBC (which isn't in Worcester County, so does
anyone really care?:)!), the only thing I remember is a Spotted Sandpiper was
seen on Janes Island, just opposite the marina.
29 Dec 1998 - Ocean City CBC
I do not have the total for each species and won't go into a detailed listing
of just what our sector had. I believe the species total was around 153.
Highlights, as I remember them, are as follows.
O'Brien (who was joined by his wife Louise Zemaitis this year). The territory
includes areas east and west of Route 113 between Ironshire and Newark. I do
the areas west of 113 and had a very good day with 4 "write-ins".
The flock of 23 Wild Turkey (visible from Route 113, on the west side, between
were Newark Road comes in from the west and Basket Switch Road goes off to the
east) as last year.
Another Lincoln's Sparrow in a weedy vacant lot in Newark. From downtown
Newark take Patty Woods Road west. In about ¼ mile there will be two houses on
the south side of the road and then a vacant lot with a yellow for-sale sign.
The field was full of sparrows. I saw the Lincoln's here again on 12/31, quite
close to the road. There is the possibility there are two Lincoln's here.
I had a single Ross' Goose in a field along Down's Road, about 1 miles south
of Ironshire Station Road (first field to the east after the first woods
edge). Any large Snow Goose flock in this area may have a few Ross'.
The 18 Lapland Longspurs were in the traditional area along Ironshire Station
Road, roughly 1 mile west of Route 113. About 210 Horned Larks and 40 American
Pipits in this field also. When I saw the longspurs on the 29th they were by
themselves. Paul O'Brien (with much trying) saw 1 longspur with a lark flock
of larks on 12/30. These birds were very difficult to see on the ground. The
is also a flock of shorebirds (Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin and Ruddy
Turnstones) that winter in this area. I looked for the longspurs briefly on
12/31 and but only saw about 50 Horned Larks.
Other highlights from the OC count included:
Little Blue Heron - 6 (West OC, new high)
Blue-winged Teal - 8 (Showell sewage ponds, new high)
Eurasian Wigeon - 1 (Assateague, same location as last year)
Harlequin Duck - 15 (OC Inlet, new high)
Merlin - 1 (Inlet area)
Sora - 1 (West OC, take Riggins Ridge Road, just past West OC pond, then first
left and park by substation, bird was in marsh just past substation. I looked
for it on 12/31 without success).
Willet - 1 (OC)
Long-billed Dowitcher - 39 (South Point party, muddy island)
Little Gull - count week (12/28, Inlet)
Long-eared Owl - 2 (Assateague)
N. Saw-whet Owl - 1 (Assateague)
Tree Swallow - 2
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
Savannah ("Ipswich") Sparrow - 60+ (record high, on Assateague and Skimmer
Island)
30 Dec 1998 - Chincoteague CBC
The northern fifth or so of the Chincoteague count circle is in Maryland, and
includes areas around Stockton, Big Mill Pond, Georges' Island Landing, and
the southern section of Vaughn WMA. Michael O'Brien have done this area (which
I suggest is the best CBC territory in Maryland) for a number of years. This
year we had Louise Zemaitis helping out, and Marshall Iliff and Jim Stasz put
in several hours as well. Species list as follows (comments pertain to sector-
specific totals since 1991):
Horned Grebe - 1
Am. Bittern - 1 (Count week in 96, no other records)
Great Blue Heron - 43 (new high)
Tundra Swan - 73 (new high)
Snow Goose - 10000 (white), 155 (blue)
Ross' Goose - 1 (MOB, LZ, flyby at George's Island landing, may be first
record for Chincoteague count)
Brant - 30
Canada Goose - 482 (new high)
Wood Duck - 2
Am. Black Duck - 518 (new high)
Mallard - 184
Mallard/Am. Black Duck (sp.) - 1500
N. Pintail - 4
N. Shoveler - 2 (first)
Gadwall - 2
Lesser Scaup - 1 (first)
scaup (sp.) - 300
Bufflehead - 361 (new high)
Hooded Merganser - 640 (although we have always seen large Hooded Merganser
flights at dusk from George's Island landing, this years flight was
unprecedented. There were several flocks of 70-90+ mergansers, all flying
south mostly between the tree line and the bay edge, new high).
Red-breasted Merganser - 47
Black Vulture - 22
Turkey Vulture - 75
N. Harrier - 8
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 6
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 8
Bald Eagle - 5 (new high)
Am. Kestrel - 1 (new low)
Merlin - 1 (count week '97)
Peregrine Falcon - 1 (first)
N. Bobwhite - 22 (new high, by 1)
Virginia Rail - 1
Black-bellied Plover - 7
Killdeer - 126
Greater Yellowlegs - 31
Lesser Yellowlegs - 16 (new high)
Long-billed Dowitcher - 1 (second record)
dowitcher (sp.) - 5
Sanderling - 2 (first)
Dunlin - 28
Cm. Snipe - 20 (new high)
Am. Woodcock - 12
Ring-billed Gull - 602
Herring Gull - 82
G. Black-backed Gull - 9
Rock Dove - 8
Mourning Dove - 339
E. Screech-Owl - 18
Great Horned Owl - 11
Belted Kingfisher - 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 9 (tied low)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 9 (new low)
Hairy Woodpecker - 5 (new low)
Northern Flicker - 26
Pileated Woodpecker - 4
Eastern Phoebe - 4
Horned Lark - 0 (first miss)
Blue Jay - 7 (new low)
Am. Crow - 56
Carolina Chickadee - 52
Tufted Titmouse - 19
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 2
Brown Creeper - 2
Carolina Wren - 43
Winter Wren - 18
House Wren - 3
Sedge Wren - 4
Marsh Wren -1
Golden-cr. Kinglet - 9
Ruby-cr. Kinglet - 2
Eastern Bluebird - 32
Hermit Thrush - 17
Am. Robin - 1370 (new high)
Gray Catbird - 6
N. Mockingbird - 14
Brown Thrasher - 15
Am. Pipit - 58
Cedar Waxwing - 65
E. Starling - 1352
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 144
Pine Warbler - 0 (bad miss, blame on rain and wind, first miss)
N. Cardinal - 105
Eastern Towhee - 32
Field Sparrow - 98
Savannah Sparrow - 194 (new high)
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow - 1
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 3
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW - 1 (MOB, LZ) (take George's Island Landing Road east
from Stockton, where Greenbackville Road goes off to the south, turn
left/north and go to the end of the road and the parking lot. Work the edge to
the east. The bird was about ½ miles east of the parking lot. First.).
Vesper Sparrow - 1 (second record)
Fox Sparrow - 10 (new high)
Song Sparrow - 324
Swamp Sparrow - 250 (new high)
White-throated Sparrow - 735
Dark-eyed Junco - 53
Red-winged Blackbird - 2891
E. Meadowlark - 64
Boat-tailed Grackle - 2
Common Grackle - 10980
Brown-headed Cowbird - 169
House Finch - 117
Am. Goldfinch - 249 (new high)
House Sparrow - 28
Species total was 99. I thought we would break 100 this year with Marshall and
Jim's help, but the weather really hurt us. Maybe next year … I don't really
know what else was seen on the Chincoteague count (were talking Virginia here
…) as the tally was over by the time we got there. Nothing stands out.
31 Dec 1998 - Pocomoke City to OC
Finally a day of relax birding (starting at 0650!!) by myself. From Pocomoke
City to OC area. Highlights:
Pocomoke City Sewage Ponds
Canada Goose - 20
Am. Black Duck - 10
Mallard - 250
BLUE-WINGED TEAL - 1 f.
Gadwall - 6
N. Shoveler - 60
Am. Wigeon - 2
Ring-necked Duck - 5 (low)
scaup (sp.) - 2
COMMON MERGANSER - 1 f./imm. m. Seen in both pools and flying between them, a
truly excellent bird. Only the third COME I have ever seen in Worcester County
and the first one sitting on the water since 1976. Missed during both '92 and
'94 big years. Fantastic!!
Ruddy Duck - 100 (low)
Am. Coot - 50
Killdeer - 4
Least Sandpiper - 1
Common Snipe - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 300
Herring Gull - 1
misc. landbirds including Eastern Phoebe -1 and Palm Warbler - 1 (western)
Pit Circle Ponds
Canada Goose - 50
Mallard - 30
Gadwall - 3
Am. Wigeon - 3
Ring-necked Duck - 120
Ruddy Duck - 40
Am. Coot - 10
Evans Road (near Berlin)
I stopped here because it is a reliable spot for White-crowned Sparrows
(having not seen one on the CBCs …).
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW - 1 (photos)
Field Sparrow - 5
Savannah Sparrow - 10
Song Sparrow - 30
LINCOLN'S SPARROW - 1 (photos)
White -crowned Sparrow - 30 (1 ad.)
Directions: From the intersection of Evans Road and Ironshire Station Road
(south of Berlin), go north on Evans Road. Continue past Cedar Lane that goes
off to the left (west). In about ¼ mile you will come to an abandoned farm
site with hedge rows on both sides of the road and all kinds of weedy
thickets. Both the Lincoln's and Clay-colored were on the east side of the
road, in the southern group of thickets. The Lincoln's kept to the thick
stuff, while the Clay-colored was feeding in the low grassy circular area that
is mostly surrounded by thickets. The Clay-colored is a count period bird for
the OC CBC.
Riggins Ridge Road Pond
Little Blue Heron - 1 imm. + 1 ad. flyover at Sora spot (described above)
West OC Pond (85% ice covered)
Great Blue Heron - 2
Tundra Swan - 12
Green-winged Teal - 40
Am. Black Duck - 100
Mallard - 1000
N. Pintail
Gadwall - 2
Thanks to my wife for taking care of my son during my absence. I think I owe
her …
Good birding,
Mark Hoffman
Sykesville, MD
Mhoff36100@aol.com