[MDOsprey] Smith Island Cruise - Sunday, July 11
Miliff@aol.com
Mon, 12 Jul 1999 02:03:36 EDT
Hello all,
Back finally from Australia and New Zealand where the birds were
spectacular as was the rest of it. Much recommended for those that have yet
to go.
But on to Maryland!
Jim Stasz and I took the 10:00 Point Lookout-Smith Island Ferry today
hoping for Wilson's Storm-Petrels and a few surprises. All in all it was
pretty dull, as was Smith itself (in our three hours there). We saw nothing
unexpected (and not even a storm-petrel) in the Bay crossing. No Black Tern.
No gannet. Just gulls (3 species), terns (Common, Forster's, and Royals)
and the occasional Brown Pelican, which no is almost not worth mentioning in
that portion of the Bay. Smith Island itself had 5 Black Skimmers, all
regular herons except bitterns and Cattle Egret (and including 15+ Yellow
-crowned Night-Herons, 2 of which were birds of the year), 26 American
Oystercatchers (high), two Short-billed Dowitchers (my first of the fall), 20
Greater Yellowlegs, 9 Least Sandpipers, 1 Chimney Swift (possibly my first
for the island), 2 Yellow Warblers, and a smattering of other more expected
landbirds. Best was a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow (adult), the first we
have seen there in summer and a good indication that breeding does occur
there, though close to the species' southern limit. Better than the birds
though were the other species of wildlife. Among 14 species of butterflies
were Fiery Skipper (1), Aaron's Skipper (1), Broad-winged (15) and Saltmarsh
(3) Skippers, Horace's Duskywing (1 - first for island?), Sachem (1), Gray
Hairsteak (1), and Pipevie Swallowtail (15 - feeding on Mimosa blossums in
town, several others seen on Bay crossing!). Better even than the bugs
though was a single Rough Green Snake on the north end of town (Ewell). Back
in 1994 I had a Five-lined Skink out there, an the presence of those two
retile species on so small an island really makes one wonder how they got
there, how long ago, what the population of each is, how long it has
persisted, and how long it might continue to exist!
Harry Armistead no tells me that there are at least 600 Brown Pelican nests
around the MD/Va line in the Bay (141 on Spring Is. Dorchester, and the rest
around Shaniks/Cheeseman Is. just over the state line). Add to this a whole
bunch of nonbreeders and then some fledged young a bit later in the season,
and we might come to expect up to 3000 pelicans in the Bay! Just think that
20 years ago they were almost unknown here and that none nested in the Bay
before 1990! The question remains whether these birds will disperse in any
numbers farther north than Hooper's Island and Patuxent Naval Air Station,
which seem to have been the limits for these pelicans thus far. Be sure to
let us all know if you see them dispersing above these apparent limits - lots
of us county listers still need one for Talbot, Calvert, Anne Arundel, Queen
Anne's etc.!
Good birding,
Marshall Iliff
miliff@aol.com
PS - An adult Little Stint was seen in Cape May today but disappeared before
dark - perhaps headed to MD!