[MDOsprey] Oakland CBC weekend, and tally results from Cumberland and Jug Bay
Miliff@aol.com
Tue, 21 Dec 1999 19:43:28 EST
MDOsprey,
In an effort to keep the information about local CBCs flowing (anyone do Kent
County? Denton? etc.) I report below on the two CBCs I participated in this
past weekend....and on one tally-rally that I eavesdropped on :-).
I somehow talked Greg Miller into meeting at my house at 3:00 am to head
out to Garrett County for the Oakland CBC on Saturday. I had never done a
CBC in western MD and have only been out there a couple times in winter. I
find the western Maryland definitions of rarity extremely fascinating (Hermit
Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Myrtle Warbler etc. are extreme rarities on the
Oakland CBC). We had a great day with PERFECT weather and much open water
on Deep Creek Lake. Our 50 species in our territory was well above what I
would have expected. The complete list is below - highlights were a flyover
redpoll, an American Robin, a Killdeer, and a great waterfowl list. Another
highlight was a Northern Mocking bird just outside the count circle. This
came just after I had told Greg that ANY "mockingbird" in his part of the
state would far more likely be a Northern Shrike...
Intelligence from Connie Skipper (compiler) reveals that others had a
great day afield also. Fran Pope had a mockingbird INSIDE the count circle
(3rd in last 15 years) and an American Woodcock (1st count record?), while
Connie located a Northern Shrike! The latter was the second count record and
first since 1955, but was on private land so is not available for viewing.
Still, be ready for more to show up!!!
Greg and I also spectated and visited at the Cumberland (Allegany County)
CBC tally-rally. A few highlights as I remember them are: 2 E. Phoebes, good
numbers of waterfowl still on Rocky Gap, 24+ Pine Siskins (most at one feeder
in Oldtown), a fairly high Winter Wren count, 1 Ruffed Grouse (along the
canal!), and a good sampling of other species, though few exceptional high or
low counts, misses, or rarities.
I helped Jim Stasz and Greg Miller cover the North Beach area for the Jug
Bay CBC on Sunday. No extreme rarities turned up for us or anyone else on
the count. our highlights were: 1 Western Palm Warbler (Miller) in Chespeake
Beach, 10+ Marsh Wrens, 2 Virginia Rails, 3 Redheads, 8000 Greater Scaup, 58
Northern Gannets (!), 2 Red-throated Loons, 300+ scoters (mostly Surf) of all
three species, a high towhee count, including a single flock of 17, a few
American Tree Sparrows in Chesapeake Beach, and a couple mystery finches
(noncalling) that got away. Standouts from the tally-rally were a tied of
the all time record of 115 species, including a flock of 20+ turkeys, the
first miss ever for Northern Bobwhite, a miss on Screech Owl, a single Common
Yellowthroat, a miss on Pine Warbler. With nothing extraordinary and a few
surprising misses, I was surprised at the final species total.
Oakland CBC, Saturday, 18 Dec 1999 - Greg Miller and Marshall Iliff
Our sector was the east end of Deep Creek Lake - including Swanton, Harvey
Peninsula, Hazelhurst, Green Glade, and North Glade
Common Loon 1 off Hazelhurst
Pied-billed Grebe 3 off Hazelhurst
Canada Goose 555 includes one flock of 530
Green-winged Teal 15 off Green Glade
American Black Duck 35
Mallard 211
Northern Pintail 8 6 off Harvey Peninsula & 2 off Hazelhurst
Gadwall 11 Harvey Peninsula
American Wigeon 15 Harvey Peninsula
REDHEAD 2 pair off Green Glade
Ring-necked Duck 2 males off Green Glade
GREATER SCAUP 1 im male, Harvey Peninsula
Lesser Scaup 22 2 Harvey Peninsula, 19 off Green Glade
Bufflehead 29
Hooded Merganser 42
COMMON MERGANSER 20 single flock, high flyers
Ruddy Duck 247 off Green Glade/Hazelhurst
Bald Eagle 1 adult, over Green Glade at 1:00 pm
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Kestrel 3
Wild Turkey + flock of 49 seen from Harvey Peninsula was counted by Gaffneys
Killdeer 1 Harvey Peninsula
GULL SP. 1 Harvey Peninsula, brief look by Greg Miller
Rock Dove 6
Mourning Dove 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Harvey Peninsula, Green Glade
Downy Woodpecker 8
Hairy Woodpecker 1 Green Glade
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Horned Lark 55 at North Glade
Blue Jay 53
American Crow 1040
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 134
Tufted Titmouse 41
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 town of Swanton
White-breasted Nuthatch 37
Brown Creeper 9
Carolina Wren 8 surprising count?
AMERICAN ROBIN 1 in North Glade, just nw. of North Glade Rd./Rte. 495
intersection
CEDAR WAXWING 1 flyover in town of Swanton, Marshall Iliff only
European Starling 38
Northern Cardinal 3
American Tree Sparrow 13
Song Sparrow 3
Slate-colored Junco 64
House Finch 5
REDPOLL SP. 1 flyover in North Glade, just nw. of North Glade Rd./Rte. 495
intersection. I have no problem with listing this bird as a Common Redpoll
based on probability, but I could not definitively ID the bird as Common
from the encounter we had.
Pine Siskin 1 flyover in town of Swanton, Marshall Iliff only
House Sparrow 20
TOTAL - 50 species in our sector
Additional species in other sectors
BARRED OWL 1 Mosser Rd. crossing of Cherry Creek, hunting at dusk
Great Horned Owl 1 Rock Lodge Rd. c. 1 mi n. of Mosser Rd., hunting at
dusk
Red-winged Blackbird 30 Mosser Rd. crossing of Cherry Creek, flocking at
dusk
Additional species OUTSIDE count circle
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD 1 in Pleasant Valley c. 1 mi s. of circle at
intersection of Pleasant Valley Rd. and Doc Bernard Rd. [note: only seen on 2
counts of past 15 years: 1 in 1992, 2 in 1993]
Great Blue Heron 2 just s. of count circle in Pleasant Valley
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 New Germany SP
Additional birds INSIDE count circle, may have been missed by other parties?
Red-tailed Hawk 2 Rte. 219 at Mt Nebo & Sand Flat Rd. [also 3 outside count
circle]
Pileated Woodpecker 1 flyover on 219 at Mt. Nebo
Mourning Dove 5 Sand Flat Rd., w. of Broadford Res.
Best,
Marshall Iliff
miliff@aol.com
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Marshall J. Iliff
Annapolis, MD
miliff@aol.com
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