Folks

Trying to catch up on the bird reports now that the rains have come.  
Chickamuxen - April 7

The name Chickamuxen may strike fear in the hearts of some, but when I was looking at the MD DNR website it reminded me I had not been there for several years.  After my April 7 visit, I wondered why.  A delightful place, Chickamuxen is MD state property near the intersection of Rt. 224 and 344.  The entrance is well marked and provides parking for about 10 vehicles.  Hunting is permitted here, so know the hunting dates, and be careful.  Best avoided during hunting season.  Now is a good time to explore a new birding location.  Trails are wide enough to drive a truck through, Chickamuxen has several types of habitat with good step slopes, a flowing stream valley, and a nice view of the Mattawoman Creek at the end of the trail I took.   I spent about three hours exploring the varied habitat, enjoying the spring beauties, violets, and other early flowers.  I also had about 30 Anglewings, Blue Azure, both Tiger and Zebra Swallowtail, and Cabbage White butterflies.  

Bird highlights were:   5 Pied-billed Grebe, 2 Horned Grebe, 3 Great Blue Heron, 10 Double-crested Cormorant, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Wood Duck, 3 Ring-necked Duck, 45 Lesser Scaup, 3 Bald Eagle, several Osprey, one Red-shouldered Hawk, one Hairy Woodpecker (female), 2 Eastern Phoebe, Pine Warbler, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (singing), one Hermit Thrush, 2 Winter Wren (one singing, one calling, no pictures), and 20 Cedar Waxwings, and lots of Field Sparrow with Song and White-throated mixed in.  I did find one Sycamore Tree that mimicked Red-headed Woodpecker.  Maybe I should start a new kind of list?

Deck highlights prior to going to Chickamuxen were four Great Blue Heron (#62), one female Northern Harrier (63), and one Yellow Palm Warbler (#64 for the yard and #127 for the county year list). Three Fox Sparrow and one Rusty Blackbird male lingers.  The usual suspects were also in attendance.

Garage & House Birds - April 8

The garage bird highlight was an American Bittern.  This bird was brought to me by Jean Artis, so I have not counted it on the year yard list.  Some of us had American Bittern on January 31 at Allen's Fresh.  It had been injured and we wanted to determine what to do.  Jean took the bird, after it was photographed, to the vet and released it later in the day.  The bittern was well when released.  I did take the opportunity to try to talk with the bird.  I said Blunk-key-blunk a few times.  The bird looked at me strangely, and eventually gave a single note response -"blunk".  The only new yard bird for the day was Pine Warbler (#65).  The male Rusty Blackbird is still eating split peanuts and a couple Fox Sparrows are still hanging on with the Chipping, White-throated, Towhee, and Dark-eyed Junco.

I went out to Mattawomen after my doctors appointment to see if I could find the bittern Jean released.  No bittern, but I did find my first Northern Rough-winged and Barn Swallow (#129 & #130 for the county 04 year list) migrating through the Rt. 224/Rt. 225 corner, just before the bridge.  Jean released the bitter up near the railroad tracks just west of where I was.  

Lower Charles County w/ Mike Callahan - Barn Owl Project - April 9  

Mike and I were inspecting existing boxes, potential new box locations, and putting up a new box to help raise the Barn Owl population in Charles County.  We had two successful nest last year.  

New arrivals:  Chimney Swift (#131) at Nanjemoy and Purple Martin (#132)at Riverside.  Other highlights were 140 Rusty Blackbirds along Maryland Point Road eating along the wet areas on the road.  American Kestrel were in several location, as well as Bald Eagle, which is common in the Nanjemoy area.   The Great Blue Heron are moving all over Nanjemoy now that the young are born.  I think we had a Greater Yellowlegs calling along the way.  We also spotted an lovely Pileated Woodpecker.  Mike called out Pilleated, I responded Pile...  Which is it?  Our stop at Camp Merrick produced a female Wood Duck on nine eggs in one Barn Owl Box, Flying Squirrels in the Bluebird boxes, a pair of Eastern Phoebe colleting nest materials, lots more butterflies, and my first dragonfly of the year.  The dragonfly may have been a recently immerged Common Whitetail.  The body shape was right but the wings were completely clear.  Time to consult Richard Orr.  Camp Merrick is a place I should visit more often since it has the potential to be that migrant warbler Mecca I am still looking for in Charles County.  The camp administrator, Bob Rainey, was helpful, warm and friendly, so maybe we can work something out.  There are some nice trails along the river, brushy edges, mixed deciduous and pines, wetlands, etc., and this local could have an annual list of 200 species alone.

Allen's Fresh/Cobb Island - April 10

Jim Stasz, Gwen, and I meet about 8 AM to search for Vesper Sparrow and other field birds on private property near Allen's Fresh that I have access to.  We did not find Vesper Sparrow, but had a productive morning of about 50 species.  Highlights were Solitary Sandpiper (#133), and Lincoln's Sparrow (#134) - a nice either over-wintering bird or spring migrants.  We also flushed up about 70 American Snipe, four Greater Yellowlegs, maybe 100 Savannah Sparrow, perhaps 35 Swamp Sparrow, and less Song Sparrow in the fields.  A couple Field Sparrow were singing in the distance.  Already Gwen and I had White-throated and Fox Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, and Dark-eyed Junco at the house.  Several Horned Lark, American Pipit (~100 flying over in several ways), and maybe 20 Eastern Meadowlark were also present.  We had two Pied-billed Grebe, a couple Northern Harriers, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Forster's Terns, and a few Bonaparte Gulls as well.  Lots of Tree Swallow and a few Barn Swallow also moved across the fields during our visit.  Jim reported a male Merlin, Green-winged Teal, and Rough-winged Swallow before we got there.  Jim - if I missed anything important, please chime in.

Jim had chores back in North Beach, but Gwen and I thought we would give Cobb Island a look see for Gannett.  We first stopped at Morgantown and counted 15 Royal Terns (#135) on the pilings at the turn by the river, and three Caspian Terns (#136) north at Lower Cedar Point.  The river contained numerous Lesser Scaup, and lots of Horned Grebe.  At Cobb Island we had Common Loon, lots more Horned Grebe, lots of Long-tailed Duck, and less Bufflehead.  There could have easily been several hundred Horned Grebe between Harry Nice Bridge and Cobb Island.  No other Grebe were seen on the river.

About 4 PM at home, Gwen heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (#137 year and #66 yard bird) calling from across the road.  I still have not heard the bird, but picked up on movement and did get to see it feeding in the tree tops.  Next morning one was feeding in the back yard, but still not calling.  

Yard Birds at the House - April 11

Having breakfast and wondering what the weather would do, I spotted a plain-breasted, darker bird feeding back with the Fox, White-throat and Chipping Sparrow.  On closer inspection I could see a rusty cap on the short chunky bird.  My first Swamp Sparrow (#67) in a couple years at the house.   Shortly before we were leaving to go to family for dinner, Gwen spotted a Brown Thrasher (#68) under the shrubs in the front whacking sunflower seeds.  

It is tough to stay up if you let this reporting stuff get behind.  Retirement is so much better then working.

More later and stay dry.

George






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