We had 45 yard species this weekend, including our
first-for-the-season yard WILLETS and CLAPPER RAILS.

SATURDAY Morning

We started out with Colbourne Mill in mind but as we drove away from
Rt. 113 on Porter's Crossing Road the "roaring" Pocomoke River had
other ideas for us--the water was very high from 4 days of rain and
the road was closed by at least three feet of water.  It did provide
a great place to stop though with virtually no traffic (we were the
only ones, I guess, who didn't notice the High Water--Road Closed
sign...grin).  Here we had OVENBIRD, PINE WARBLER, BLACK & WHITE
WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, along
with three PILEATED WOODPECKERS calling to each other as they moved
through the flooded woodland area.

Backtracking to 113 and then to Rt. 12, we decided to head to the
shore points first.  Along Rt. 12 just before Cherrix Road we
stopped at a flooded field where we saw our first CATTLE EGRETS of
the season, along with a half-dozen GLOSSY IBIS, and a lot of gulls,
including a flock of about 20-30 Bonaparte's Gulls in an assotrtment
of plumages.  As we looked through the bonies we noted two slightly
larger gulls in full alternate plumage with chocolate-brown caps
that only covered the top of their heads and didn't move down over
the nape as in the alternate-plumaged Bonaparte's, with pale gray
backs and a noticeable red bill.  Needless to say we were pleased
with these two adult BLACK-HEADED GULLS!

Moving on to Truitt's Landing we heard PINE WARBLER, OVENBIRD, and
our first COMMON YELLOWTHROATS of the year and were surprised to
hear a few MARSH WRENS singing in the marsh there.  We've had a
notable lack of success finding Marsh Wrens in Worcester County, so
this was a good year sighting for us!

Along Boxiron Road we had more OVENBIRDS, a half-dozen CHIPPING
SPARROWS, and several NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS.

At Taylor's Landing and north Vaughn we had a good selection of
birds.  Lots of FORSTER'S TERNS here, and a good sized colony of
BARN SWALLOS gathering mud for their nests.  Many FIELD SPARROWS
singing in Vaughn, CANADA GOOSE on nest, and a lone SNOW GOOSE.
Here we heard and saw our first YELLOW WARBLER of the year along
with the now-ubiquitous OVENBIRDS, and lots of TREE SWALLOWS.

At George's Island Landing Road we started off in Stockton with a
flooded field hosting another large flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLS but
no other "finds" here.  In the marsh we found small numbers of
GLOSSY IBIS and our first LITTLE BLUE HERONS of the season.

We finally made it to Colbourne Mill Road (now called Sturges Road,
I believe) about noon, where we had BLACK & WHITE WARBLER,
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, OVENBIRD, NORTHERN PARULA, WORM-EATING
WARBLER, and lots of BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS.

Heading home about 2 pm we stopped quickly at Eagle's Landing Golf
Coursing where we were pleased to find our Worcester County
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, feeding with numbers of PIED-BILLED GREBES, RUDDY
DUCK, GADWALL, and AMERICAN WIGEON.  The wet field along Rt. 611,
just at the turnoff to the golf course, hosted a half dozen CATTLE
EGRETS on Sunday morning.


SUNDAY Morning

We decided to do a bit of exploring along the northern end of the
ORV Zone, walking in to Tingle's Island and also into the next two
dune crossings south of Tingle's (not sure if they have names).
Here we located lots of BROWN THRASHERS, BOAT-TAILED GRACKLES, FIELD
SPARROWS, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, gorgeous
alternate plumaged YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a real gem of a
PRAIRIE WARBLER, foraging down low in the brush and not singing yet.

Additionally, we saw EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, three WHITE-EYED VIREOS, 3
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, lots of ticks, a troop of Boy Scouts, a
flock of about 65 COMMON LOONS resting on the ocean before
continuing there northward migration, and the pony that Fran had
"adopted" through the Assateague Wildlife Trust, now a full-grown
horse galloping through the dunes with about 7 others.  What a
gorgeous morning!

Best,

Norm & Fran Saunders


================================
Norm Saunders
Colesville & West Ocean City, MD
 

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