Hello again,
        More of my belated bird reports from Oak Grove.  Shorebirds in the
puddles really took off in the first 10 days of May.

5/1 AM - 40 Least Sand and 1 Semipalm Plover (#103) in the far puddle on Oak
Grove Rd, a Herring Gull in the field with the Laughers, one hen Turkey in
the wheat field opposite.  Later, 3 Chimney Swift (#104) and a Baltimore
Oriole at the house.
5/1 PM - 1 hen turkey on the farm and 1 Solitary Sand at the pond.  Both
yellowlegs and 7 Wood Duck in the neighbor's field. The main Oak Grove Rd
puddle had 6 Greater Yellow, 1 Lesser, 43 Least Sand and 3 Semi Plover.  A
little further west (in MD) in the middle of the recently cultivated and
planted field were 8 Black-bellied Plovers (#105).
5/2 - The best find of the day was a pair of Snowy Egrets (#108) in the
puddle opposite the abandoned yellow house on Oak Grove Rd.  They were not
present when I made the first pass by at 8:45 AM, but were there on my
return trip.  They caused a good bird alert stop.  Gone by 10:15 AM, I
re-found them in the puddle in the neighbor's field about noon.  This is
only the 2nd local record of Snowy Egret.  Reduced numbers of yellowlegs and
Least Sands, 1 late Snipe dropped into a dried out puddle right in front of
me, 5 Solitary Sands in 4 puddles (one forgot he was supposed to find his
own puddle) and a different Herring Gull was present at the same place.
other new arrivals were Eastern Kingbird (#106), Blue Grosbeak (#107),
Parula (#109) on Horseshoe Rd at the stream crossing (DE), Indigo Bunting
(#110) and Prairie Warbler (#111) in the cutoff woods on Kinder Rd.
5/4 - another cold and windy AM puddle check.  Totals of 21 Greater and 23
Lesser Yellowlegs, 73 Least Sand and 3 Solitary Sand between 2 puddles on
Oak Grove Rd and the neighbor's field at the back of the farm.  Back in the
winter, someone installed a deer stand that actually straddles the corner
where mine and two other properties meet.  Not sure which one of the others
it belongs to.  Rather than raise a stink, I decided I would use my portion
of it to better view the puddles in the neighbor's field.  It offers me a
much easier view than from ground level.
5/5 - the big puddle but viewed from North Oak Grove Rd yielded 5 Greater
and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 27 Least Sand, 1 Semipalm Plover, 2 Semipalm
Sandpipers (#112), 1 Spotted Sandpiper (#113) and 3 BB Plover out in the
field.  Opposite the yellow house on Oak Grove Rd was 16 more Leasts and
another Semi Sand.
5/6 - in the same puddle, 54 Leasts, 2 Semi Sands, 2 Semi Plover, 4 of each
yellowlegs and a single Pectoral Sandpiper (#114).
5/7 - While working in the yard during the day I heard a Yellow Warbler
(#115), a Blackpoll Warbler (#116) and a Parula.  In the evening, another
check of puddles (am I getting repetitive?) found 2 Wood Duck and a few
shorebirds in the neighbor's puddles at the back of the farm.  On Oak Grove
Rd, there were 59 Leasts between the two main puddles, 1 Semi Band, 1 Pec
and 5 Semi Plover continuing.  The best bird, however, was 3 male Bobolink
in the small pasture at the east end of Oak Grove Rd.  I get Bobolink in the
fall every year, but rarely in the spring (3rd time?).  Anyway it was #117
for the year.
5/8 - Spring Count Day - The steady east breeze and temps about 50 degrees
made for the coldest start to a spring count that I remember.  The Bobolink
group grew to 12.  Shorebird variety was diminished.  56 Leasts counted, but
the Pec and Semi Sands had vanished.  As I was about to pull away, a blur
catches my eye out the right side window.  I attempt one of those slam the
brake, grab the binos, twist in the seat as the bird streaks by stops in
about a half second.  I was left with one of those typically unsatisfying
views of a Merlin (#118) that streaks by and is long gone.
5/10 - In the past, I have done my Big Day at Home the day after Spring
Count, but since I was off from work, I decided to delay until Monday.  But
then the weather forecast says that it will be hot.  I figured that it would
not be any kind of migration day.  Maybe I could just go out for a couple
hours and delay the big day until later in the week when the weather may be
more favorable.  No need.
        I began with Oak Grove Rd and Horseshoe Rd.  The first puddle check
found them empty and left me disappointed.  But I found a lingering Ringer
in with the Laughing Gulls, Catbird (locally a migrant), Blackpoll Warbler,
Yellow Warbler (perhaps a different one), 2 Parulas, a Baltimore Oriole and
the first Pewee (#119) for the year.
        Next stop was the farm and the cutoff woods beyond.  The puddles in
the neighbor's field held the shorebird basics - yellowlegs and Leasts and a
Solitary Sand.  Unusual birds were a female Harrier that flew by at the pond
(local late date), 2 Swamp Sparrows at the cutoff (also local late date);
new arrivals of Summer Tanager (#120) and White-Eyed Vireo (#121).  Add Chat
and Prairie Warbler and the other usual suspects and I had 64 species when I
returned to the house.  I quickly added House Finch and then set about
searching for a few more birds to match my record of 67 species.  I located
3 Semi Plover in a bare cultivated field on the north side of Wild Turkey Rd
and then located a Red-Tail to tie the mark.  With that, I spent the
afternoon working around the house and thinking about which other bird I
could find on my evening rounds.
        On the evening puddle check, the shorebirds had returned to Oak
Grove Rd.  In the puddle opposite the abandoned yellow house, there was a
Semi Sand (#68 for the day and a new single day record).  In the field (dry
ground with sprouting corn) adjacent, there were 15 Least and 16 Semi
Plovers.  Chimney Swift overhead and a Meadowlark further west on Oak Grove
Rd were new.  On the return trip, I stopped to look at the grain tanks at
the farmstead of this property to locate a Pigeon and 1 cooperated.  The
things you do for a big day.  I re-checked the main puddle from North Oak
Grove Rd and turned up a Spotted Sandpiper and 23 more Leasts.  Another
check of the back of my farm found a single Wild Turkey.  I commented to
myself that the way things were going, there would be Mallard AND Wood Duck
in the neighbor's field.  And so there was, with 2 of the former and 4 of
the latter.  A grand total of 75 species within the one mile circle for the
day.  I was quite pleased.

Hopefully one more of these much belated posts will get me caught up.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE