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Subject:

Oak Grove Area update

From:

"Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)"

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Tue, 22 Feb 2005 13:03:42 -0500

Hello All,
	Things have been slow around Oak Grove in recent weeks due to weather, sickness and some ho hum birding and as evidenced by my lack of posts.  The only bird of interest brought to the feeders by the snow in late January was a Fox Sparrow that spent the last week of the month there.  On 2/13, the only new arrival for the year was Killdeer.  They usually disappear for about 6 weeks at mid-winter, so it was right on schedule.  I chased a small flock of snow geese up and down Oak Grove Rd for an hour before the settled in to a field where I could search through them.  For all that effort, I found....Snow Geese.  Oh well, can't find the rarity without trying.
	On Sunday 2/20, things began to pick up.  I made the 40 species mark for the first time this year.  A flyover Fish Crow was new for year.  It fits the pattern of isolated mid-winter singles before they become more locally common sometime in mid-late March.  At the stream crossing on Horseshoe Rd (DE), I found a Pileated Woodpecker and flushed a Wilson's Snipe from the stream (both new arrivals).  
	On Monday 2/21, I made a quick check of local puddles as it is the beginning of the short window (approx. 2/20 to 3/10) where I have some chance of finding puddle ducks at my inland location.  There are a couple of reasonably good looking puddles on Kinder Rd (MD).  I found 131 Canada Geese (plus 50 more on Oak Grove Rd); 6 Tundra Swans (east end of the road); 49 Ring-billed Gulls, but nothing better, 6 Killdeer and 42 American Pipits (all at the sharp bend in the road).  The flock of pipits had eluded me until this point.  They made species # 59 for the year on the homelist.  My goal for winter coverage is 60 species by the end of February, so things are looking good.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE