Hi Everybody,

The seasonal weather has shown the multiple personality disorder inherent to early spring well into April this year. This weekend's weather ranged from the mild, humid May breezes and thunder storms of Saturday to the bluster of Boreas and occasional stinging rain of March on Sunday.

The Beginner's Walk at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge took place under the pleasant conditions of Saturday morning. Our crew consisted of two leaders and seven participants and we covered the old headquarters road out to the Bay View Butterfly Trail, and the Duck Inn Trail. Birds were good right from the start with at least two Bald Eagles flying by the new Eastern Neck HQ at The Lodge followed by an adult male PEREGRINE FALCON effortlessly riding the updrafts rising from the loblollies behind the building. Along the old HQ road near the fishing pond at the bend in the road we had an excellent array of birds including Killdeer; Eastern Kingbird; three RUSTY BLACKBIRDS - two males displaying their song-spreads to a dark gray female; a Green Heron at the pond; a songful Pine Warbler over the road and a loudly singing HOODED WARBLER (who peeked out of the sweet gum saplings just once). Further along in the fields and hedgerows were flocks of sparrows (mostly Chipping) and a black-throated young male ORCHARD ORIOLE (before the trip the roadside sparrows had included a single VESPER SPARROW). On the Bay View Butterfly Trail we had Caspian Terns, Forster's Terns, two COMMON TERNS (another was seen at Eastern Neck Narrows later), a small flock of SCOTERS including a WHITE-WINGED and four unidentified black-winged scoters, large numbers of low-flying northbound Double-crested Cormorants, and four EASTERN MEADOWLARKS in the grass. Back along the main road there is a new impounded temporary pool adjacent to the Wildlife Trailhead. Presiding over it was a female Belted Kingfisher, while a Greater Yellowlegs stalked the shore, and 13 Wilson's Snipe hopped out of the soggy grass closer to the road. There was a latish junco and a Savannah Sparrow with some Chipping Sparrows along the road. The chippies peered nervously at the sky revealing a Northern Harrier migrating high overhead. At the Duck Inn Trail there was a singing White-eyed Vireo at the trailhead, Swamp Sparrows in the marsh with one that gave us a nice look (another was in full song), a House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a single Yellow Palm Warbler, another kingbird, and more terns. We had a total of 67 species (counting unidentified scoters) for the outing, and enjoyed warm weather as the rain held off for the morning.

Yesterday Nancy, Ian, Ian's friend Sky Urspruch and I explored Chesapeake Farms, Reese's Corner Road, Rock Hall and Eastern Neck NWR in much more wintry conditions. Chespeake Farms must still be releasing RING-NECKED PHEASANTS because we had a handsome cock along the entrance road off Ricaud's Branch Road. We also had over 250 swallows on the main pond including 10 BANK SWALLOWS, 2 White-crowned Sparrows, and a Wilson's Snipe in the ditch along the road. 

Eastern Neck was quite different in the cold onshore winds yesterday. Gone were the singing flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers and the other active songbirds, but waterbirds made up for this. At the Ingleside Picnic Area we had 6 RED-THROATED LOONS; a Common Loon; 2 Bonaparte's Gulls; 4 LONG-TAILED DUCKS in their dark seasonal plumage; and a second-winter plumaged LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL contending with Great Black-backs going after everything it found to eat. At the cove at Bogle's Wharf there were 50 Lesser Scaup; 2 Greater Scaup (both drakes); a hen Hooded Merganser; and a PIED-BILLED GREBE. Eastern Neck Narrows hosted many Forster's and Caspian Terns; 7 Bonaparte's Gulls; a gorgeous alternate plumaged Common Loon (it is unusual to see loons right in the Narrows); 60 more scaup (likely Lessers); about 10 Ruddy Ducks; and three Greater Yellowlegs.

Along Reese's Corner Road there is a pond to the south along a branch of Swan Creek. On Sunday it hosted 25 Green-winged Teal, and four LEAST SANDPIPERS. At a feeder on Fish Hatchery Road there was a male RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. To cap the day there were 10 Caspian Terns (we had a total of 45 for the day), a Laughing Gull, and two Bonaparte's Gulls in the fields along Fish Hatchery Road and around Great Oak Pond. Today during a quick check of these fields to the south of Handy Point Road we could still find Bonies and Caspian Terns, and there was a flock of 18 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS far out in the harrowed fields. Finally we also have a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at our feeder to go along with a few (mostly brown) Purple Finches. Nancy first noticed the hummer on 22 April.

Good Birding, 

Walter Ellison

23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: 

"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B. White (in "Stuart Little")

"Are there *ever* enough birds?" - Connie Hagar as quoted by Edwin Way Teale in "Wandering through Winter"