In case you are wondering what happened to installment #3 (three days of
atlasing on Assateague 05/26-28), it is still a work in progress, too many
interesting things to put in a brief summary!

 

As for #4 this is just the highlight reel.  As you may remember, I had a
singing male Dickcissel (unproven as a Worcester breeder) at the end of
Timmons Road in late-May (I checked that location today to no avail; his
field had been mowed, but there is still a lot of good looking habitat along
the last 0.4 m or so of this road).  Thus, it perhaps did not come as a
total surprise when, on 1 June, I pulled up to the last stop of my
mini-route in Snow Hill/NE (a spot I had previously visited and mapped as a
good "field bird" location), and was greeted by the loud song of another
Dickcissel.  Even better, a female was with him, and the main area he liked
was a young pine plantation, with trees 5-8 feet tall, surrounded by broom
sedge (not likely to be mowed).  He was there again today (2 Jun) in the
afternoon singing away.  

 

Please report to me any signs to confirm breeding!

 

The exact location is along Forrest Lane Road, about 0.5 miles NW of its
intersection with Route 354, northwest of Snow Hill.  The area of young
pines is on the south side of the road, and the first such area as you head
west from Route 354.  Some times he is on the wire or in the hay on the
other side of the road.

 

Photos at www.pbase.com/wcbirding.

 

Mark L Hoffman