Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Hooper's Island, June 7

From:

Henry Armistead

Reply-To:

Henry Armistead

Date:

Tue, 14 Jun 2005 10:05:29 -0400

June 7, 2005.  At 4:30 A.M. at the tiny, triangular storm drain pond at the
Cambridge Wawa, a fraction of a fraction of an acre, 3 Bullfrogs were
calling.  House Sparrows were already active.

Atlassed on north Hooper's Island, which forms the major land portion of
atlas block Taylor's Island SE, most public acess being via Meekins Neck
Road and roads running north from Swan Harbor Road.

Last night a jim corker of a ripsnortin' thunderstorm struck at 9 P.M.,
bringing several inches of rain and deafening thunder, some of it directly
overhead at Rigby.  This morning, although the sky was clear, distant
lightning continued from when I got up at 3:15 A.M. until 4:30 A.M.  There
was a curious differential power outage in our house for about 15 minues. 
The stove electric clock survived on time but the microwave clock had
stopped.  My electric alarm in the bedroom had been affected by the outage;
it was lit up when I awoke 15 minutes after when I'd set for, but the
second hand was staionary and the time said 9:15.  Gremlins at work.   

5:45 - 10:45 A.M.  73 species.  Last year about this time I found 75
species but started earlier, getting 2 owl species and some chucks.  

Highlights:  1 Brown Pelican.  34 Great Egrets.  35 Great Blue Herons.  2
pairs of Wood Ducks.  3 Bald Eagles.  20 Ospreys.  5 Clapper Rails (but no
Virginias in spite of considerable tape use).  Only 1 bobwhite.  8 Willets.
 1 Pileated Woodpecker.  10 crested flycatchers.  4 Red-eyed Vireos.  6
Tree Swallows (1 seen entering a nesting box).  36 Barn Swallows.  7
Brown-headed Nuthatches.  12 House Wrens.  1 Wood Thrush.  1 Cedar Waxwing.
 22 Pine & 2 Prairie warblers.  1 Ovenbird.  7 yellowthroats.  2 Field & 10
Seaside sparrows.  7 Blue Grosbeaks.  10 Indigo Buntings.  1 meadowlark.  4
Orchard Orioles.  7 House Finches.

This atlas block has extensive saltmarsh, mostly Juncus roemerianus, and
much pure Loblolly Pine forest.  Its central section has forest more mixed
with lots of oaks.  The N end has been lumbered 7-8 years ago and has good
scrubby habitat, some artificial ponds, and small fields.  One fall in the
late 1960s I mistnetted in this N section here for over 30 days, catching
more than 70 species.  Although I had written permission from 2 landowners,
a local man, who was drunk and carried a revolver, harangued me one day
that fall, accusing me of sending messages to the communists on the bird
bands.  That was a memorable day.  Offshore is part of a sandbar in the
north end of Tar Bay and some Spartinal alterniflora marsh.

One property has 9 Private Property signs just at its entrance.  Last year
he was civil but wouldn't let me look around, concerned I'd find endangered
species.  Later I located the website for his lodge which quoted liberally
and almost literally from my article in "Birding", 'Maryland's Everglades',
about southern Dorchester County.  Doesn't like outsiders possibly
affecting how he uses his land, yet is from New Jersey himself.  A couple
of ironies at work here.    

Other taxa, sometimes in other but nearby places.  A big Snapping Turtle on
the road.  On Egypt Road I removed a big Red-bellied Turtle that was
basking on the pavement quite far from any water.  A few weeks ago one was
on Route 309 just N of Rt. 404.  Before I could get to it a pickup truck
behind me stopped, caught it, and released it into the ditch.  Several
Black Rat Snake roadkills today.  Only a few Diamondback Terrapin seen
around Hooper's.  6 single Sika Elk seen in various places.  5 rabbits. 
Green Tree and Southern Leoprad Frogs heard on Meekins Neck.  2 Red Foxes. 
2 Muskrats.  18 Great Egrets in one of the small pools at Blackwater.  A
small Snapping Turtle dead on the road:  requiescat in pavement.

Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225.  215-248-4120.  Please, any off-list replies to: