July 1-4, 2005.  High summer on the lower Eastern Shore.

THOSE AMAZING HOUSE SPARROWS.  Continued reporting on observations at odd
times of the day of what some Cape May wits refer to as Black-throated
Brown Warblers.  At 3:50 A.M. at the Cambridge Wawa some House Sparrows
were already actively foraging on July 2.  Later that day I observed a
female flying to its nest inside a large Osprey nest on a piling over 100
yards offshore at Crocheron.  It's rather common for them to be found
breeding in Opsrey nests offshore.  A pair has displaced bluebirds at one
of our nesting boxes high up on an old phone pole.  

"There was a wisteria vine blooming for the second time that summer on a
wooden trellis before one window, into which sparrows came now and then in
random gusts, making a dry, vivid dusty sound before going away."  William
Faulkner, "Absalom, Absalom!"  
 

July 2, 2005, Saturday.  A 39.0-mile BOAT TRIP to 7 islands in the lower
Chesapeake Bay, MD, 6 A.M. - 4 P.M.  Up at 2:30 A.M.  A Virginia Opossum at
3:08 A.M. on the Rigby driveway (actually it was a Maryland Opossum).  At
4:38 A.M. an adult Racoon and two small young crossing Egypt Road.  A few
Green Tree Frogs calling halfheartedly from Phragmites at Crocheron in
lower Dorchester County, MD, at 5:50 A.M.  Launch 'the Mudhen' there at 6
A.M.  Islands are in Dorchester County unless otherwise noted.    

Weather today.  Mostly overcast with high haze, gradually clearing at the
end of the day.  Calm at start with pretty strong winds developing from the
NE and reaching 15-20 m.p.h., making the 9+ mi. return to the launching
ramp at Crocheron a chore.  Temps moderate and delightful.  Tide gradually
rising then falling by early afternoon.  

1.  Lower Hooper's Island, a discrete atlas block.  Only been here 2X
previously.  In 1977 with Claudia Wilds when we found nesting Great Blue
Herons, but not this time.  In 2003 with Hal Wierenga and Lynn Davidson. 
The southeast side of L.H.I. (10.2 mi. by boat from Crocheron) has 2
Loblolly Pine hammocks close to each other and lovely
Juncus-Spartina-Distichlis marsh.  Here 6:45-8 A.M.  Walked around one of
the hammocks.  35 species, incl. 45 cormorants, 35 great blues, 1 Glossy
Ibis, 3 Clapper Rails, 12 Boat-tailed Grackles, 1 Marsh Wren, 22 Seaside
Sparrows, 1 catbird, 3 Bald Eagles, 2 Willets, 3 Tree Swallows (probably
breeders) and 1 House Wren.  Really out of place was a male Indigo Bunting
being chased by a kingbird!   There is an extensive Distichlis spicata
meadow here and big stretches of pure Juncus roemerianus marsh.  The
hammock has a large American Hackberry, some dozen or so small Persimmons,
and a large, dead, blowover Willow Oak.  One of the dead pines has a
woodpecker cavity from years ago I'd guess.  Lots of Seaside Dragonlets,
Fiddler Crabs, and even more Greenhead Flies.  A few dead Horseshoe Crabs
on the beach areas.  Water temperature 78.5.  Tide rising.  

2.  Lower Hooper's Island, SW segment.  8:15-9:15 A.M.  18 species.  Here
are a dozen wooded hammocks, all dominated by Loblolly Pines except for one
interesting-looking deciduous hammock I was unable to get to.  There are 6
large pound nets adjacent to L.H.I., each with attendant great blues,
cormorants, Herring & Great Black-backed Gulls plus a few terns.  Saw a Red
Admiral.  A Red-winged Blackbird nest with 2 eggs in Baccharis halimifolia.
 10 Seaside & 3 Song Sparrows, 80 cormorants, 20 great blues, 1 House Wren,
2 Fish Crows, 2 Tree Swallows, 2 Clapper Rails & 1 ad. Little Blue Heron. 
An impressive  Bald Eagle nest is in a big loblolly here with 2 very dark,
large, flight-capable eaglets and an adult in attendance.  I wanted to
search at the base of the pine under the nest for Diamondback Terrapin
shells but the Poison Ivy there is overwhelming.  Droves of Fiddler Crabs
and hundreds of Seaside Dragonlets.  2 Boat-tailed Grackles and a kingbird
chased one of the immature eagles when it flew, a grackle and the kingbird
both actually landing, at different times, on the eagle's upper back and
pecking it!  Found one old bottle, made in Scotland.  Now what do you
suppose was originally in it?  Lower Hooper's Island is a gem of a place,
near wilderness.   

3.  Holland Island, middle segment.  Did not land here.  The banders will
census things here later on.  But I was able to see that there are several
cormorant nests in one of the dead trees south of the old house.  Earlier
this year in 2 other trips I had not seen any.  By all appearances the
pelican colony seems to be thriving.       

4.  Holland Island, south segment.  28 species.  Anchored close to shore on
the SE side, 10 A.M. - noon.  A bit rough with the boat pitching around in
the waves.  Was hoping for additional sightings of the White Ibis(es?) but
had no luck.  This does not mean they are not there.  For instance, on May
27 Jared Sparks counted scores of Black-crowned Night Herons here but I saw
only a few today.  But those birds must still be around, holding tight in
the colony or out feeding somewhere.  Same I'd hope for any White Ibises. 
2 Willets, 2 oystercatchers, 1 Bald Eagle, 35 pelicans, 4 starlings (seen
carrying food several times), 2 Royal Terns, 1 Tree Swallow, 2 kingbirds,
and plenty of 9 species of egrets, herons, and ibises going to and from
their nests.  Man, there is a LOT going on on this little island.  IT IS
JUMPIN'.  Tide starts to ebb.          

5.  Spring Island.  12:15 P.M.  Just boated by and saw 2 adult peregrines
well at their hacking tower, one carrying a dowitcher or Willet-sized prey
item.  From the little I could see in the pitching boat there did not seem
to be any young in the tower.

6.  Northeast Island, a small marshy island of a few acres.  12:25 P.M. 
Nearby was a flock of 145 Mute Swans and 75 cormorants.  

7.  SE Bloodsworth Island.  12:30-1:15 P.M.  Water temp. 80.6 degrees F. 
Bad for Brook Trout.  15 species.  Almost pure Juncus marsh with some
Spartina alterniflora and a couple of very small higher areas with
Baccharis halimifolia.  7 Tricolored & 7 Little Blue herons, 5 Great & 3
snowy egrets, 4 Seaside Sparrows, 11 pelicans, 1 Song Sparrow, 1 Glossy
Ibis, 3 oystercatchers, 1 black duck.  Hundreds and hundreds (and
hunddreds) of Seaside Dragonlets.  1 Cow-nosed Ray.  2 terrapin.  1 pelican
had fishing line trailing from its right leg.  Winds NE15, air temp. c. 85,
but still not oppressive.  

8.  NE South Marsh Island (Somerset County), in same atlas block as SE
Bloodsworth Island.  1:30-2:15 P.M.  13 species.  A rough chop coming right
onto the shore made landing here impractical.  But I anchored and drifted
in just a few feet from shore.  The bottom is so soft I sank to above my
waist,  1/2 in water, 1/2 in mud, threatening notebook and binoculars, and
I was resigned just to scan from the pitching boat.  2 peregrines at the
nearby hacking tower; the entrance faced the other way, was unable to look
in.  1 Northern Harrier (ad. female), 4 Ospreys, 30 pelicans (very actively
plunge-diving in all the nearby waters), 1 Clapper Rail, 3 Royal Terns, 6
Seaside Sparrows, 2 Marsh Wrens.  

Arrive back at Rigby at 6:30 P.M.  When I left at 3 A.M. the temperature
was 79.  On arriving back it is 83.  About the same as the water temp in
the cove. 
 

IT'S STARTING.  Early migrants July 2:  1 Least Sandpiper, 4 rough-winged &
1 Bank swallow at Lower Hooper's Island, SE segment.  7 Short-billed
Dowitchers at south segment of Holland Island.  Spotted Sandpiper at Rigby
July 4 seen by Liz A. and Rachel Perry.      

"Rigby's Folly", Armistead property on Ferry Neck, Talbot County, MD, near
Bellevue, July 1-4.  July 1 The Olszewskis arrive at 4:30 A.M. to go
crabbing, catch one of the biggest Blue Crabs I've ever seen.  Ben &
Frances Weems come to dinner July 1.  Carl & Rachel Perry and their 3
strapping teen boys, Robert, Isaac and Matthew, arrive for a visit July
3-4.  Carl and I plan an Ivory-billed Woodpecker expedition to Arkansas
next winter.  Carl hears a Black-crowned Night Heron at dusk on July 3, the
18th record for the property.  Carl and I each had a Cedar Waxwing July 3. 


One has to do SOMETHING in early July so I count grackles crossing the cove
for an hour or so and end up with 128 Common Grackles, most probably going
from our mulberry trees to nesting areas nearby.  2 fishing trips with the
guests totalling about 22 miles (but no fish).  Very few birds out on the
Choptank River.  1 Cow-nosed Ray at the mouth of Irish Creek.  Liz sees a
rabbit, Gray Squirrel and a small fawn in the same area of the lawn on July
2.  Watch the Oxford fireworks, most of it quite visible from our dock the
evening of July 3; the boys drive to Bellevue for better views of them.   

On July 4 a bobwhite spent most of the day calling on the edges of the
yard.  Very heartening since I now go an entire year sometimes w/o hearing
or seeing any here.  An immature male and adult female Orchard Oriole
attend a juvenile, fluttering its wings, also on the 4th.  July 4th
butterflies: 1 Monarch, 1 Red Admiral, 4 Cabbage Whites, 1 Orange Sulphur &
1 Pearl Crescent.  4 Diamondback Terrapin on July 4 and 1 hauling across
the lawn the morning of July 3.  We all did a lot of wading and swimming on
July 4.  No Sea Nettles yet.  A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was around the entire
4 days, this after having only heard 1 all year previously.  Adult Bald
Eagle carrying food July 4.  A pair each of Chipping Sparrow, Indigo
Bunting and Blue Grosbeak seem to be nesting along the driveway.  Locally
driveways are almost always referred to as lanes.  Dozens of Fireflies
lighting up the yard and shade trees at dusk.

The GARAGE AS NATURE CENTER.  What with frequent Fowler's Toads, attracted
by many shady places, and Black Rat Snakes threatening to enter our opened
garage, it has become something of a wildlife haven, and a potential death
trap if we inadvertently shut them in.  Carolina Wrens are a natural also. 
On July 2 when I went to get out the briquets to BBQ a baby Eastern
Cottontail scampered into the garage and hid under some tools in the
corner.  The evening of July 3 a bat was flying around the open doors,
probably thinks of the garage as a big bat house.

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