Hi All I was doing the The lower Kent county CBC on Dec 18, 05.
their circle dips a ways into Queen Annes County west of Centreville I
handle that part of the circle. I had gotten permisson to enter a
private farm to get to the Chester River to count waterfowl Eastern Neck
Island is across the river from here. Well any way my helper Rob Etgen and
myself went down to the river here at about 8:15 Am and flushed a Snowy
Owl from near the base of a large tree near the field edge with a large
limb on the ground near it . A great hiding place in flight first seen at
about 50 feet distance it flew away twords the center of the field landed
on a goose blind were it provided great scope views . Of course I did
not have a camera. After counting the waterfowl and thinking it
over knowing the field and river edge are actively hunted I decided to go
home to get my camera digital as well as 35 millameter [ wise move as it
turned out ] went back . We did not see the owl on the blind were we had
left it. We thought it had moved on but nearing the same tree the bird
flushed again but headed to the river landed on the river bank were I
tried to take some digtal photos the battery went dead rats . I broke out
the oldtime film camera got a couple of far off head shots. Then a group
of Ring Billed Gulls started harassing the owl it flew to the other side of
the field after which we decided to leave the area as this owl is timid
and did not like or put up with approach by humans . That said the
Snowy was a immature lots of barring like Bill Hubicks photos of the lower
shore bird and a a white face . I talked to the property owners this
eveing the area was hunted today. I do not expect this bird to stay put
too bad . But the most interesting thing came up in the conversation the
wife mentioned that she and her kids saw a Snowy Owl on the farm about 30
years ago. Off course the owl can not be seen were it was from the public
Rd. So I can not provide an exact location. The fields are in winter
wheat or some other small grain crop so can not be entered. I will try to
check on the bird again when there is no hunting going on maybe it will
move to a field were veiwing from the county road would be possible
this was my first Maryland Snowy Owl. Bob Ringler and or Phil Davis what
other records are there for snowy owl in QA county and Kent County ? I know
of the one found dead behind the safeway food store on kent Island a
number of years ago. At the CBC tally it was mentioned that a number of
years ago no date given that there was a snowy on another Kent CBC.
Happy Birding
Danny Poet
Queenstown , Md
birder2312hotmail.com |