Hi Stan and Elaine:
Brown-headed Nuthatches are currently reviewable on the western shore
outside of St. Mary's County and the "Solomon's area" of Calvert County. As
you know, their breeding range seems to creeping northward.
If you happen to have any field notes on your sighting, the committee would
welcome a report. Tyler Bell has had them at this location, but as
"heard-only" which is a bit more difficult to review.
Thanks.
Phil
At 22:24 02/20/2006, Stan Arnold wrote:
>Hi Folks,
>
>Having another long weekend available for birding, Elaine and I headed down
>to southern Maryland for the three days, birding in southern PG Co.,
>Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Co. Highlights for the trip were REDHEAD
>ducks in PG, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and ducks in Charles Co., GREAT
>CORMORANT and ducks in St. Mary's Co., and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH and ROCK
>PIGEON (really!) in Calvert Co. I was surprised by the number of Common
>Loons and Red-breasted Mergansers this weekend, as I have found them to be
>quite scarce all winter.
>
>ATLAS NOTE: we had large owls in all four of the above counties, so county
>compilers for the atlas may want to take note of the owls mentioned. I will
>be happy to provide additional details, or submit incidental reports if
>warranted.
>
>Many thanks to Tyler Bell, Kyle Rambo, Arlene Ripley, and Patty Craig who
>were all very helpful in helping us with our targets.
>
>The tally of more noteworthy species:
>
>Sat., 18 Feb
>
> Wharf Rd., PG Co.:
>Canada Goose--250
>Tundra Swan--42
>Canvasback--1
>Ring-necked Duck--6
>G. Scaup--24
>L. Scaup--200
>Bufflehead--3
>Common Merganser--17
>Ruddy Duck--8
>Bald Eagle--1
>
> Bryan Point Rd. (enroute to Colonial Farm):
>Barred Owl--1 heard from Hard Bargain Farm (at a distance to the NW) in
>response to my calls
>Hairy Woodpecker--2 (the only ones for the trip)
>Gray Catbird--1
>
> Colonial Farm (unusually devoid of waterfowl today):
>REDHEAD--pair not far off the fishing pier
>Bufflehead--a few dozen
>Common Loon--1
>Barred Owl--flew into trees near parking area in response to my calls;
>mobbed by crows
>
> Barry's Hill Rd. where it crosses Pomonkey Mill Swamp, Charles Co. (our
>first visit to this beautiful habitat):
>Common Loon--1 flyover, fairly low; transitioning to breeding plumage
>Barred Owl--pair responded to my calls; chatted together for a while
>YB Sapsucker--2 (these birds readily respond to Barred Owl calls)
>Pileated Woodpecker--1
>Winter Wren--2
>Swamp Sparrow--3
>
> Mattawoman Natural Environmental Area, north side of Hwy 224 near Lackey
>High School, Charles Co.:
>Tundra Swan--6
>Common Merganser--23
>Hermit Thrush--1
> (the paucity of ducks here was very disappointing)
>
> Smallwood State Park, Charles Co.:
>Ring-necked Duck--pair
>Greater Scaup--17
>Lesser Scaup--7
>scaup, sp--150 too far out to identify
>Bufflehead--2
>Hooded Merganser--2
>Common Merganser--3
>Red-breasted Merganser--11
>Ruddy Duck--114
>Pied-billed Grebe--4
>
> Friendship Landing Park, Charles Co.:
>Lesser Scaup--10
>Bufflehead--5
>DC Cormorant--1
>Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
>Brown Thrasher--1
>
> Goose Bay, Charles Co.:
>Lesser Scaup--10
>scaup, sp--200
>Common Goldeneye--38
>Bufflehead--30
>Ruddy Duck--150
>Pied-billed Grebe--3
>
> the end of Brentland Rd., Charles Co.:
>Bufflehead--6
>Ruddy Duck--675
>DC Cormorant--1
>
> Morgantown, Charles Co. (much better than Cobb Island, today):
>scaup, sp--300
>Black Scoter--3 (1m 2f)
>Surf Scoter--35
>scoter, sp--50
>Long-tailed Duck--3
>Common Goldeneye--10
>Bufflehead--15
>Horned Grebe--1
>LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL--1
>
> Road to Cobb Island, Charles Co.:
>ROCK PIGEON--8 flying by, near US 301 (only the second time I've seen them
>in this county)
>Canvasback--1 (in Neale Sound on N. edge of Cobb Island)
>
> Cobb Island:
>Surf Scoter--3
>scoter, sp.--50
>Common Goldeneye--2
>Bufflehead--25
>Osprey platform nest with about a dozen golf clubs sticking up from it--1
>
> Beauvue Ponds, St. Mary's Co.:
>Mute Swan--5
>Tundra Swan--31
>Gadwall--2
>Am. Wigeon--10
>Am. Black Duck--4
>Mallard--9
>Green-winged Teal--2
>Ring-necked Duck--145
>Redhead--15 (Patty Craig told me there were about 50 a couple weeks ago)
>Hooded Merganser--4
>Am. Coot--3
>E. Medowlark--3
>
>Sunday, 19 Feb:
>
> Patuxent River Naval Air Station (not open to public):
>Tundra Swan--6
>Greater Scaup--3
>Lesser Scaup--7
>Black Scoter--7
>Surf Scoter--2
>Long-tailed Duck--17
>Common Goldeneye--9
>Bufflehead--31
>Red-breasted Merganser--17
>Ruddy Duck--15
>Common Loon--4
>Horned Grebe--6
>N. Harrier--1
>Am. Kestrel--1
>Brown Creeper--1
>Hermit Thrush--1
>Am. Tree Sparrow--1
>Field Sparrow--1
>Savannah Sparrow--1
>
> Elms Environmental Park:
>Red-breasted Merganser--4
>GREAT CORMORANT--2 on channel marker in bay
>YB Sapsucker--1
>Hermit Thrush--1
>
> Point Lookout State Park:
>Black Scoter--dozens
>White-winged Scoter--1 male
>(no Surf Scoters!)
>
> St. Jerome Neck Rd.:
>Great Horned Owl--1 flew over at dusk about 2/3 the way down road where it
>enters some thick pine
>
>Monday, 20 Feb:
>
> Solomon's, Calvert Co.:
>Surf Scoter--25
>Long-tailed Duck--5
>Bufflehead--75
>Common Goldeneye--25
>Red-breasted Merganser--4
>Common Loon--10
>Horned Grebe--2
>Am. Coot--6
>ROCK PIGEON--15 at Asbury Retirement Center (I have driven through or birded
>Calvert Co. nearly 100 times in the past 10 years without ever seeing this
>bird. Many thanks to Arlene Ripley who put me onto this county closeout)
>
> Calvert Cliff's State Park (currently closed [3-6 months] for road &
>parking lot work; we went in the back way next to Camp Conoy Rd.):
>Brown Creeper--1
>Hermit Thrush--1
>
> Lloyd Bowen Rd., Calvert Co.
>Great Horned Owl--1 (when we got out of the car at the pine stand near the
>end of the road, all we heard was a mass of crows; in short time we saw the
>cause of their agitation, an owl sitting in the open on a branch of a tree.
>The owl had very long tufts, and did not seem very very much larger than the
>crows, and I seriously thought it was a Long-eared, until consulting the
>field guide. It was a Great Horned, but it was a runt, and it perched in
>one place for nearly ten minutes, while the crows constantly nipped at its
>tail feathers. We were able to watch it in the scope for several minutes
>until it flew, with the crows in tow.
>BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH--5 or more; 3 of them were poking around together in a
>knot hole
>Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
>
> American Chestnut Land Trust, Calvert Co.:
>Barred Owl--1 responded to my calls at the Beaver Dam along the Swamp Trail
>YB Sapsucker--1
>WB Nuthatch--3 or more
>Brown Creeper--1
>Winter Wren--1
>GC Kinglet--3 or 4
>
> North Beach, Calvert Co.:
>Black Scoter--100s
>Surf Scoter--100s
>Long-tailed Duck--5
>Common Goldeneye--50
>Bufflehead--150
>Common Loon--4
>Horned Grebe--3
>
> Rosehaven Park, AA Co.:
>Red-breasted Merganser--4
>
> Guess it's about time to let work interfere with birding again. Best to
>all...
>
>Stan Arnold
>Glen Burnie
>
===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 USA
301-261-0184
mailto:[log in to unmask]
MD/DCRC Web site: http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
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