Hi Everyone,
I spent an excellent day in southern Maryland today (9/17) with Jim Brighton, Hans Holbrook, and Frode Jacobsen. The day started on a great note as I departed my place in Howard Co. at 4:30 a.m. to a clear sky and many delicate call notes. By the time I'd loaded my gear, I'd heard dozens of warblers (sp.) and at least 10 VEERIES. Night migration activity was very nice everywhere we stopped from then until we stopped at Point Lookout. While meeting up on Rte. 3 in P.G. County, we heard dozens of warblers and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, as well as about 10 each of GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHes, VEERIES, and Indigo Buntings.
We arrived at Point Lookout a few minutes later than hoped due to a few thrush-listening stops, but still found plenty of activity. Here we met up with George Jett and Gwen Brewer and wandered around the point for several hours. Good birds at and around the Point included the following (conservative estimates; George and Gwen might have a few to add):
Brown Pelican--5
Great Egret--2
Snowy Egret--3
Little Blue Heron--1
Bald Eagle--5
Cooper's Hawk--4
Sharp-shinned Hawk--3
accipiter sp.--6
Red-tailed Hawk--2
American Kestrel--4
Merlin--2
Greater Yellowlegs--4
Lesser Yellowlegs--1
Royal Tern--2
Forster's Tern--3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--2
RT Hummingbird--5
Eastern Wood-Pewee--5
Least Flycatcher--1
empid. sp.--2
Great Crested Flycatcher--2
Eastern Kingbird--5
White-eyed Vireo--2
Red-eyed Vireo--10
Brown-headed Nuthatch--8
House Wren--15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--3
BG Gnatcatcher--2
Veery--5
Swainson's Thrush--5
Wood Thrush--4
Gray Catbird--30
Brown Thrasher--2
Northern Parula--2
Yellow Warbler--1
Chestnut-sided Warbler--5
Magnolia Warbler--5
Black-throated Blue Warbler--2
Pine Warbler--15
Prairie Warbler--2
Western Palm Warbler--2
Black-and-White Warbler--20
American Redstart--3
Ovenbird--1
Northern Waterthrush--1
Common Yellowthroat--30
Scarlet Tanager--1
Savannah Sparrow--6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak--1
Baltimore Oriole--2
(Non-avian: many Green Treefrogs)
Satisfied with our nice morning on the Point, we parted ways with George and Gwen and decided to just bird our way north. We started by driving the excellent roads near Point Lookout. Along with trying to keep track of the many raptors soaring overhead, we started by finding a GREEN HERON, four CATTLE EGRETs, a couple FORSTER'S TERNs, and a few Chipping Sparrows. Continuing on to Cornfield Harbor Road, we heard one CLAPPER RAIL along a nice stretch of marsh, then found a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and a PHILADELPHIA VIREO in the woods near where Cornfield Harbor intersects Rte. 5. A quick drive down Curley's Road produced a surprise COMMON NIGHTHAWK at 1:00 p.m., as well as a small migrant flock that included PINE, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERs.
St. Mary's River State Park offered little of avian interest, but a couple other highlights: a surprise American Snout and a nice Five-lined Skink. A quick stop along Chingley Road allowed me to call in a couple Barred Owls--a coveted county close-out for me. For the lister-friendly, I'll mention that I also closed out Hairy Woodpecker and American Redstart today.
We then crossed into Calvert Co. to show Frode around Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, and our luck continued. While walking the boardwalk, Jim Brighton complained about never seeing more than one decent bird at the park, and the swamp decided to make him feel better. It must have known what Karma had in store for Jim. We had a LEAST FLYCATCHER just behind the visitor's center, then White-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrushes, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Pine, Black-and-White, redstart, Prothonotary, and Northern Waterthrush. Spring Peepers called intermittently, joined once by a Cope's Gray Treefrog.
From here, we decided to make a quick stop at a stream crossing between P.G. and Calvert Counties. Things started OK with a cooperative first-year NORTHERN PARULA, but went downhill rapidly when a car zoomed by whose passenger nailed Jim Brighton with a 45 mph bag of trash. WACK! A pretty impressive shot actually - especially when you start considering speed, angle of attack, and so on. The three of us were quick to help as best we could by pointing and laughing at him.
After briefly considering a high-speed pursuit and ruthless vengeance, we re-found our birding harmony (wah) and chose instead to bird Merkle WMA. Here we enjoyed a productive loop near the visitor's center. Highlights included the following:
Greater Yellowlegs--6
Lesser Yellowlegs--3
Bank Swallow--10
Myrtle Warbler--1
Western Palm Warbler--1
Blue Grosbeak--1
Indigo Bunting--1
Bobolink--30 to 50
We decided to make Schoolhouse Pond our final stop. We pulled up to the delicate sqawks of the pond's Graylags, and were disappointed to see 'ole 962 walking up to the curb with that motley crew. We left them to fend for themselves and did a lap around the pond, hoping for nighthawks and night-herons. While we had to settle for bats and Great Blues, our highlights here were one calling SWAINSON'S THRUSH and one calling GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, as well as about 10 singing WOOD THRUSHes. We left when we noticed the Trumpeter Swan trying to pick Frode's pocket. As we drove away, we heard it honk something about telling MDOsprey we're not on IT'S list either...
SOME PHOTOS FROM TODAY: http://billhubick.com/new_set.html
Have a good one,
Bill
Bill Hubick
Elkridge, MD
bill_hubick AT yahoo.com
http://www.billhubick.com
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