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Subject:

Oak Grove Area April update part 2

From:

"Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)"

Reply-To:

Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)

Date:

Thu, 3 May 2007 11:01:07 -0400

Hello again,
	Here is part 2 of catching up on bird news from Oak Grove:
-4/22 - things really got interesting.  Yellowlegs were in almost every good puddle with 76 Greater and 36 Lesser total.  On Oak Grove Rd at the abandoned yellow house (MD), there were 3 Dunlin beginning to show their belly patch, 1 Black-bellied Plover in a very mottled in-between stage in its molt and 5 Bonaparte's Gulls.  Also 2 Wilson's Snipe a little further east.  On the farm	(MD), about half of those yellowlegs along with 3 Pectoral Sand and 1 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER.  I bold this one because it is #199 on my home list.  And it has been a particular nemesis bird as I have had at least 4 others just outside (read half mile) of the home circle in about 12 years of searching.  Finally, one decided to come see me.  Tori celebrated her 3rd birthday by adding Canada Goose to her list.  She and I went out in the evening to listen for 'beent-beent' birds (Woodcock), but heard only frogs and toads.

-4/23 - Managed to get out for a few hours in the morning and tallied 54 species.  Yesterday's shorebird goodies were gone.  There were still plenty of yellowlegs (67/19 split), 10 Least Sandpiper and 1 Solitary Sand, mainly on the farm.  FOS arrivals included Red-shouldered Hawk (carrying a snake), Chimney Swift, Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-eyed Vireo.  Migrants inc. a Blue-headed Vireo on the farm (MD) and a Prothonotary Warbler at the small pond on Oak Grove Rd (MD).  This was my first spring record of Prothonotary here.  He was singing heartily like he had found a nice new territory, but has since moved on.  Other nice birds were 1 Bonaparte's Gull, 3 Vesper Sparrows, 1 White-crowned Sp heard singing on Wild Turkey Rd (DE), 1 lingering Swamp Sparrow.

-4/24 - a few yellowlegs about as the puddles start to decrease noticeably with the warmer weather.  A male Kestrel seen on Horseshoe Rd.  Flushed a rather late pipit from the bare ground (dry puddle) on the farm.

-4/25 -  Many puddles now dry.  On Horseshoe Rd near the west end (DE), 6 Gr Yellows, 2 Lessers, 3 Least Sand and 1 Snipe.  In the puddles at the back of the farm (MD), 4 Gr, 1 Lsr, 1 Solitary, FOS Green Heron, 1f Kingfisher and 8 Wood Duck.

-4/27 - A little rain gave a brief re-charge to the front group of puddles on the farm with 3 Gr, 6 Lsr, 13 Least Sand and 1 Solitary that were all stirred up by the Cooper's Hawk.  In the back, 1 Solitary and 2 Wood Duck.  Instead of shorebirds, I heard more FOS birds with Prairie Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow and Great Crested Flycatcher making appearances.  The Grasshopper was #100 for the year and 4/27 is now the earliest date for reaching that level.

-4/28 - The front puddles were dry again.  The back puddles had 9 Lessers, 2 Solitary, another Kingfish, 1f Wood Duck and the geese have goslings.

-4/29 - I wanted to make one more effort before the end of April to advance the end of the month total.  My previous best was 102 in 2004.  But I was already at 101 and I figured that there would be enough arrivals to easily set the mark.  And then some!   It wound up being an excellent day with 69 species (an April single day best) including 10 new arrivals to push the year list to 111 at the end of April (another best).  FOS arrivals included Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Catbird, Wood Thrush, Yellow-breasted Chat, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole.  The other excellent additions to the year list were 14 flyby DC Cormorants, a single flyby Glossy Ibis (2nd record ever) and a single Spotted Sandpiper (not here every year).  The puddles at the back of the farm and the neighboring field are the only game in town now.  They had 4 Gr, 12 Lsr, 3 Solitary, 16 Least and the Spotted plus 4 Wood Duck and another Kingfish.  Other birds of interest were 5 Swamp Sparrows (migrants I presume), the Cooper's Hawk on Kinder Rd again and another Blue-headed Vireo.

4/30 - back to work :(

5/2 - I had checked the last puddles as they dried into nice mudflats each evening, hoping for Semi Plover.  I was rewarded with 3 Semi Plover in the neighbor's field.  FOS Blue Grosbeak at the house.

Other news:  Shelly and I recently entered about 40 of our 50 acres in DNREC's Landowner Incentive Program.  We hope to enhance and expand the existing puddles into functioning wetlands.  The upland areas will be planted in warm season grasses to be maintained as early successional habitat.  The remaining acres of farm field (about 6), I eventually want to use for wildlife planting (sunflowers, sorghum) and other habitat enhancements.  Construction is planned for this summer.  I will keep the list posted about progress and what birds are attracted to the new habitat.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE