Yesterday, 5/12, I covered Flag Ponds and the Cove Point area for the 
Calvert May Count. Total species: 114. Warblers - 20 species.

Highlights:

The beach area at Flag Ponds from sunrise to 8:30 AM was very 
productive. A singing WILLOW FLYCATCHER sat perched atop a cattail at 
one of the beach ponds for about 15 minutes, after which it flew north. 
I was able to get close enough to hear the "whit" vocalization. While in 
pursuit of that, I flushed out a total of 4 SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED 
SPARROWS, one of which I photographed while not noticing that I was 
standing in the tidal zone and completely soaked my shoes. The next 
exciting event occurred while standing at the edge of the largest beach 
pond and having 4 GLOSSY IBIS, fly in low and circle as though they were 
going to land but then thought better of it (there was no place for me 
to take cover) and proceeded north. About a 20 minutes later they flew 
back but kept going south. Also at the beach were:

Seaside Sparrow - 2
Marsh Wren - 1
Dunlin - 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper -4
Least Sandpiper - 6
Semipalmated Plover - 1
Brown Pelican - 2
Common Loon -- yodeling over the water as it flew north

With all of this activity, I spent more time on the beach that I was 
planning on so probably missed a few warbler species up top. One of the 
most abundant migrant warblers in the park were Northern Waterthrushes. 
However, another highlight was at Todd's Pond where a single 
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was perched near the water.

The single Red-headed Woodpecker, seen in the swamp at Richardson's Pond 
was not relocated today. One highlight along the trail to the blind was 
a single tree with a dozen Eastern Kingbirds in it.

Catharus thrushes were (and have been) hard to come by. Wood Thrushes 
were easily seen and  heard but I saw only two Veeries and finally a 
Gray-cheeked Thrush as I was driving out the entrance road to the park.

Then on to Cove Point in the afternoon where I mainly cover the private 
natural area that is a buffer around the Dominion Natural Gas Plant. I 
must say, I was pleasantly surprised at how active the birds were in the 
afternoon. Highlights:

Baltimore Oriole - 4 (the most I have ever seen in one place in the 
county at one time!)
Black-crowned Night Heron - 2
Peregrine Falcon - on the offshore platform
Brown Pelican - 2 (from the Cove Pt. community beach)

All warbler species seen:

Northern Parula - 11
Yellow Warbler - 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1
Magnolia Warbler - 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 7
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Yellow-throated Warbler - 10
Pine Warbler - 3
Prairie Warbler - 6
Blackpoll Warbler - 6
Black-and-white Warbler - 3
American Redstart - 15
Worm-eating Warbler - 3
Ovenbird - 5
Northern Waterthrush - 5
Louisiana Waterthrush - 3
Kentucky Warbler - 5
Common Yellowthroat - 24
Hooded Warbler - 7
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1

This was a very bittersweet count for me as it will probably be my last 
May Count in Maryland as when our house sells, we'll be moving back West.

Arlene


-- 
Arlene Ripley
Calvert County, MD
http://nestbox.com
piwa99 at comcast dot net