Hi Everyone,

A Montgomery Co. Bird Club field trip to Blackwater NWR and vicinity on
Saturday (2/2) was a great success. The weather was beautiful and the
group's incredible luck held out all throughout the day. Highlights
included two GREENLAND GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, CACKLING GOOSE,
REDHEADs amidst the excellent waterfowl showing in Cambridge, watching an
AMERICAN BITTERN via scopes for 20 minutes, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, two GOLDEN
EAGLEs, PEREGRINE FALCON, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, and SHORT-EARED OWLs.

Cambridge--Oakley Street

We started the birding day at Oakley Street on the Cambridge waterfront. A
drake and hen REDHEAD were enjoyed at close range until a hunting
PEREGRINE FALCON stole the show. It harried just about every bird in its
path before zipping right past us. 

Canada Goose--10
American Wigeon--22
Mallard--8
Canvasback--1000
Redhead--2
Greater Scaup--35
Lesser Scaup--12
Surf Scoter--4
Bufflehead--9
Common Goldeneye--12
Horned Grebe--1
Peregrine Falcon--1
Ring-billed Gull--10
Herring Gull (American)--30
Great Black-backed Gull--6
Rock Pigeon--5
Mourning Dove--2
American Robin--5
Northern Cardinal--1
Red-winged Blackbird--5
House Sparrow--1

Cambridge--Great Marsh Park; just west of Oakley Street on the Cambridge
waterfront

Snow Goose--500; on the Talbot side of the Choptank
Canada Goose--25
Tundra Swan--2
Canvasback--150
Surf Scoter--15
Long-tailed Duck--25
Bufflehead--15
Common Goldeneye--18
Turkey Vulture--10
Ring-billed Gull--45
Herring Gull (American)--30
Rock Pigeon--3
Carolina Wren--1
American Robin--5
European Starling--5
Song Sparrow--1
Northern Cardinal--1
Red-winged Blackbird--10
Common Grackle--1

Dailsville/Town Point Road (just off Rte. 343)

On our back road route to Blackwater, we came upon a large gathering of
scavengers on Dailsville (Town Point) Road. To the west, a Bald Eagle sat
on its nest. Horned Larks were singing and displaying over the nearby
fields.

Snow Goose--700
Canada Goose--500
Black Vulture--10
Turkey Vulture--50
Bald Eagle--15
Red-tailed Hawk--3
Mourning Dove--2
American Crow--50
Horned Lark--3
Carolina Wren--1
Eastern Bluebird--3
Northern Mockingbird--1
European Starling--500
Song Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--2
Dark-eyed Junco--3
Northern Cardinal--1
Red-winged Blackbird--5

Egypt Road

Nearly immediately after heading south on Egypt Road, we encountered a
large flock of Canada Geese and Tundra Swans. Within moments Frode picked
out a GREENLAND GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, followed by another that was
clearly associating with it.

Greater White-fronted Goose (Greenland)--2
Canada Goose--2200
Tundra Swan--500
American Black Duck--2
Mallard--10
Great Blue Heron--1
Turkey Vulture--12
Bald Eagle--7
Red-tailed Hawk--2
American Kestrel--1
Ring-billed Gull--500
Mourning Dove--2
Horned Lark--15
Eastern Bluebird--5
European Starling--20
Savannah Sparrow--7
Song Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--12
Northern Cardinal--1
Red-winged Blackbird--15
Eastern Meadowlark--1

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Blackwater treated us very well. Although "Nuthatch Woods" is closed off
to protect a Bald Eagle nest, we walked along the nearby road and found
ourselves surrounded by BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHes that simply refused to be
missed. One decided to forage 10' away at eye level, competing for
attention with the nearby FOX and SWAMP SPARROWs. 

Along the wildlife drive, Frode diligently worked on distant, soaring
raptors and produced not one, but two immature GOLDEN EAGLEs. A flock of
AMERICAN PIPITs landed on the mudflats in front of us and allowed extended
scope viewing. In the final stretch of the wildlife drive, we picked out a
CACKLING GOOSE from the last big flock of Canadas on the left.

Richardson's Cackling Goose--1
Canada Goose--4200
Tundra Swan--12
Mallard--62
Northern Shoveler--34
Northern Pintail--220
Green-winged Teal--3
Great Blue Heron--4
Black Vulture--1
Turkey Vulture--40
Bald Eagle--42
Northern Harrier--1
Sharp-shinned Hawk--1
Red-tailed Hawk--4
Golden Eagle--2
Killdeer--4
Ring-billed Gull--80
Herring Gull (American)--3
Belted Kingfisher--1
Red-bellied Woodpecker--2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Downy Woodpecker--2
Blue Jay--2
American Crow--3
Horned Lark--2
Tree Swallow--5
Carolina Chickadee--2
Tufted Titmouse--1
Brown-headed Nuthatch--7
Carolina Wren--4
Winter Wren--2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Eastern Bluebird--8
Hermit Thrush--1
American Robin--5
Northern Mockingbird--1
American Pipit--26
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--18
Fox Sparrow--6
Song Sparrow--15
Swamp Sparrow--14
White-throated Sparrow--28
Dark-eyed Junco--45
Red-winged Blackbird--30
Eastern Meadowlark--6
American Goldfinch--12

Hoopers Island

The drive down to Hoopers is always a treat. On the island we enjoyed a
small flock of SANDERLINGs, a WILSON'S SNIPE foraging on a random lawn,
and a couple distant NORTHERN GANNETs. 

Upper Hooper Island

Canada Goose--5
Tundra Swan--205
Mallard--22
Surf Scoter--55
Long-tailed Duck--30
Bufflehead--32
Common Goldeneye--10
Common Loon--3
Horned Grebe--2
Northern Gannet--2; flying over Calvert waters
Great Blue Heron--4
Turkey Vulture--1
Red-tailed Hawk--1
Sanderling--13
Ring-billed Gull--35
Herring Gull (American)--52
Great Black-backed Gull--4
Rock Pigeon--12
Belted Kingfisher--1
Downy Woodpecker--1
Tree Swallow--2
Northern Mockingbird--1
European Starling--25
Song Sparrow--4
Dark-eyed Junco--3
Northern Cardinal--1
Red-winged Blackbird--5
House Finch--7
American Goldfinch--4
House Sparrow--6

Middle Hooper Island

Surf Scoter--5
Long-tailed Duck--3
Bufflehead--32
Horned Grebe--3
Great Blue Heron--2
Red-tailed Hawk--1
Killdeer--6
Wilson's Snipe--1
Ring-billed Gull--8
Herring Gull (American)--15
Mourning Dove--2
Tree Swallow--6
Carolina Wren--1
European Starling--25
Song Sparrow--2
Red-winged Blackbird--120
Brown-headed Cowbird--5
House Finch--5
American Goldfinch--25
House Sparrow--1

Cedar Creek Road

We then worked our way around to beautiful Cedar Creek Road. After a few
minutes of exploring, we kicked up a sharp-tailed sparrow that
unfortunately did not allow enough of a look to call it to species. As we
strolled along the road, we found ourselves consistently entertained.
MARSH WRENs gave brief views and a dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK crossed
the marsh in the distance. VIRGINIA RAILs sounded off around us and TREE
SWALLOWs - present at most sites today - hunted optimistically. Soon we
spotted the first SHORT-EARED OWL, followed by another. They began hunting
early in the late afternoon sunlight, probably in response to yesterday's
poor hunting weather. Always such a treat.

Perhaps our best luck came when we spotted an AMERICAN BITTERN only about
50 yards away, hunting slowly along a row of water bushes. Despite having
to repeatedly re-find it right before our eyes, we enjoyed it in the
scopes for about 20 minutes - talk about a rare luxury. 

American Bittern--1
Northern Harrier--4
Rough-legged Hawk--1 dark morph
Merlin--1
Virginia Rail--8
Herring Gull (American)--80
Short-eared Owl--4
Fish Crow--70
Tree Swallow--8
Marsh Wren--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--4
Savannah Sparrow--2
Nelson's/Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow--1
Song Sparrow--1
Red-winged Blackbird--6
Eastern Meadowlark--8

Dusk at Shorter's Wharf (parking lot beside the bridge)

We arrived at Shorter's Wharf just minutes before sunset. A Great Horned
Owl called nearby and Frode picked out three distant yellowlegs flying by.
Our day's only Pied-billed Grebe was working the river. Jim and Frode
called us over to listen to a large rail calling southeast of the bridge,
and the habitat pointed solidly to King Rail. As we listened to the rail,
a bird flew past us and into a pine on the east side of the road. To our
disbelief, it was clearly a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE. It's light gray
plumage contrasted with very dark primaries and its square tail was
clearly visible before it landed in the pine. The pine where it went to
roost was on the south side of the river and on the east side of the
bridge. This is a new location for the species in the county. With the
sunset disappearing on the horizon, a Great Horned Owl's silhouette stood
out boldly at the top of a telephone pole. 

Canada Goose--20
American Black Duck--3
Pied-billed Grebe--1
Great Blue Heron--3
Bald Eagle--1
Northern Harrier--5
King Rail--1
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs--3
Wilson's Snipe--1
Eurasian Collared-Dove--1
Great Horned Owl--1
Winter Wren--1
Red-winged Blackbird--500
Eastern Meadowlark--5

What a day! Naturally, it had to be topped off with Mexican food and Dos
Equis.

Participants: Jim Brighton, Mary Chamberlain, Linda Friedland, Ron and
Carol Gutberlet, Bill Hubick, Frode Jacobsen, Rob and Wendy Olsson, Helen
Patton, Robert Parsons, Gemma Radko, Anna Urciolo, Marta Wagner, Claire
Wolfe. 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com