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Subject:

Eastern Neck beginner's walk and post-trip birds 19 Apr: Red-headed Woodpecker.

From:

Walter Ellison

Reply-To:

Walter Ellison

Date:

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:24:56 -0400

Hi All,

We met 12 birders at the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) 
Lodge this morning and had a very pleasant spring outing. We birded the 
short Marsh Overlook Trail behind the Lodge and the Duck Inn Trail. 
After the trip Nancy and I checked Bogle's Wharf on the NWR, and took a 
look at the drying HQ pond at Chesapeake Farms on our way home.

We heard or saw 50 species on the walk. At the Lodge we heard a PILEATED 
WOODPECKER (rare on E. Neck I.). We heard and briefly saw singing Pine 
Warblers and a Common Yellowthroat, a Common Loon flew overhead (and 
another was on Chester River Sound off the marsh), 5 WHITE-WINGED 
SCOTERS flew north over the Sound, there was a Greater Yellowlegs on the 
salt pan, and there were several Swamp Sparrows in the marsh.

At Duck Inn Trail we found more singing Pine Warblers, and many 
yellowthroats with males chasing each other across the path. The young 
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER that wintered along the trail has molted and is 
looking very handsome. A pair of gnatcatchers was "speeing" in a sweet 
gum stand. We saw Bald Eagles in flight, six Common Loons on the Chester 
River (and another in flight), and 10 Bufflehead, 2 Lesser Scaup, a 
distant Long-tailed Duck also on the river. Three black ducks flew out 
of the marsh, and two Purple Martins circled high overhead. Butterflies 
included many zebra swallowtails, a female falcate orangetip, a Henry's 
elfin, and spring azure.

After the trip Nancy and I located a pair of LEAST TERNS on the west 
dock at Bogle's Wharf (we later saw another flying over the mouth of 
Church Creek at E. Neck Narrows) tying our earliest local record (from 
2003). There were eight more loons offshore in the river, and Durdin 
Cove held 2 Greater Scaup and 40 Ruddy Ducks.

At Chesapeake Farms there were 62 Green-winged Teal, a drake BLUE-WINGED 
TEAL, 28 Northern Shovelers, 26 Lesser Yellowlegs, 9 Greater Yellowlegs, 
a rough-winged swallow, and 12 White-crowned Sparrows (with many 
bursting into song). Such a pleasant spring morning.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

23460 Clarissa Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620

phone: 410-778-9568

e-mail: rossgull(AT)baybroadband.net

Observing Nature is like unwrapping a big pile of presents every time you take a walk.