Hi All,
My wife and I birded a bit in OC on Thursday and a small amount on
Friday this week visiting West OC Pond, EA Vaughn WMA, Truitts Landing,
Nassawango Creek Preserve, Skimmer Island, and Assateague Island
National Seashore (AINS).
I think the best highlight was a GULL-BILLED TERN at Truitt's Landing
though Mikey has trumped me by finding 3 there today. There were a lot
of shorebirds at Truitt's on Thursday but many were far away though I
did manage to see several Semipalmated Plovers, some Leasts and Semi
Sands Short-billed Dowitchers and both Yellowlegs. There were about 20
Glossy Ibis and some more of the same shorebirds at EA Vaughn WMA. I
also heard a Northern Bobwhite here and had a Tri-colored Heron fly
overhead.
I enjoyed the trail at the Nassawango Preserve and had Summer Tanagers
calling, Acadian Flycatchers, Wood Thrushes, Brown-headed Nuthatches and
a somewhat cooperative Prothonotary Warbler.
I also saw 2 Sandwich Terns and several Royal Terns while at the State
park beach on Thursday evening. I had just gotten back from walking up
to the "keep out" area to the North of the State Park. I had to wait
awhile but finally a PIPING PLOVER flew into the sand there. At Bayside
Campground I had a Scarlet Tanager and a Baltimore Oriole. Later in the
evening I saw 2 Common Nighthawks from the AINS Ocean Beach.
Incidentally AINS is now charging an extra $15.00 in addition to the
Duck Stamp for an annual entrance fee. They are calling it an "upgrade"
though I don't think there is any upgrade to the services offered (just
a price change). Still I guess if you plan to go a few times a year and
you want the duck stamp for National Wildlife Refuge Access anyway, its
still the way to go.
On the way back today, we stopped at Tanyard and heard at least 2 of the
4 Common Moorhens that were posted recently by Stan Arnold.
Good Birding,
J.B.
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J. B. Churchill
Frostburg, Maryland
webpage: http://photos.jbchurchill.com/
webpage: http://www.westernmdbirding.com/ |