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Subject:

August Big Day report

From:

Mike Tanis

Reply-To:

Mike Tanis

Date:

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 13:29:57 -0400

I really consider myself a guest on this list, but since we made
extensive use of the archives for this Big Day, I hope everyone will
tolerate a report of our recent August Big Day, which follows.  Thanks
to all of you who documented your birding on the list!

On Monday August 4, Billy Weber and I completed our first Maryland
(August) Big Day.  Neither one of us has ever birded western Maryland,
and each of us has only visited the eastern shore on a couple of
occasions.  We knew from the start that this would be highly exploratory
and completely unscouted, except for our gleanings from the MDOsprey
archives.  Our bold, and ultimately flawed, strategy was hit the state
from both ends.  We took note of the fact that previous August Big Days
seemed to focus only on the eastern shore sites, and then ignored the
words of experience.  We thought that by covering both halves of the
state in early August, we would be able to pick up a good number of the
western birds still on breeding territory.  With nearly an extra hour of
daylight early in the month compared to late in the month, we hoped to
be able to pick up most of the eastern birds in the time remaining after
a long cross-state drive.  We knew this Big Day involved a lot of
tedious driving, but we both wanted to bird western MD for the fun of
it, regardless of the consequences for the afternoon on the eastern
shore.    

Billy was uncharacteristically and chronically exhausted on this trip,
taking the opportunity to sleep whenever possible.  It may have been
some kind of record that Billy managed to sleep for over 4 hours during
the actual Big Day.  Only minutes after taking over the wheel of Billy's
car (for the first time ever) during our drive from the Philadelphia
suburbs, I scared Billy awake by swerving abruptly to avoid an animal in
the middle of the PA Turnpike.  While his heart recovered, we discussed
my reflex identification of the creature, which was either a black pygmy
marmoset or miniature poodle with white markings down the back.  In any
case, I was pleased to not to be the source of a pet owner's sorrow.

Finally in western Maryland, we tried mightily to shake out a
Screech-owl in apparently excellent habitat at more than a dozen stops.
However, we suffered a rare defeat for us, and simply could not get this
bird to respond in western MD.  Barred Owls and sparrows were also not
heard on this dark, still, night, even though we dedicated plenty of
time for the search.  We heard Great Horned Owl in several places, and
one Whip-poor-will during our night-time ramble through western MD.

We didn't account for the late sunrise.  Duh--we were further west, in
the mountains, on a foggy morning.  Birds are singing at home before 6
am; it wasn't until 6:45 that we started hearing Towhees and Field
sparrows along Old Legislative Road.  So Billy managed to catch a few
winks before the sky lightened up, after we had given up on Screech-owl
for the last time.

It was a lovely, cool, sunny morning as we trolled the backroads of NE
Garret County with the windows open, listening for chip notes and bird
calls.  Bird activity was low and few birds were singing, although we
chanced on a few small feeding flocks.  We only heard warbler songs from
Magnolia and Black-throated Green Warblers, although we managed to find
nine warbler species.  We found several of our western MD target birds
such as Henslow's Sparrow, Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Hermit Thrush,
Blue-headed Vireo, and Bobolink, but missed a lot of others.  We
finished up at Finzel Swamp, which we found to be overgrown and
neglected in appearance.  The habitat is beautiful and unique, and the
swamp was full of ripe blueberries.  But is there anything worthwhile
for the birder beyond the pond(s) about 1/2 mile in from the gate/sign
area?  We departed for the Bay Bridge at 10:45am with 67 species, and
knew with some certainty that we were not going to break any records.
Billy settled in for a well-deserved two-hour nap as I took the wheel.

After crossing the Bay Bridge, our lack of familiarity eastern Maryland
birding sites became apparent.  Our first stop would be Chesapeake Bay
Environmental Center, hoping for some wetlands birds.  We didn't know
how long the entry road would be, and that the entry fee would be $5 per
person.  Since we were only planning to stay a few minutes, we politely
demurred on the fee and trails, and instead birded the entry road which
actually produced some good birds:  Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed
Grebe, and Mute Swan.  

After that we wasted time viewing at the Easton airport (nothing), and
spent some time finding our way to the Easton Sewage Treatment Plant.
The employees were refreshingly happy to host birders, and cheerfully
opened the gate for us.  We found only a couple of Spotted Sandpipers
and one Killdeer, but as we made our way out, we were confronted with a
locked gate.  Hmm, apparently the friendly employees didn't tell each
other that birders were inside.  After a short time of contemplating a
new and fragrant location for a Maryland Big Sit, another employee
showed up to release us.

Tanyard Marsh was next, and a Moorhen called just a couple of yards from
where we parked the car with merciless traffic roaring by; the bird was
easily seen a minute later.  

Aside:  Maybe it is just me, but I find driving around on the eastern
shore to be a rather unpleasant experience.  Roads are wide and flat,
and vehicles generally travel 60-70 mph (when not slowed by truck
traffic), which makes for a deafening roar of noise whenever you stop
along the roadside.   Traffic signals are numerous and sometimes
interminable especially on the larger roads like Rt 50.  They require
stopping and then starting back up to 60+ mph.  It's tedious and
annoying, certainly when compared to the peaceful, calm roads of western
Maryland.  

Fortunately there are still a few enjoyable birding spots on the
peninsula with some semblance of peace and quiet.  North Tara Road and
Elliot Island road were two of those, although birding was challenging
in the heat of the afternoon.  We made a lot of woodland stops where the
only sounds would be the buzzing of the cicadas and the pishing of a
couple of deranged birders.  A little flock on North Tara saved our
desperate eastern MD passerine list.  As if he had previously scouted
the site, Billy stopped at a spot on Wesley Road, played the iPod, and a
Summer Tanager came in on cue.

Elliot Island Road provided many of the expected salt marsh species,
although we failed to get a confirming view of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed
Sparrow, missed Boat-tailed Grackle (shame), and never heard a Clapper
Rail.

We hurried from there to Ocean City as dusk arrived, another site with
which we were unfamiliar.  Little did we know that you can't find
parking anywhere near 3rd street in south Ocean City on a Monday evening
at sunset.  Time was ticking and the light was waning as we circled
around and around, eventually striking paydirt on 11th street.  In the
fading light, we counted what we could identify from 5th street: two
terns, three gull species, pelican, oystercatcher, skimmer, night-heron,
five shorebird species plus an unidentifiable peep.

We thoroughly enjoyed birding in western Maryland and look forward to
our next visit, probably at a time when finding the breeding birds is
not quite as much work.  Our final total was 122 species, not too
remarkable for August in Maryland.  

In assessing our strategy, we were overly optimistic about the number of
species we could find in western Maryland.  When the birds quiet down in
August, it takes a lot more time to find them.  What seemed to be ample
time for the eastern shore, 6.5 hours, disappeared very quickly.  The
distance from the Bay Bridge to Ocean City with a detour to Elliot is a
good piece of driving; summertime at the shore also puts a bit more
traffic out on the highways.  More time driving always means less time
birding, an axiom of Big Day birding.  It is notable that we only
succeeded in visiting seven specific sites on the eastern shore; there
were more we would have liked to visit, but it was not possible for us
to add any more stops.  I'm assuming a cross-state route has been used
for breeding season Big Days (May/June/July) with success.  If anyone
has a report for one of those, I'd be very interested.

From Ocean City it was three hours drive home.  Billy drove the first
hour, but after that I took over the driving, and he closed his eyes for
yet another siesta.

Avilton-Lonaconing Road
  Whip-poor-will
  Great Horned Owl

Old Legislative Road
  House Wren
  Yellow-throated Vireo
  Henslow's Sparrow

Russell Road
  accipiter sp.
  Red-shouldered Hawk
  Eastern Wood-pewee
  Red-eyed Vireo
  Common Raven
  Eastern Bluebird
  Cedar Waxwing
  Common Yellowthroat
  Savannah Sparrow
  Henslow's Sparrow
  Grasshopper Sparrow
  Field Sparrow
  Indigo Bunting
  Eastern Meadowlark
  Orchard Oriole

Westernport Road
  Broad-winged Hawk
  Am. Kestrel
  Hairy Woodpecker
  Downy Woodpecker
  Northern Flicker
  Eastern Phoebe
  Eastern Kingbird
  Blue Jay
  Common Raven
  Black-capped Chickadee
  Tufted Titmouse
  White-breasted Nuthatch
  Chestnut-sided Warbler
  Magnolia Warbler
  Black-throated Green Warbler
  Blackburnian Warbler
  Black-and-white Warbler
  Hooded Warbler
  Common Yellowthroat
  Scarlet Tanager
  Indigo Bunting
    
Twin Churches Road
  Swamp Sparrow  

West Shale Road
  Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  Blue-headed Vireo
  Red-eyed Vireo
  Hermit Thrush
  Black-capped Chickadee
  Tufted Titmouse
  White-breasted Nuthatch
  Chestnut-sided Warbler
  Black-and-white Warbler
  Scarlet Tanager 

Lower New Germany Road
  Tree Swallow
  Cliff Swallow
  Wild Turkey
  Blue Jay
  Eastern Bluebird
  Cedar Waxwing
  Bobolink
  Eastern Meadowlark

Blue Lick Road
  Acadian Flycatcher
  Hermit Thrush
  Magnolia Warbler
  Black-throated Green Warbler
  Ovenbird

Finzel Swamp
  Virginia Rail
  Swamp Sparrow
  Field Sparrow
  Eastern Kingbird
  Brown Thrasher
  Black-throated Blue Warbler
  Black-throated Green Warbler
  Common Yellowthroat

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center entry road
  Fish Crow
  Common Grackle
  Pied-billed Grebe
  Mute Swan
  Osprey
  Ruddy Duck
  Canvasback

Easton Sewage Treatment Plant
  Killdeer
  Spotted Sandpiper

Tanyard Marsh
  Moorhen

North Tara Road
  Acadian Flycatcher
  Brown-headed Nuthatch
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  White-eyed Vireo
  Prairie Warbler
  Pine Warbler
  Carolina Chickadee
  House Wren

Wesley Road
  Summer Tanager
  Blue Grosbeak

Elliot Island Road
  Green Heron (Vienna)
  Tricolored Heron
  Bald Eagle
  Northern Harrier
  Black-necked Stilt
  Greater Yellowlegs
  Lesser Yellowlegs
  Willet
  Bank Swallow
  Tree Swallow
  Purple Martin
  Marsh Wren
  Eastern Bluebird
  Yellow Warbler
  Swamp Sparrow
  Seaside Sparrow
  Eastern Meadowlark

Ocean City
  Brown Pelican
  Black-crowned Night-heron
  Tricolored Heron
  Black Skimmer
  Am Oystercatcher
  Black-bellied Plover
  Semipalmated Plover
  Spotted Sandpiper
  Ruddy Turnstone
  Sanderling
  peep sp.
  
Mike Tanis
Audubon, PA
MTANIS AT PORTICOSYS DOT COM