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Subject:

WEME-No on Sat.; QA & Do Counties

From:

Stan Arnold

Reply-To:

Stan Arnold

Date:

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:43:01 -0400

Hi Folks,

Following some morning errands, Elaine and I headed to the E. Shore yesterday (Sat., 9/12) to take our first stab at the Western Meadowlark which was found by Bill Hubick and co. two weeks ago.  During two visits to the turf farm south of Hurlock we saw no meadowlarks; in fact if it weren't for one Horned Lark, we would have seen no birds there at all.  We did have some other nice birds during several other stops, though.

By mid morning when we stopped at Terrapin Park (QA Co.), we found few migrants, with Am. Redstart our only migrant warbler, but our best bird was a LEAST FLYCATCHER.  CBEC offered an embarrassement of riches in the shorebird department, including one WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and several STILT SANDPIPERs, among hundreds of birds enjoying the receded waters of the large pond.  We also had an estimated 120 Green-winged Teals.

Hurlock didn't offer more than a couple dozen shorebirds, but there were a couple of goodies, including one WESTERN SANDPIPER and a RUDDY TURNSTONE (these birds seem to be showing up EVERYwhere).  Nanticoke Rd. leading into the Boy Scout Reservation in southern Dorchester Co. didn't offer much in the early evening, but a calling N. BOBWHITE was unexpected.

Follwing an early evening search for the W. Meadowlark, we returned to the Hurlock sewage lagoons, and were rewarded within a few minutes by our target:  COMMON NIGHTHAWK overhead.

We headed back toward the Bay Bridge in hopes of finding nighthawk in QA Co. before it got too dark, and we travelled Hwy 18 across Kent Island with the windows down, listening and looking.  No luck on the nighthawks, but a stop at the pond at Kent Narrows (across from the Reallty office) yeilded NINE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONs, and I just noticed that Danny Poet had the same number during his visit there at midday.

It was fun being out; it really felt like summer.  Today should be a lulu with mid-90s forecast.  I think I'll stay inside.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)