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FW: Ferry Neck, October 31-November 3, 2008.

From:

Norm Saunders

Reply-To:

Norm Saunders

Date:

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:09:34 -0500

 

 

From: Harry Armistead [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 10:11 PM
To: Norman Saunders
Subject: Ferry Neck, October 31-November 3, 2008.

 

FERRY NECK-RIGBY'S FOLLY, Talbot County, MD, October 31-November 3, 2008.
Liz and Harry Armistead.

 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31.  3-6:30 P.M. only.  Clear, S or SE 5-7, 63-57, high
tide.  

 

8 Common Loons (1 with a Hogchoker), 1 imm. Osprey with a White Perch, 115
Fish Crows (going to roost at dusk), 1 Royal Tern, a Pileated Woodpecker (in
trees right in the yard), and 1 Hairy Woodpecker.  A lovely sunset as seen
from Lucy Point with the crescent Moon, Venus, and Jupiter nearby as well as
28 jet contrails in view simultaneously.

 

Also today:  2 Gray Squirrels, a doe, a 6-point buck, and another buck with
a small stub for its left antler and 3 points on the right antler (the
latter deer seen again on Nov. 3, in Field 2 again), and 1 Orange Sulphur, 

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1.  Most of today spent taking my boat to Gootees at
Golden Hill, Dorchester County, for winter storage, where we sit and chat
with Henry Gootee and his daughter, Jenny.  We do go to SWAN HARBOR north of
Hooper's Island where it's often good for hawks.  From 1-2 E.S.T. we see
there:

 

55 Turkey Vultures, 9 Bald Eagles, 1 Northern Harrier, and 2 Sharp-shinned,
2 Cooper's, 5 Red-shouldered (all adults), and 6 Red-tailed hawks = a total
of 80 raptors, to use that term loosely (are vultures raptors?).  Also here
are 2 Sika Elk right out in the open marsh in the afternoon, 2 Orange
Sulphurs, 1 Buckeye, and a Monarch.  Clear, SW 5, 65 degrees F.

 

At Rigby November 1, 8-9:30 A.M. and 3-6:30 P.M. only.  Clear, SW 5,
51-74-63 degrees.  See:  6 Common Loons (2 with Hogchokers), 135 way cute
Buffleheads, 1 male American Kestrel, 2 Brown Thrashers, 1 imm. Osprey, 6
Field Sparrows, 20 Surf Scoters, 1,020 Canada Geese in the cove, 1 female
Belted Kingfisher, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 26 American Crows (in one
group harassing an owl), and a Great Horned Owl calling at 5:56 P.M.  Also:
3 Orange Sulphurs, a small buck, and a Gray Squirrel.  Nice, heck, great,
sunset as seen from Lucy Point with a green corona just as it dips below the
horizon; don't know if this qualifies as a true "Green Flash" or not.  

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2.  The start of Daylight Wasting Time.  Fair becoming
overcast, E 5-10, 53-62-54, raw and penetratsio in the P.M. with high
ceiling.  50 species.  A good variety of raptors, 12 species.  Due to my
computer crash earlier this year some of the data is (temporarily?) lost,
but I think this is the first time we've seen 12 species here, having
achieved 11 species on 5 or 6 other occasions:

 

32 Turkey & 3 Black vultures, 6 Sharp-shinned, 1 Cooper's, 1 ad.
Red-shouldered & 6 Red-tailed hawks, 1 imm. Osprey, 2 ad. & 4 imm. Bald
Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, 1 female American Kestrel, 1 female Merlin
(flew RIGHT by us), and, best of all, an imm. GOLDEN EAGLE = 53 raptors.  At
one point the golden, a harrier, an ad. bald, and 1 Turkey Vulture are
visible in the same binocular field of view.  This Golden Eagle is the 7th
or 8th property record.  

 

Other goodies:  28 Long-tailed Ducks (incl. a flock of 12 males and 1
female), 35 Surf Scoters, 9 Ruddy Ducks (resting together perhaps 300 yards
offshore), 25 Forster's Terns, 4 Bonaparte's Gulls, 225 Laughing Gulls (big
group working fish several miles away with no fishing boats picking up on
this clue), 3 imm. Double-crested Cormorants, 70 waxwings, 45 cowbirds
(flyovers; good; keep going), a combo flock of 22 American Goldfinches and
Pine Siskins, 12 Tree Swallows, and 8 Common Loons.  

 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3.  8-10:30 A.M. only.  What seems like an unpromising
morning turns out to be pretty good.  Overcast becoming clear, calm becoming
NW 5+, 51-56 degrees.  Starts off raw and gloomy-overcast but then clears
and is tolerably warm.  35 species, almost all right in the yard:

 

1 Hermit Thrush, 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 adult Bald Eagles which
double-team the Osprey, forcing it to drop its fish, 6 Green-winged Teal (in
transit high overhead), 1 Palm Warbler, 9 flickers, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1
titmouse (the only 1 seen this entire visit), 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 6
bluebirds, 45 robins, 4 meadowlarks, 11 Blue Jays, 35 Surf Scoters, 1 imm.
Red-tailed Hawk, and a male House Finch.

 

NOVEMBER WATERFOWL.  Some of the numbers of Buffleheads, Long-tailed Ducks,
and Surf Scoters seem high this time but on checking earlier records here
much higher counts have been made in previous years during early November.
How soon we (or at least I) forget.  

 

IMMATURE OSPREY KICKS PISCINE BUTT.  I believe the same individual is
present all 4 days as well as here 2 weeks ago (October 17-19) based on the
ratty but distinctive outer primary feathers of its right wing.  Its
favorite perches (other than White Perch) are the old telephone poles in the
middle of Field 2 and Field 4.  If this IS the same bird it is a very
prolific fish predator, seen with 2 or more fish each day, what look like
White Perch in addition to the more usual Menhaden I'm used to seeing
Ospreys with here. 

 

HELICOPTER CHASE out over the Choptank River mouth c. 3 P.M. Sunday,
November 2.  Goes on for 10 minutes or so, a helicopter with pods (correct
term?) underneath it (so it can land on water?) chases a medium-sized
fishing boat, getting very close several times, circling it.  The boat turns
180 degrees twice at high speed.  Finally the helicopter (Maryland D.N.R.
officials?) disengages and heads off towards Tilghman Island.  I'm guessing
it is low on fuel and has radioed in the boat's numbers and egregious
violations.   

 

Best to all. - Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.

 

  _____  

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