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Lower Eastern Shore--Franklin's Gull, Thayer's Gull

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Bill Hubick

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Date:

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:14:20 -0800

Hi Everyone,

John Hubbell, Mikey Lutmerding, and I spent an excellent day birding the lower Eastern Shore. We started the day along the Nanticoke River hoping for a finch flight, but the best birds were found on the river itself. After a couple productive hours of river-watching, we hiked around Pemberton Park and then headed to the Salisbury Landfill for gulls. After success there, we ventured south into Somerset County and invested most of our time around Fairmount. 

Our best birds of the day were an adult FRANKLIN'S GULL at Roaring Point, a first-cycle THAYER'S GULL at the Salisbury Landfill, and four LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERs at Fairmount. Below are abridged lists and some details.

Cedar Hill Marina, Wicomico Co.

We started at Cedar Hill Marina at dawn hoping for siskins in the morning flight, but there was little land bird activity. We had better luck scanning the river for waterbirds. 

Cackling Goose (Richardson's)--2; obvious in a large, flyby Canada flock
Canada Goose--310
Tundra Swan--8
Mallard--13
Greater Scaup--5 hens
Bufflehead--22; Mikey flushed a female from the water's edge and it's alarm call reminded us of a Common Raven call
Red-breasted Merganser--2
Ruddy Duck--10
Common Loon--2
Horned Grebe--1
Northern Harrier--1
Killdeer--5
Ring-billed Gull--42
Herring Gull--4
Great Black-backed Gull--2

Roaring Point, Wicomico Co.

On the way in, we found a feeding flock that contained a couple Fox Sparrows and a Hermit Thrush. On the river, Mikey picked out a RED-THROATED LOON and spotted two DUNLIN feeding on the nearest sandbar. Quite unexpectedly, he then found an adult FRANKLIN'S GULL among a handful of Laughing Gulls. Its size was so much smaller than nearby Laughing Gulls, its structure so much more delicate, that Mikey's first thought was Bonaparte's Gull. After short but diagnostic scope views, we tried to drive closer for documentation and lost that part of the flock.

Tundra Swan--20
Bufflehead--54
Common Goldeneye--8
Ruddy Duck--252
Red-throated Loon--1
Common Loon--5
Brown Pelican--3; one fishing, two on the pound nets
Double-crested Cormorant--6
Dunlin--2; on a sand bar with the gulls, then relocated to the jetties to the north
Laughing Gull--7
Franklin's Gull--1
Ring-billed Gull--40
Herring Gull--10
Great Black-backed Gull--8
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--2
Hermit Thrush--1
Gray Catbird--1
Fox Sparrow (Red)--2

Pemberton Park, Wicomico Co.

Winter Wren--4
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Hermit Thrush--1
Brown Thrasher--1
Swamp Sparrow--4

Salisbury Landfill, Wicomico Co.

Laughing Gull--10
Ring-billed Gull--30
Herring Gull (American)--600
THAYER'S GULL--1; first-cycle bird studied and photographed extensively. It was found on 11/21 by Mikey Lutmerding, but he didn't have an opportunity to post about it before we were back out today. This bird was perhaps the most confiding rare gull we'd ever seen, and it was a long-awaited state bird for me. When Mikey found it on Friday there was also a first-cycle Kumlien's (Iceland) Gull.
Interesting four-year gull--1 (see photos)
Great Black-backed Gull--100
gull sp.--1200
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--2

** Note about the landfill: To visit, you must first check in with the front office, which is across the street from the gate entrance, or with the front gate attendant. Just ask for permission to look at the gulls, and do not drive in unless you've received permission. Once in, please stay 100% out of the way of all vehicles. If anyone asks what you're doing, please be friendly and courteous. We're lucky to still have good access to a handful of gull spots and that could easily change if a few visitors aren't careful. 

Nutters Neck WMA, Wicomico Co.

Knowing we were in the general area, Jim Stasz passed on Carol Broderick's report about flyover White-winged Crossbills. He recommended this excellent area, which certainly looked promising for holding the species. We found no crossbills, but a VESPER SPARROW and two PINE SISKINs were fine prizes instead.

Horned Lark--2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Eastern Bluebird--11
Hermit Thrush--2; two in hedgerow in the middle of an open field
Brown Thrasher--1
American Pipit--1
Vesper Sparrow--1; well-seen; flushed from sunflower patch into large hedgerow
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--22
Eastern Meadowlark--23
Pine Siskin--2

Fairmount WMA, Somerset Co.

Canada Goose--13
Gadwall--6; flew in while we were standing around; first heard calling
American Black Duck--4
Mallard--12
Surf Scoter--5
scoter sp.--7
Bufflehead--95
Hooded Merganser--1
Common Loon--1
Great Egret--1
Snowy Egret--1
Black-crowned Night-Heron--1
Northern Harrier--3
Sharp-shinned Hawk--2
Killdeer--1
Greater Yellowlegs--2
Lesser Yellowlegs--6
Dunlin--9
Long-billed Dowitcher--4
Ring-billed Gull--25
Herring Gull--35
Great Black-backed Gull--40
Forster's Tern--1
Tree Swallow--46; one swallow spotted among distant birds was smaller and had a shape more consistent with Cave Swallow; we were pretty sure we would have found it to be a Cave, but we couldn't safely call it without a closer look
Swamp Sparrow--4
Eastern Meadowlark--2
Boat-tailed Grackle--2

Follow Ditch Road, Somerset Co.

Red-shouldered Hawk--1 adult; my county closeout (#95)
Red-tailed Hawk--1
Eastern Bluebird--2
American Robin--200
Eastern Meadowlark--10

It was an excellent day! Photos of the Thayer's and a few other birds are posted at http://www.billhubick.com/new_set.html.

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com