Hi Everyone,

I birded Queen Annes and Kent Counties on Wednesday (18 Mar) after catching up on a little work at home (and on a little sleep--I think I still have a birding hangover from this past weekend...nothing like a little hair of the dog...).

While I couldn't match Tuesday's luck, I had plenty of fun enjoying arrivals, departures, and actual sunshine!  Some highlights follow...


QUEEN ANNES COUNTY

An EASTERN PHOEBE was singing at the Tuckahoe St Pk boat ramp, and 4 WILSON'S SNIPE were at the edge of a large puddle on Rt 481 near its intersection with Rt 309.  EASTERN MEADOWLARKS sang nearby, and a male NORTHERN HARRIER coursed the field there.

The ponds on Rt 309 held thousands of geese (SNOW and CANADA), about 70 TUNDRA SWANS, and a few species of ducks: AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (6), MALLARD (4), AMERICAN WIGEON (2), GREEN-WINGED TEAL (49), and RING-NECKED DUCK (29).

In a yard in Grasonville, I chanced onto a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER.  At the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC, also known as Horsehead), I saw my first FORSTER'S TERNS (2) of the week--the first I've seen since our Jan big day.  TREE SWALLOWS (2) were also back.  At CBEC, I was also glad to see a BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, 24 TUNDRA SWANS, and the following ducks: AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (16), GREATER SCAUP (2), COMMON GOLDENEYE (1), BUFFLEHEAD (2), and about 300 RUDDY DUCKS.  Some of the male Ruddy Ducks were in full breeding color--bright blue bill and all.


KENT COUNTY

I paid my first visit to Great Oak Pond northwest of Chestertown.  The pond itself wasn't much to look at--especially given its evocative name--but it did hold 5 SNOW GEESE and a few ducks: GREEN-WINGED TEAL (4), NORTHERN SHOVELER (6), RING-NECKED DUCK (1), LESSER SCAUP (2), and RUDDY DUCK (4).

A brief stop in Rock Hall yielded an OSPREY and a GREATER SCAUP offshore from the beach.

Among numerous other species, a TREE SWALLOW, 16 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and hundreds of TUNDRA SWANS were at Eastern Neck NWR.

As the sun set at Eastern Neck, I stood in a field surrounded by wet woods.  You know why.  The rewards of the listing game are many, and it's easy to reflect on them at times like these.  The blue of the eastern sky deepening, the gray and orange of the western sky fading.  Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers chorusing loudly in the woods, with hundreds of Canada Geese and Tundra Swans yapping and whistling overhead.  Sometimes--like during a big day--the listing game is a fast-paced adventure, fueled by caffeine and adrenaline.  And then sometimes you find yourself listening quietly in the dark in a semi-wild place...  Peeent!

Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD