Hi Everyone,

Jim Brighton, John Hubbell, and I began Sunday (3/22) in southern Somerset
Co., hoping that woodcock would be calling despite the 27 degree
temperature.
Instead, we were serenaded by Great Horned Owls, calling Brown Thrashers,
and
surprisingly vocal New Jersey Chorus Frogs. As day dawned, the Pine Warblers

began singing, which apparently have returned in force to the lower Eastern
Shore.

We continued on to Crisfield, where we met up with Mike Burchett and Betsy
Bangert. From there we hit several locations around Fairmount WMA, followed
by
all the main water access points along the Nanticoke in Wicomico Co. After
we
parted ways with Mike and Betsy at Tyaskin, we continued north to Dorchester

and Caroline Counties. In the late afternoon, Jim and John were tired and
decided to head home. They gracefully accepted the several minutes of cruel
mocking that they deserved for only putting in 12 hour days. I ended with
checks of the Choptank at the Talbot Co. fishing pier and at Kent Narrows.

Our best birds were two AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERs from the end of Rumbley Road

in Somerset Co. (rare on mainland Somerset), NORTHERN GANNETs in Somerset
(expected) and Wicomico (more difficult), and RED-NECKED GREBEs at the
Talbot
fishing pier and Kent Narrows.

Pre-dawn and dawn, Pocomoke Sound WMA, Back Shelltown Road, Somerset Co.

Wild Turkey--1+; calling several times around dawn
Bald Eagle--2
Greater Yellowlegs--1; flyover, calling
Eastern Screech-Owl--1
Great Horned Owl--3
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Hermit Thrush--3; definitely on the move
Brown Thrasher--3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--2
Pine Warbler--5
Eastern Towhee--8
Song Sparrow--2
White-throated Sparrow--2
American Goldfinch--39

Crisfield, Somerset Co.
* Marina and 4th Street/Tangier Sound

American Black Duck--2
Mallard--1
Bufflehead--48
Red-breasted Merganser--1
Common Loon--4
Great Egret--1; first of the year for all of us; Jim B. already over 200
species for the year in Maryland
Osprey--4
Northern Harrier--1
Laughing Gull--4
Ring-billed Gull--6
Herring Gull (American)--18
Great Black-backed Gull--1
Belted Kingfisher--1

Halls Creek Road, Somerset Co.

Brown-headed Nuthatch--3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--2
Pine Warbler--2

Fairmount WMA, Somerset Co.

* An access area with impoundments that Jim Brighton knew from previous
counts. I didn't catch the name of the road we were on. We stopped here and
many other places to look for my county closeout Fox Sparrow. Despite
checking
a lot of perfect habitat where we know they winter, we didn't locate a
single
one. We agreed that it makes sense that wintering Fox Sparrows probably
depart
the lower Shore earlier than the western shore. Jim Brighton suggested that
the Eastern Shore probably gets far fewer spring migrant Fox Sparrows than
the
western shore, which makes good sense.

Canada Goose--2
American Black Duck--4
Mallard--4
Green-winged Teal--2; heard calling
Hooded Merganser--3
Tree Swallow--60; large gathering over a pond in the marsh; many coming in
to
drink, so it was easy to get a decent count
Brown-headed Nuthatch--3
Eastern Bluebird--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--3
Pine Warbler--9; conservative count of seen and singing birds
Eastern Towhee--1
Swamp Sparrow--2
Eastern Meadowlark--1; singing
Brown-headed Cowbird--2

Fairmount WMA--Rumbley Road Boat Ramp, Somerset Co.

Surf Scoter--1
Bufflehead--15
Red-breasted Merganser--1
Northern Gannet--1
Killdeer--3
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER--2**
Ring-billed Gull--5
Herring Gull (American)--70
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Boat-tailed Grackle--2

** The two American Oystercatchers were resting on a spit of marsh viewable
to
the north from the end of Rumbley Road. Although regular on Smith Island,
American Oystercatchers are a rare sighting on mainland Somerset. They were
county birds for all of us.

Fairmount WMA--Frenchtown Road, Somerset Co.

Bufflehead--23
Common Loon--1
Red-tailed Hawk--1
Killdeer--3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--2
Boat-tailed Grackle--1

Ellis Bay WMA--Clara Road, Wicomico Co.

Lesser Scaup--35
Greater/Lesser Scaup--20
Bufflehead--2
Double-crested Cormorant--6
Osprey--4
Killdeer--2

Muddy Hole Road, Wicomico Co.

Hermit Thrush--2
Pine Warbler--1

Waterview, Wicomico Co.

Double-crested Cormorant--3
NORTHERN GANNET--1; Jim and John only; distant
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1

Roaring Point, Wicomico Co.

Bufflehead--4
NORTHERN GANNET--1-2; distant but in Wicomico Co.; plunge-dove at least once

and seen well by all
Osprey--2

Nanticoke Harbor, Wicomico Co.

Greater/Lesser Scaup--35
Bufflehead--15
Great Egret--1; flew up the river and landed on a jetty before flying on
Osprey--2

Cedar Hill Marina, Wicomico Co.

American Black Duck--2
Mallard--8
Greater Scaup--2
Lesser Scaup--4
Greater/Lesser Scaup--25
Surf Scoter--47
Bufflehead--18
Common Goldeneye--1
Double-crested Cormorant--54
Osprey--2
Laughing Gull--2
Ring-billed Gull--3
Herring Gull--19
Great Black-backed Gull--5

Tyaskin Park, Wicomico Co.

Greater/Lesser Scaup--3
Surf Scoter--16
Bufflehead--9
Red-throated Loon--8, all in Dorchester Co.; 7 in one group and one single
bird scoped from Tyaskin Park
Double-crested Cormorant--9
Osprey--2

Nutters Neck WMA, Wicomico Co.

John saw one woodcock and some Rusty Blackbirds here on 3/21
Non-avian: Red-backed Salamander, NJ Chorus Frogs vocal throughout area

Indiantown Road--The Pig Farm, Dorchester Co.

Common Peafowl--1; beautiful adult male in the middle of a pig pen. :)
((** eBird note: Sorry this is coming up in the Google Gadget. I'm trying to

figure out how to exclude some of the obvious exotics from the gadget.))
Turkey Vulture--10
Laughing Gull--250; a fairly accurate count of the birds in a tightly packed

group; this is an area that regularly hosts huge numbers of Laughing Gulls;
between us, we've had Franklin's and Black-headed here
Ring-billed Gull--1250; impressive density in a tightly packed flock;
counted
by 5s and 10s; 200+ feeding behind a tractor
Herring Gull (American)--1
European Starling--1000

Hurlock WWTP, Dorchester Co.

Canada Goose--120
Tundra Swan--2
American Wigeon--12
Mallard--23
Northern Shoveler--6
Green-winged Teal (American)--5
Ring-necked Duck--3
Lesser Scaup--3
Greater/Lesser Scaup--3
Ruddy Duck--86
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Wilson's Snipe--1
Laughing Gull--22
Ring-billed Gull--20
Herring Gull--21
Tree Swallow--1
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--1

Choptank Marina, Caroline County

Muscovy Duck (Domestic type)--3; including Matt's nemesis, the white-headed
attack duck; I was hoping it would go for Jim or John
American Wigeon--1 drake; viewed from Hunting Creek access; probably in
Dorchester Co.
Common Goldeneye--4
Double-crested Cormorant--6
Osprey--4
Laughing Gull--150
Ring-billed Gull--200
Herring Gull--30

Skeleton Creek Road, Caroline County

Canada Goose--135
Mallard--2
Turkey Vulture--12
Greater Yellowlegs--1

Frazier Neck Road, Caroline County
* Two private ponds that can be viewed carefully from the road *only* near
intersection with Skeleton Creek Road

Canada Goose--2
Wood Duck--2
American Wigeon--4
Green-winged Teal (American)--29

Quick check of Tanyard Marsh, Caroline Co.

Green-winged Teal (American)--12
Osprey--2
Greater Yellowlegs--5
Wilson's Snipe--6

Choptank River--Rte. 50 Bridge, Talbot Co.

Lesser Scaup--20; close birds were Lessers; most probably Lesser
Greater/Lesser Scaup--120
Surf Scoter--24
Long-tailed Duck--45
Bufflehead--50
Common Goldeneye--36
Common Loon--1
RED-NECKED GREBE--1; found by Ron Gutberlet and presumably continuing
Double-crested Cormorant--6
Herring Gull--10

Kent Narrows, Queen Anne's Co.

Greater/Lesser Scaup--25; all distant
Surf Scoter--15
Bufflehead--40
Common Goldeneye--3
Common Loon--1
Horned Grebe--4
RED-NECKED GREBE--1; my first in QA; county bird #4700
Osprey--2

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com