Hi Everyone,

Carol and I birded along the lower Nanticoke River today (29 March 2009) in Wicomico County.  We stopped at Waterview, Roaring Point, and Cedar Hill Marina.  Carol spotted the bird of the day at Roaring Point:  AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER!  The bird was on the narrow sandbar at the tip of Roaring Point itself; we viewed it from the end of the campground road.  I made calls to those nearby who make a point of birding Wicomico County and took a series of distant digiscopes.  We kept an eye on the oystercatcher from about 11:30am to noon when it departed.  I watched as it disappered into the shimmer over Dorchester County.  Nice to record the bird in Dorchester too, but more disappointing that we didn't get to share it with friends.  Perhaps the oystercatcher will return to the area tomorrow--worth a try perhaps...  Roaring Point is a popular fishing and dog-walking destination, so I think we were quite lucky to have hit the Point at a time when it was undisturbed--especially since they have been catching big stripers there lately.  The wet and cloudy morning weather probably helped us out!

Other Wicomico birds this morning included:

Northern Gannet--3 at Waterview, 2 at Roaring Point, and 1 upriver at Cedar Hill Marina
Great Egret--1 at Waterview
Royal Tern--1 at Roaring Point

I dropped Carol off at home at about 1:00 pm and then continued to Somerset County, hoping to continue the oystercatcher streak by checking for the Someset birds found last week (22 March) by Betsy Bangert, Jim Brighton, Mike Burchett, John Hubbell, and Bill Hubick.  The wind was blowing and water was high in Rumbley and Frenchtown.  Although I didn't see oystercatchers in Rumbley, I did have 2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, a COMMON LOON, a NORTHERN GANNET, and 15 FORSTER'S TERNS.

Next I drove over to Frenchtown, and as I was scanning the water, 2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS flew onto one of the small islands there!  A 3-county day for American Oystercatcher--not bad!

Two GREAT EGRETS were at the junction of the roads to Rumbley and Frenctown.  Another highlight for me in Somerset was closing out RING-NECKED DUCK (#26) with a pair in the pond on the north side of Rt 413 between Rt 13 and Crisfield.  Thanks, Jim Brighton, for the tip about this pond!

I wanted to try to photograph the Eurasian Collared-Doves that have been seen along Pocomoke River Rd and Dividing Creek Rd in Somerset County.  The first collared-dove here was originally found and photographed by Jen and Bob Elmer.  Jen recently reported a second bird here, and I was interested in further documenting the record.  No luck on the doves today, but I did see a nice RIVER OTTER swimming and diving along the Worcester bank of the Pocomoke River.

I finished the day at Truitt's Landing in Worcester County.  The strong wind and high water left Truitt's underwhelming, especially in comparison to the nice report we received from Amanda Spears.  I did add my first Worcester TRICOLORED HERON of the year, and one of the field puddles along the paved portion of Truitt's Landing Rd held 6 GREATER and 1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS.  Two EASTERN MEADOWLARKS and 2 HORNED LARKS were also nearby.  A pair of WOOD DUCKS was in a large puddle beside the unpaved portion of Truitt's Landing Rd.

In hindsight, I should have gone to Ocean City instead of Truitt's to go for a 4-county oystercatcher day.  Or would that just have been greedy?

Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD