Hi Everyone,

Mikey Lutmerding and I met early on Sunday (3/29) to work water areas and flooded fields in Cecil and Kent Counties. We started with night-birding around Elk Neck State Forest and vicinity in hopes of a March Whip-poor-will or anything else that might be around. The misty pre-dawn was slow for birds, but obviously exciting for frogs and toads. The Spring Peeper chorus has intensified, and we heard our first trilling American Toads of the year.

With the weird weather, we didn't waste any time getting to the Susquehanna River. Despite the considerable fog, the river kept things interesting and we spent nearly five hours scanning from around Port Deposit. The time paid off with an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL, two adult LITTLE GULLs, five RED-NECKED GREBEs, and a breeding plumage COMMON LOON. The Black-headed Gull was a great spot by Mikey as it cruised south along the Harford side of the river. We watched it for about a minute until it hit the I-95 bridge around 10:30 a.m. The Little Gulls were found closer to noon as many of the gulls were roosting on the rocks north of the town of Port Deposit. I spotted one adult fly in, and as Mikey was observing it, it was joined by another. We especially enjoyed the at rest comparisons with nearby Bonaparte's Gulls. The Red-necked Grebes were hanging out together near the Port Deposit boat launch, but over many hours made their way most of the way across the
 river and back. 

In Kent County, our highlights were an unexpected SNOWY EGRET at the end of Shallcross Wharf Road and an even more unexpected flyby GLOSSY IBIS, heading south, off of Rock Hall. Nearly every pond and large puddle held Wilson's Snipe. 

Below are the abridged lists for the day:

Elk Neck State Forest, Cecil Co.

Barred Owl--1
Carolina Wren--1; singing at 5:40 a.m.
Non-avian: Spring Peepers; first American Toads of the year trilling.

Elkton Marsh, Cecil Co.

Common Merganser--3

Port Deposit, Cecil Co.

Canada Goose--16
Wood Duck--2
American Wigeon--2
Mallard--6
Greater/Lesser Scaup--1
Long-tailed Duck--1; flew down the middle of the river
Common Merganser--39; exact count from just north of town
Common Loon--1; breeding plumage; my overdue county bird
Red-necked Grebe--5; hanging out together all morning, mostly near the Port Deposit boat launch. Over several hours they drifted across the river and back again (both counties); new high count for both of us
Double-crested Cormorant--35
Great Blue Heron--13
Turkey Vulture--3
Osprey--2
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Bonaparte's Gull--125; in the foggy early morning, spread out on the river between Port Deposit and Lapidum; as day continued, they loafed on the rocks north of Port Deposit, where we located the two adult Little Gulls
LITTLE GULL--2 adults; around the rocks north of Port Deposit; great study
Laughing Gull--7
Ring-billed Gull--280
Herring Gull (American)--7
Great Black-backed Gull--25
Belted Kingfisher--1
Eastern Phoebe--2
Tree Swallow--175; counted individuals; certainly missed many more; all flying right up the river.
Pine Siskin--2

Lapidum, Harford Co. (mostly scanned from Port Deposit)

American Wigeon--1
Mallard--2
Common Merganser--10
Red-necked Grebe--5; the Port Deposit group drifted most of the way across 
the river at one point
Double-crested Cormorant--15
Greater Yellowlegs--1; high-flying northbound migrant
Bonaparte's Gull--70; the flock spent most of its time on the Cecil side
BLACK-HEADED GULL--1
Laughing Gull--5
Ring-billed Gull--100
Great Black-backed Gull--5
Eastern Phoebe--1
Tree Swallow--5
White-throated Sparrow--1

Conowingo Dam, Harford Co.

Canada Goose--1
Double-crested Cormorant--40
Osprey--1
Bald Eagle--1
Ring-billed Gull--120
Herring Gull--2
Great Black-backed Gull--25
Winter Wren--1; singing
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Common Grackle--65

Bohemia River--Rte 213 Bridge, Cecil Co.

Common Loon--1; breeding plumage

Shallcross Wharf Road, Kent Co.

Double-crested Cormorant--7
Great Blue Heron--1
SNOWY EGRET--1
Turkey Vulture--3
Osprey--2
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--1
American Kestrel--1
Ring-billed Gull--1
Herring Gull--1
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Horned Lark--1
Tree Swallow--2
Non-avian: Eastern Painted Turtle crossing the road.

Betterton Beach, Kent Co.
* Excellent place to scan the Bay, but slow today

Double-crested Cormorant--2
Turkey Vulture--1
Osprey--1
Bald Eagle--1
Ring-billed Gull--5
Eastern Phoebe--1

Great Oak Pond, Kent Co.

Canada Goose--200
Green-winged Teal (American)--24
Lesser Scaup--4
Ruddy Duck--5
Bald Eagle--1
Tree Swallow--1

St. Paul's Millpond, Kent Co.

Green-winged Teal (American)--2
Eastern Phoebe--1
White-throated Sparrow--1

Rock Hall, Kent Co.

Bufflehead--18
Common Loon--1
Horned Grebe--3
Double-crested Cormorant--5
GLOSSY IBIS--1; Very cool sight; flying south over the Bay
Osprey--6
Northern Harrier--1
Ring-billed Gull--2
Herring Gull (American)--4
Great Black-backed Gull--12
Forster's Tern--2; breeding plumage

Chestertown WWTP, Kent Co.

Canada Goose--220
Mallard--2
Northern Shoveler--163; exact count
Canvasback--1 hen
Ring-necked Duck--5
Lesser Scaup--2
Ruddy Duck--2
Ring-billed Gull--1
Horned Lark--2

Rte. 309 Ponds--Northeast Pond, QA Co.

American Wigeon--6
American Black Duck--20
Northern Shoveler--1
Northern Pintail--1
Green-winged Teal (American)--24
Killdeer--6
Dunlin--1
Horned Lark--5
Non-avian: Common Snapping Turtle

Pemberton Manor, QA Co.

Snow Goose--2
Canada Goose--40
Green-winged Teal (American)--30
Bald Eagle--1; immature picking at something at the pond edge
Northern Harrier--1
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Wilson's Snipe--5
Eastern Meadowlark--3

Rte. 309 Ponds--South Pond, QA Co.

Snow Goose--900; large, lingering flock took flight from far back on the property
Ring-necked Duck--1
Greater Yellowlegs--5
Wilson's Snipe--11

Rte. 481 Pond, QA Co.

Canada Goose--2
Green-winged Teal (American)--1
Wilson's Snipe--26
Non-avian: Spring Peepers, one Southern Leopard Frog calling.

Tuckahoe State Park, QA and Caroline except where noted

Snow Goose--250; distant flock flying north (QA)
Canada Goose--23
Wood Duck--2
American Black Duck--2
Mallard--6
Green-winged Teal (American)--17
Great Blue Heron--1
Great Egret--1
American Coot--6
Belted Kingfisher--1
Chipping Sparrow--1; singing (Caroline)
Non-avian: A loud chorus of Spring Peepers.

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com