Hi Everyone,

With 10 observers, we had our largest group of the year at Pemberton Park yesterday (1 April 2009).  Maybe folks were hoping for nice weather or some new spring arrivals.  Although we didn't have either, we did enjoy ourselves and the birds.  If you check the list below, you'll see that Laughing Gull numbers have increased appreciably and that activity continues at the Great Blue Heron rookery.

Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD
 



Location:     Pemberton Park
Observation date:     4/1/09
Observers:      Ron Gutberlet, Betsy Bangert, John Bax, Lance Biechele, Dana Bronecke, Mike Burchett, Scott Housten, Kim Hunter, Dave Kanarr, Doug Ruby.
Weather (from www.accuweather.com for Salisbury):     48-52 F, mostly cloudy to cloudy, no precipitation, wind SE to SSE at 11 mph, relative humidity 86-80%, barometric pressure 30.12-30.14 in, visibility 10 miles.
Conditions:     tide was high.
Distance:     0.75 miles on foot; did not bird entrance road.
Number of species:     40

Canada Goose     30
Wood Duck     3
American Black Duck     3
Mallard     8
Green-winged Teal (American)     11
Great Blue Heron     16     15 of the 16 birds were near or in the rookery.  One bird was carrying a stick in its bill.  Most nests are opposite the boardwalk, but at least two nests are in tall Loblolly Pines near the Bald Eagle nest.

Turkey Vulture     7
Osprey     5
Bald Eagle     3
Northern Harrier     1     The bird flew through--a migrant presumably.  It did not stop to hunt over the marsh.
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)     1
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Wilson's Snipe     4
Laughing Gull     101
Ring-billed Gull     2
Herring Gull     5
Mourning Dove     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     2
Downy Woodpecker     3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)     2
Pileated Woodpecker     1
Eastern Phoebe     4
Blue Jay     2
American Crow     6
Fish Crow     3
Tree Swallow     20
Carolina Chickadee     1
Tufted Titmouse     4
Carolina Wren     5
American Robin     8
Brown Thrasher     1
European Starling     6
Eastern Towhee     1
Chipping Sparrow     1
Swamp Sparrow     1
White-throated Sparrow     6
Northern Cardinal     4
Red-winged Blackbird     25
American Goldfinch     4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)