Hi Everyone,

Ony three of us ventured out yesterday morning (4/8/2009), but we encountered some nice birds including multiple new arrivals.  Dave Kanarr spotted the birds of the morning when he noticed 5 large, dark birds flying down the Wicomico River toward us--a small flock of Glossy Ibis!  As usual Scott Housten was spotting birds left and right and above, and he saw a few more species (e.g., Pileated Woodpecker and Wood Duck; not included below) after Dave and I left.

New arrivals for our 2009 Pemberton counts are in all caps below.  Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD




Location:     Pemberton Park
Observation date:     4/8/09
Observers: Ron Gutberlet, Scott Housten, and Dave Kanarr.
Distance: 0.75 miles by foot; we did not bird the entrance road.
Weather (from accuweather.com for Salisbury, MD):  42-46 F, clear/sunny, wind W to WNW at 13-17 mph, no precipitaton, relative humidity 54-40%, barometric pressure 29.78-29.79 in, visiblity 10 miles.
Conditions: tide was low.
Number of species:     45

Canada Goose     3
American Black Duck     1
Mallard     3
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     2     The rookery was very quiet this morning, with only 2 birds flying around.  We didn't see any herons standing in the nests.
GLOSSY IBIS     5     A flock of 5 was flying down the Wicomico River.  They flew briefly over the large marsh but did not land.
Black Vulture     1
Turkey Vulture     7
Osprey     9     At least one bird was carrying nesting material.
Bald Eagle     6
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Wilson's Snipe     1
Laughing Gull     23
Ring-billed Gull     3
Herring Gull     8
FORSTER'S TERN     1     fishing over the Wicomico River
Belted Kingfisher     2
Red-bellied Woodpecker     4
Downy Woodpecker     3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)     1
Blue Jay     3
American Crow     3
Fish Crow     7
PURPLE MARTIN     1
Tree Swallow     4
BARN SWALLOW     2
Carolina Chickadee     2
Tufted Titmouse     8
Carolina Wren     7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER     3
Eastern Bluebird     1
Hermit Thrush     1
American Robin     2
Brown Thrasher     3     one was singing from a high perch
European Starling     3
Eastern Towhee     1
Chipping Sparrow     2     both singing
Swamp Sparrow     2     one was singing; first SWSP song we've heard here this year
White-throated Sparrow     17
Northern Cardinal     6
Red-winged Blackbird     24
Common Grackle     4
Brown-headed Cowbird     3     1 male was a fly-over; the other, which was paired with a female, was singing and doing the rattle call; the female (with the male perched nearby) at one point put her head into the entrance of a Wood Duck box in the small marsh by the boardwalk
American Goldfinch     10     some males nearing full breeding plumage and singing; first AMGO songs we've heard here this year; the birds were calling too

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