From: Harry Armistead [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 6:30 PM
To: Norman Saunders
Subject: Blackwater N.W.R., Fort Smallwood Park, Ferry Neck, April 24-27,
2009.
APRIL 24-27, 2009. Blackwater N.W.R., Fort Smallwood Park & Ferry Neck.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24. Fort Smallwood Park, Anne Arundel County, MD,
11:15 A.M. – 3:15 P.M., clear to mostly clear, S15, high 60s to 70. Of the
472 raptors of 12 species tallied today we see about 40% of them including 5
Merlins, 2 harriers, and 2 Bald Eagles. Also: 8 lingering Buffleheads, a
male Orchard Oriole, 1 Great Egret, 4 Chimney Swifts, an ad. Bonaparte’s
Gull, 2 Common Loons, and 4 Caspian Terns plus several small kettles of
Broad-winged Hawks (days total is 114 + 175 Sharp-shinned Hawks). 1
Monarch. 2 Gray Squirrels.
Kent I.: 1 Least Tern.
Rigby’s Folly: 6:30 P.M. until dark only. 16 deer in Field 4.
At the head of the cove over Woods 1 a few Barn & Tree swallows and Purple
Martins. 1 kingfisher. 1 Killdeer. Fair, S15, 72-66, low tide. Much of
this month the tides have been below normal.
SATURDAY, APRIL 25. A day that resonates with the nearly
continuous calling of Fish Crows (in trees in the yard) and Laughing Gulls
overhead. Fair with high haze becoming mostly overcast and then fair again,
S5 or SE5, 62-84-77 (77 at 8:30 P.M.), an impressive and completely
unforecast storm from c. 10:45 P.M. for an hour or so with gonzo lightning,
thunder, high winds, and some rain. One of the few boats on the Choptank
River mouth conveniently flushes all of the ducks affording a careful
estimate of 655 Surf Scoters. Without them flushing my estimate was 205. 1
adult Northern Gannet, almost a record late date for here. 1 Gray Catbird,
1 Eastern Kingbird, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 3 Black Vultures (in trees in the
yard), 1 Cooper’s & 1 Sharp-shinned hawk, 1 male American Kestrel, 30
Laughing & 12 Herring gulls, 7 Common Loons, 1 Pileated & 1 Hairy
woodpecker, 2 Cedar Waxwings (the first seen in many weeks), 1 Orchard
Oriole, just 1 Forster’s Tern, 1 Chuck-will’s-widow calling at dusk & 1
Chimney Swift. The kingfisher again.
NON-AVIAN TAXA. A good day for these. Best count of 48
Diamondback Terrapin at the mouth of the cove combined with 114 in sight
simultaneously from Lucy Point combine for 162, a new high, I think (lost
some records in a computer crash last summer) for here. 3 Gray Squirrels, 4
deer, and one very fat, almost spherical, and very dark Meadow Vole that
streaked across the driveway. An early Bullfrog at The Pond that goes
kerplunk as if a brick had been tossed into the water. At 8:30 P.M. a
rather hefty chorus of Fowler’s Toads calling as we sit on the front porch
enjoying dusk as it closes in on the last rays of light. Liz sees 3
Northern Watersnakes following each other along the bank. BUTTERFLIES: 1
Monarch, 2 Spring Azures, 1 Cabbage White, 4 Orange Sulphurs, and a Tiger
Swallowtail.
Royal Oak: a Green Heron over the town.
SHAKE IT UP, BABY. Just take an average-sized loblolly Pine
branch, anywhere here, shake it gently, and a cloud of yellowish pollen
fills the air at this time of year. It covers everything like talc or
loess. Next to the shore or at the margins of ponds the pollen lies like a
slick several feet wide. Our shelves, tables, porches, floors, and the lawn
are covered with it. Gets all over one’s shoes and boots. A pervasive
dusting is everywhere.
THE AD HOC LIFE. Trying to slow down a little in retirement.
It is satisfying, after a life of multi-tasking, to set just one or two
goals a day, take one’s time doing them, and do them well and completely.
An example might be: today I am going to just clear overhanging brush on the
Warbler Trail, which is about 900 feet long. I did do this last weekend,
including chainsawing a fallen tree there.
SUNDAY, APRIL 26. Lead a birdwalk at Blackwater N.W.R. with
Michele Wade, Karen Skumanich, Gerald Kollman, Mary Iorizzo, Verna Manion,
Ellen &Tom Cimino, Shirley Bailey, Mary Gunther, Kate Murphy, and Arnold
Simon. 73 species. Some of the birds listed below are seen before the
official birdwalk (which is 8 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.), or else afterwards when
Mary Gunther and I traverse Shorter’s Wharf Road, Liner’s Road, Routes 336
and 335. 7:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. in toto.
Fair, SW5 or calm, 69-93, water a little low in tidal areas,
high in the impoundments. Hot and still.
1 American White Pelican at Sewards, where it has been for weeks
apart from the flock out on the Blackwater River; perhaps an injured and/or
sick bird. 6 Great & 4 Snowy egrets, only 10 Green-winged Teal, 1 Green
Heron, 4 Mute Swans (opposite Pool 3), 3 Ruddy Ducks (on the Blackwater
River west of Route 335), 40 Bald Eagles (incl. 20 in sight simultaneously
from Shorter’s Wharf Road), 1 Virginia Rail (heard by all and seen by 1 of
our group), 1 Common Moorhen.
9 Killdeer (including an adult and 4 small young at Robbins,
where the Trumpeter Swan of dubious provenance is still present), 1
Black-necked Stilt (Pool 3B), 115 Greater & 10 Lesser yellowlegs, 1 Willet,
35 Least Sandpipers, 11 Least Terns (mostly at Sewards, where we saw the
male-to-female minnow exchange take place).
1 hummingbird (a male), 2 kingbirds, 1 White-eyed Vireo (Liner’s
Road), 1 House Wren, 1 Wood Thrush, 1 catbird, 1 Western Palm Warbler
(foraging on the pavement underneath a sawhorse at this unlikely spot next
to the Woods Trail entrance), 3 Summer Tanagers (excellent views of a
singing male), 2 Blue Grosbeaks, and 12 Orchard Orioles.
Surprising not to “get”: crested flycatcher, Ovenbird, or
Seaside Sparrow.
CRITTERS: Capture a Garter Snake and 2 Mud Turtles. A roadkill
Red-bellied Watersnake on Liner’s Road. Hear Cricket Frogs twice. Some
Green and Southern Leopard (leotard?) frogs. 25 combo count of Red-bellied
Sliders and Painted Turtles. 1 Sika Deer, a surprising find near mid-day
for this nocturnal/crepuscular species. BEST OF ALL: 2 Fox Squirrels in
the little copse opposite Pool 3B, where we see 2 squirrel dreys. These 2
squirreleepoos are young-of-the-year by virtue of their somewhat small size
and naïve behavior, clambering around slowly at the base of trees
unconcerned with the group looking at and photographing them. They are in
very fine pelage, furry, with extremely bushy tails. One of them has a
black head, legs, and paws, such as I have never seen before in Dorchester
County. Arnold takes a series of photographs of them. As with
post-fledging juvenile birds with fresh, unworn feathers, that look so fine,
this must be the case with these young squirrels with their newly acquired,
clean, luxuriant fur. BUTTERFLIES: 1 Black and 1 Spicebush swallowtail, 5
Orange Sulphurs, 2 Cabbage Whites.
Rigby’s Folly: On arrival back here it is 90 degrees F. at 5:55
P.M., prompting me to gulp a bottle of Stella Artois and to take my first
dip, a very refreshing one, in the cove. 22 deer in Field 4 plus a Wild
Turkey at 5:50 P.M. and an Eastern Cottontail at 5:55 A.M. A bat at dusk,
when the Fowler’s Toads are tuning up again. Liz has seen 20 or so species
here today including lingering White-throated Sparrows, 2 kingbirds, a
Killdeer, a chickadee, a goldfinch, and bluebirds.
MONDAY, APRIL 27:
Rigby’s Folly. Basically just close down and leave this
morning. 3 Gray Catbirds in the yard.
HEADIN’ HOME: At the little pond/wet area just e. of Rt. 481 c.
0.2 mi. n. of Rts. 481 X 309 are 8 Green-winged Teal, 8 Least Sandpipers,
and 7 Greater Yellowlegs. Liz sees a Woodchuck running, if you can imagine
that, e. of Rt. 481 and s. of Ruthsberg plus 2 Tiger Swallowtails. At the
rather large pond e. of Rt. 481 and s. of Hope is a Great Blue Heron plus 38
Canada Geese, which are foraging actively. An additional goose, the same
shape and bulk as a Canada Goose, is a sort of café au lait color, with
slightly darker wings and what seems to be the barest trace of the black
stocking and white cheek patch of a regular Canada Goose. A Cooper’s Hawk
at Rts. 301 X 481. The lingering (crippled?) 3 Snow Geese are still at the
pond e. of Rt. 301 at mile 98.2.
SEA LEVEL RISE: TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR DORCHESTER COUNTY. This
is a fascinating document, with good photographs, and citations, by birder
Wanda Diane Cole. It is 55 pages, full of technical descriptions of the
effects of sea level rise in this low, marshy county, as well as projections
of what this may entail for the future. It may be seen, supposedly, at:
www.dnr.state.md.us <http://www.dnr.state.md.us/> Highly recommended. A
most thoughtful, well-documented report, in my untutored opinion. I can’t
seem to raise this publication either through the website or Google but
perhaps if you enter “contact us” in the website you can ask how to access
it. Or else call the phone nos listed in the document: 410-260-8730, or,
toll-free 877-620-8DNR.
I’D LIKE TO PICK YOUR BRAINS ABOUT SOMETHING. About a month ago
here in Philadelphia I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk that had captured a male
House Sparrow. Every time it would dip its head down to take a bite it
would immediately afterwards look all around for signs of danger. Very
wary. This hawk started its meal with the sparrow’s brains. Hannibal
Lecter would have been proud.
ROCKIN’ ROBIN. We have an American Robin’s nest on the outside
ledge of our Philadelphia front porch. She has to put up with the outside
porch light being on at night plus all the comings and goings at the front
door. Last Thursday I mowed the grass right underneath the nest. AS I WAS
MOWING one of the robins alit about 10 feet from the noisy mower in a swath
I’d just mowed and started to hunt. Julie Zickefoose once did a piece about
robins on NPR. I remember one of her comments, which was: “If you have a
lawnmower you have a robin.” From the porch window we can look right at the
incubating bird (while s/he looks at us and our pet cat, Bobafet).
Best to all. – Harry Armistead, Philadelphia, PA.
_____
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