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Subject:

Eastern Shore Highlights (4/25)

From:

Bill Hubick

Reply-To:

Bill Hubick

Date:

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:27:43 -0700

Hi Everyone,

Fueled by all of the excitement of the Yellow Rail night in Somerset Co., most of us were able to overcome sleep deprivation and see some great birds on Saturday. Here are the abridged lists:

Dawn at Truitts Landing, Worcester Co. 

Observers: Jim Brighton, Ron Gutberlet, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Matt Hafner, Mikey Lutmerding. 

American Black Duck--2
Wild Turkey--1; called twice at dawn
Common Loon--4; flyovers
Great Egret--6
Snowy Egret--13
Glossy Ibis--91; exact count; flyovers heading north
Bald Eagle--1
King Rail--1; calling at treeline on the west end of marsh
Clapper/King Rail--3; calling birds that we didn't want to call to species based on voice and/or location in the marsh
Virginia Rail--3
Sora--1; county bird for all of us
Spotted Sandpiper--1
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Willet (Eastern)--4
Laughing Gull--5
Herring Gull--6
Forster's Tern--5; much calling, including apparent courtship behavior
Eastern Kingbird--1
White-eyed Vireo--1
Tree Swallow--3
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Sedge Wren--1; singing near east end of the marsh
Marsh Wren--5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Wood Thrush--2; singing in the woods
American Pipit--1; flyover, calling
Ovenbird--1
Common Yellowthroat--6
Chipping Sparrow--1
Field Sparrow--1
Seaside Sparrow--2
Swamp Sparrow--1

Pocomoke State Forest--Hickory Point, Worcester Co.

Excellent, approximately 1.5-mile hike at Hickory Point. Perfect weather and lots of birds. Observers: Jim Brighton, Ron Gutberlet, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Matt Hafner, Mikey Lutmerding. Joined later in the hike by Jim Stasz, Ed Boyd, Steve Collins, Tom Feild, Hans Holbrook, Geraldine King, Mike Burchett, Betsy Bangert.

Common Loon--1; flyover
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Laughing Gull--4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--1
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Acadian Flycatcher--1; calling 'whit' notes; Bill only
Great Crested Flycatcher--5
White-eyed Vireo--11
Red-eyed Vireo--7
Purple Martin--1
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--26; exact count
Wood Thrush--1
Northern Parula--9
Yellow-throated Warbler--3
Pine Warbler--9
Prothonotary Warbler--18
Worm-eating Warbler--13
Ovenbird--21
Common Yellowthroat--4
Summer Tanager--4
White-throated Sparrow--3
Brown-headed Cowbird--6
Non-avian: Green Frog, Mud Turtle. Young Pink Lady's Slippers.

Ocean City Area--Rte 50 east of Rte 113, Worcester Co.

Mikey Lutmerding and I got there quickly after receiving calls from Stan Arnold and Bob Ringler about the White-faced Ibis. We arrived to find Bob Ringler, June Tveekrem, and Jo Solem there and watching the bird. We had about 10 minutes to closely study and photograph the foraging bird. Many others arrived right about when the birds departed, with looks ranging from good to too short to pick out the White-faced, which was very disappointing. 

Glossy Ibis--41; exact count
WHITE-FACED IBIS--1; continuing in the greater Berlin area; first found by Ron Gutberlet and/or Jim Stasz (two different sightings on same day); (re-)found at this specific location earlier in the day by Stan Arnold.

Ocean City--Skimmer Island, Worcester Co.

Very low tide; heavy human activity in the area. On a return trip in the afternoon, Tom flushed a Clapper Rail from beside our preferred viewing area. Observers: Jim Brighton, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Matt Hafner, Mikey and Jo Anna Lutmerding, Tom Feild, Geraldine King, Mike Burchett, Betsy Bangert. 

Brant (Atlantic)--38
Bufflehead--27
Red-breasted Merganser--1
Brown Pelican--1; roosting on the island with the cormorant flock
Double-crested Cormorant--175
Great Egret--3
Snowy Egret--3
Little Blue Heron--1 adult
American Oystercatcher--7
Willet (Eastern)--4
Bonaparte's Gull--30
Laughing Gull--25
Ring-billed Gull--5
Herring Gull--150
Great Black-backed Gull--60
Common Tern--5
Forster's Tern--6
Royal Tern--3
Common Yellowthroat--1
Boat-tailed Grackle--5

Eagles Nest Campground (now Castaways), Worcester Co.

Two visits to scan the mudflats (11:15 to 11:45 and 2:55 to 3:55).  Both times we checked in at the new Castaways front office and received permission and a friendly welcome. Observers: Same as above.

Brant (Atlantic)--30
Canada Goose--4
American Wigeon--2; pair spotted along the AI shore during our second visit
American Black Duck--3
Bufflehead--12
Red-breasted Merganser--19; exact count; impressive number for this date
Common Peafowl--1 calling in the distance
Common Loon--4
Double-crested Cormorant--100
Black-bellied Plover--30
PIPING PLOVER--11; exact count in sight simultaneously; one group of 9 in relative close proximity to one another and then another two; earlier, some seen on the closer mudflats
Killdeer--1
American Oystercatcher--6
Willet (Eastern)--14
Whimbrel--1
Sanderling--100
Dunlin--300
Bonaparte's Gull--2
Ring-billed Gull--15
Herring Gull--30
Lesser Black-backed Gull--1; third-cycle spotted by Mikey
Great Black-backed Gull--30
Least Tern--27; exact count while they were roosting on a sandbar
Forster's Tern--8
Royal Tern--13
Pine Warbler--1
Common Yellowthroat--1
Boat-tailed Grackle--3

Bayside Development Pond, Worcester Co.
Observers: Same as above.

Great Egret--1
Cattle Egret--2
Cooper's Hawk--1
Willet (Eastern)--8; one pair copulating
Forster's Tern--8
Fish Crow--1
Common Yellowthroat--2
Boat-tailed Grackle--2

South Point, Worcester Co.

No Eurasian Collared-Doves detected today. On Rte 611 before turning to South Point, Mikey and Jo Anna saw a truck swerve to run over an Eastern Hognose Snake--very upsetting. 

Common Loon--1
Glossy Ibis--13; flybys
Turkey Vulture--7
Osprey--1
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--2
Willet (Eastern)--4
Herring Gull--1
Purple Martin--4
Barn Swallow--2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Common Yellowthroat--1
Chipping Sparrow--2
White-throated Sparrow--1
Eastern Meadowlark--4

Rum Pointe Golf Course, Worcester Co.

Did an impromptu hawk watch because of the nice open skies here. We didn't learn until later that we'd had a decent opportunity to luck into the southbound Swallow-tailed Kite seen at Cape May and Cape Henlopen. Observers: Same as above. Non-avian: Fowler's Toad.

Double-crested Cormorant--4
Great Egret--1
Glossy Ibis--13; flyovers
Black Vulture--4
Turkey Vulture--14
Osprey--1
Bald Eagle--2
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--3
Peregrine Falcon--4; four soaring together in the same binocular view; very cool
Great Black-backed Gull--1
Fish Crow--1
Purple Martin--3
Tree Swallow--5
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Yellow-throated Warbler--1
Chipping Sparrow--2

Berlin--Flooded Field, Worcester Co.

Stopped by again to try for better looks at the White-faced Ibis for some people in our group.

Mallard--2
Cattle Egret--7
Glossy Ibis--15
Greater Yellowlegs--22
Lesser Yellowlegs--1
Laughing Gull--40
Ring-billed Gull--20

Assateague State Park, Worcester Co.

Did a one-hour sea watch from the state park. Observers: Jim Brighton, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Mikey Lutmerding, Tom Feild, Geraldine King.

Surf Scoter--20; exact count in one tight flock, headed south
Black Scoter--3
Red-throated Loon--3; one in striking breeding plumage
Common Loon--4
Northern Gannet--16; conservative count; many still around and flying in both directions
Double-crested Cormorant--7; several flying far offshore
Killdeer--1
Willet (Eastern)--16; many feeding on beach
Whimbrel (American)--3; flybys going south; checked for European Whimbrel, 
especially because Stasz saw and photographed one on 4/24
Sanderling--45; flew in together in one large flock
Laughing Gull--25
Ring-billed Gull--12
Herring Gull--55
Great Black-backed Gull--22
Least Tern--16; all of them flew by heading south
Common Tern--1; flew by heading south
Forster's Tern--6; flew by heading south
Boat-tailed Grackle--13

West Pocomoke--Pocomoke River Road, Somerset Co.

Observers: Jim Brighton, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Mikey Lutmerding, Tom Feild, Geraldine King.

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE--1; relocated the bird found recently by Jen and Bob Elmer; seen in flight three times, twice at the intersection with Dividing Creek Road, and once at the intersection with Somerset Road. We all noted the very dark primaries, gray undertail coverts, and dark outer webs at the bases of tail feathers; county bird for all
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--3
American Redstart--1
White-throated Sparrow--2

Pocomoke City, Worcester Co.

Laughing Gull--20
Chimney Swift--3; first of the year for several of us

Green Road near Marumsco Road, Somerset Co.

Observers: John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Tom Feild, Geraldine King. Non-avian: Green Tree Frogs, Southern Leopard Frogs, Fowler's Toads.

Common Peafowl--2; calling nearby
Greater Yellowlegs--1; flyover
American Woodcock--1; peeanting and displaying male found by John Hubbell on 4/24
Chuck-will's-widow--1; singing

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com