Yesterday (Sat April 25) a friend and I took a drive to the Eastern Shore.  Our intention was to see the ibis at Berlin.  By the end of the day, I had a new meaning for the term “going birding”.   This is long, but the best is at the end…

 

When we arrived at Berlin just after 9 AM, there were several birders present but no ibis.  After spending the entire day in the area, we returned about 5 PM – and the field held the GLOSSY IBIS and the WHITE FACED IBIS.  Also WILLETS, LAUGHING GULLS and CATTLE EGRET and a few other more common birds.  How very fun! 

 

It was an exceptional day for us – we saw 54 species.  If I had skill at birding by ear, I’m sure we would have had a whole lot more!  

 

From the morning stop in Berlin, we went to Pocomoke City.  We discovered a boardwalk through a cypress swamp attached to a park.  This was a really nice place to see a variety of birds.  Highlights were BLUE GRAY GNATCATCHERS, brilliantly colored HOUSE FINCH, and two male PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS.  In the park, we watched a lady feeding a couple of white domestic ducks and a China White domestic goose.  The goose was greedy and started to peck the duck.  The woman, who was sitting on a park bench with the birds in front of her, didn’t like the aggression, so she swatted the goose a couple of times on it’s back.  The goose turned and to
ok a bite at her leg – she put her foot up to defect the attack and it settled for abusing her sneaker.  A moment later, all was calm and she was feeding the birds again – with no more battles! 

 

In the park, we saw a family of KILLDEER with two DOWNY YOUNG.  The parents teamed up to care for the young – it was quite entertaining to watch the interactions.  A mature BALD EAGLE flew up river.  As it began to fly overhead I waved at it – it cocked it’s head and circled us – several times!  Coincidence?  Maybe – but still it seemed like it was responding to us, so it was fun. 

 

We saw a WILD TURKEY near the town of Willard, in a field off of Rt. 50. 

 

George Island Landing was a wonderful and apparently very lightly birded area.  There was a nice collection of Egrets and Herons there – GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, GREAT BLUE HERON, TRICOLOR HERON, WILLET, FORESTERS TERN.  I was pretty sure I saw a LITTLE BLUE HERON – but the look was too brief to convince me.  I also caught a glimpse of what I thought was a YELLOW CROWNED NIGHT HERON, but did not count it – it was in a pond far off, and mostly stayed hidden.  The glimpse was tantalizing, but I just don’t have the experience to count bird-bits – gotta have a really good look.  There were many other species here.  

 

At Taylor Landing, a large variety of 
birds were there to greet us.  Lots of TREE SWALLOWS, DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS, but the best were a few WILLETS that came quite close – I think they were doing some people-watching.  One sat on a dock piling within ten feet of us, chattering away.  My friend had his back to the bird, looking over the water, as the near bird cocked its head and looked at him.  I said “hey, turn around.”  He made a half turn, caught a flying willet in his binoculars and was exclaiming how close and how beautiful that bird was.  “No, turn AROUND!”  He finished the turn and jumped a bit – “Oh, THAT bird is CLOSE!”.  No binoculars needed! 

 

We stopped by Ocean City Inlet and saw less than expected – the sandpipers and brant were not to be found.  There was a big white bird with dark on it’s head and enormous orange feet sitting on the rocks across the inlet, but by the time I went and retrieved the scope the odd bird had flown.  It was late afternoon.  I’d heard it was a productive place earlier in the day, but not for us. 

 

The highlight of the day – other than Berlin – was behind Hoopers Restaurant.  When I parked the car in a spot near the reeds, I must have nearly run over a CLAPPER RAIL.  It scurried a foot or so away, turned it’s head, froze and seemed to glare straight at me – then scurried into the reeds a bit at 
a time (as I squealed “a rail! a rail!).  It was a long, incredible look at an incredible bird.  

 

There was an OYSTERCATCHER on the island out back of the restaurant.  A BOAT TAIL GRACKLE noisily chased a BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON out of the reeds and they flew close, over our heads.   

 

We also saw a guy walking around behind Hooper’s, followed by a young domestic duckling.  The DUCK was at heel for over fifteen minutes; the gentleman was joined by some friends, who picked up the duckling and were petting it.  When we got close, it turns out the guys were pretty distraught.  They had found the duck in the parking lot and it had attached itself to the first fellow, following him wherever he went.  He had been walking around behind the restaurant, hoping to find a nest.  They were visitors in the area and were very worried about the duck, but were helpless to help it – they had no knowledge of how to care for the duck and no way to transport it to wherever home was.  Can you guess?  Yes, I now am the stunned caretaker of one small EASTER DUCK.  (I assume it was a bird given as an Easter present, then abandoned).  

 

I now know I have to be careful with my language.  I no longer  going to “go birding”, because apparently that can be a lot like “going shopping” and I can’t afford to bring anything expensive home!  I think I’d
 best “GO LOOK” at birds in the future.

 

If anyone would like a domestic duckling, please email me privately. 

 

Joanne

 

Joanne Howl, DVM

West River, MD