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Subject:

Kent County May Count (partial) - Black-necked Stilt, wet-field shorebirds

From:

Nancy Martin

Reply-To:

Nancy Martin

Date:

Sun, 10 May 2009 18:36:51 -0400

Greetings,

The Martin/Ellison team found 118 species through the central part of 
the county on Saturday's May Count (8 May). That total will undoubtedly 
rise with contributions from teams at Eastern Neck, Quaker Neck and east 
county.

Our best bird was a BLACK-NECKED STILT at Great Oak Pond, feeding in the 
shallow west corner of the pond. Also at the pond were a single TUNDRA 
SWAN and a drake Blue-winged Teal. The past several days of rain have 
produced good conditions for migrating shorebirds in area fields as 
well. We found 240 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS in the field on the east side 
of Fish Hatchery Road, about 1/2 mile south of Handy Point Road. 
Scanning with the scope revealed additional shorebirds: 9 Semipalmated 
Plovers, 3 RUDDY TURNSTONES, 15 Dunlin, 10 Short-billed Dowitchers, 95 
Least Sandpipers and 5 Lesser Yellowlegs. In our experience, this field 
has often attracted similar collections of migrating shorebirds in May.

The team of Joe Rogers and Meg Parry also found shorebirds in a field on 
Bayshore Road, SSE of its intersection with Fairlee Landing Road. They 
estimated 175 Black-bellied Plovers, along with 6 Killdeer, 5 Dunlin, 
and 5 Least Sandpipers there.

Overall, it was a middling day for migrants, with 14 species of warblers 
featuring good numbers of parula, blackpoll, chestnut-sided, and 
redstart; Gray-cheeked Thrushes at Great Oak Landing and Libby's Nature 
Trail on Lover's Lane, Chestertown; the first big influx of returning 
pewees, Acadian Flycatchers, Blue Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings; and 
many flocks of Cedar Waxwings.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

23460 Clarissa Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620
410-778-9568

Observing Nature is like unwrapping a big pile of presents every time 
you take a walk.