Hi Everyone,

A group of six of us tackled a set of eight IBA Bird Blitzes in southern Maryland this weekend. Ron Gutberlet, Hans Holbrook, Mikey Lutmerding, and I covered four surveys in the Nanjemoy area of Charles Co. on Saturday, while John Hubbell got a head start on St. Mary's River (see post from 6/28). On Sunday, Ron and I were joined by Jim Green to run three more surveys around St. Mary's River State Park.  Here are some highlights from the weekend.

NANJEMOY AREA TOTALS (4 surveys; my quick tally from data sheets) 
Gutberlet, Holbrook, Hubick, Lutmerding (~22 km, including Adam Willet Road, Tayloes neck Road, Buff Point Road, Smith Point Road, and Maryland Point Road)

Primary Target Species

Bald Eagle--1
Kentucky Warbler--2
Louisiana Waterthrush--2
Prairie Warbler--8
Wood Thrush--18
Worm-eating Warbler--4

Secondary Target Species

Black-and-white Warbler--19
Brown Thrasher--3
Eastern Towhee--29
Field Sparrow--4
Hairy Woodpecker--3
Hooded Warbler--24
Northern Parula--43
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Red-shouldered Hawk--4
Summer Tanager--2
White-eyed Vireo--10
Yellow-breasted Chat--1
Yellow-throated Vireo--5

ST. MARY'S RIVER STATE PARK TOTALS (4 surveys) 
Green, Gutberlet, Hubbell, Hubick
(~27 km, including St. Andrews Church Road, Indian Bridge Road, McIntosh Road, and Laurel Grove Road)

Primary Target Species

Kentucky Warbler--1
Prairie Warbler--5
Prothonotary Warbler--2
Wood Thrush--43
Worm-eating Warbler--5

Secondary Target Species

American Redstart--1
Black-and-white Warbler--1
Brown Thrasher--10
Eastern Towhee--18
Field Sparrow--5
Hairy Woodpecker--3
Hooded Warbler--9
Northern Parula--18
Pileated Woodpecker--2
Red-shouldered Hawk--7
Summer Tanager--6
White-eyed Vireo--6
Yellow-breasted Chat--2
Yellow-throated Vireo--3

Although we were successful in locating numbers of most expected target species, it seemed clear that bird song is already significantly reduced. This past weekend was almost certainly the end of prime forest interior survey work for the season. It is hoped that grassland surveys will be the emphasis of volunteer surveys for the remainder of the season. 

The Nanjemoy group noted good numbers of Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the area, which have seemed sparse to many of us throughout the state this year--each of us had 6-10 for the morning. The most interesting non-avian sightings in our survey area were road-killed reptiles found by Mikey, a large Eastern Kingsnake and a beautiful Copperhead (rare and local on the coastal plain). We would have much rather photographed either of these alive. 

Nanjemoy--Smith Point Road

Walked the full length of Smith Point Road from Maryland Point Road to Riverside Road. Effort was made to record exact counts of each species. Non-avian: Eastern Box Turtle (2). Full list included for this count.

Mourning Dove--16
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--3
Red-bellied Woodpecker--4
Eastern Wood-Pewee--15
Acadian Flycatcher--23
Eastern Phoebe--4
Yellow-throated Vireo--3
Red-eyed Vireo--22
American Crow--21
Barn Swallow--1
Carolina Chickadee--6
Tufted Titmouse--24
Carolina Wren--8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--17
Eastern Bluebird--9
American Robin--3
Gray Catbird--2
Northern Mockingbird--2
Brown Thrasher--1
Northern Parula--18
Yellow-throated Warbler--1
Pine Warbler--3
Prairie Warbler--5; present in all appropriate habitat
Black-and-white Warbler--6
Worm-eating Warbler--1; seem unusually thin in Nanjemoy this season
Ovenbird--7
Common Yellowthroat--2
Hooded Warbler--11
Summer Tanager--1
Scarlet Tanager--2
Eastern Towhee--12
Chipping Sparrow--6
Field Sparrow--1
Northern Cardinal--6
Blue Grosbeak--6
Indigo Bunting--9
Common Grackle (Purple)--5
Brown-headed Cowbird--19; including a flock of 10 adult males
American Goldfinch--3
House Sparrow--1

Before leaving Nanjemoy, Hans, Ron, and I made a few roadside stops for insects, the highlight being Bar-winged Skimmers where I first encountered them with Hans and Jim Stasz two years ago. We also had good numbers of Painted Skimmers and a Slender Spreadwing.

Marshall Hall Road, P.G. Co.

KENTUCKY WARBLER--1; singing on south side of road near county line
Acadian Flycatcher--2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Northern Parula--2
Ovenbird--1

Piscataway Park, P.G. Co.

Ron, Hans, and I spent some time looking at insects on the abundant milkweed in front field, then checking the boardwalk and back field.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo--1
Chimney Swift--1
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Eastern Wood-Pewee--1
Eastern Kingbird--1
White-eyed Vireo--1
Red-eyed Vireo--1
Purple Martin--2
Barn Swallow--25; including a large, loose high-flying flock
Prairie Warbler--2; front field
Prothonotary Warbler--1
Common Yellowthroat--2
Yellow-breasted Chat--2; two in front field; one mimicking the introductory note of Northern Bobwhite (as were many this weekend)
Grasshopper Sparrow--2; singing in back field
Blue Grosbeak--1
Indigo Bunting--4

Non-avian:  Zebra Swallowtails were particularly numerous in the front field, while Unicorn Clubtails were present in impressive numbers in the back field. Two highlights were a STINKPOT (MUSK TURTLE) sunning on a nearby log on the Potomac (only my second in Maryland) and a beautiful ROUGH GREEN SNAKE found by Hans. The following are estimates for most insects. Butterflies: Little Glassywing (2), Silver-spotted Skipper (2), Orange Sulfurs (10), Zebra Swallowtails (30, many mating), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (6), Spicebush Swallowtail (1; worn), black-morph Tiger Swallowtail (1), Monarch (1 very worn adult; one slightly more fresh adult, one caterpillar noted), Red Admiral (1), Great Spangled Fritillary (3), Variegated Fritillary (2, very worn). Odes: Common Green Darner (5), Prince Baskettail (1; great close-up studies as it hunted right around us), Unicorn Clubtail (25), Halloween Pennant (FOY), Widow Skimmer (2), Twelve-spotted Skimmer (1), Carolina
 Saddlebags (1), Black Saddlebags (1), Orange Bluet (2), Big Bluet (10), Fragile Forktail (2).

Milltown Landing, P.G. Co.

NORTHERN BOBWHITE--1; calling in the late afternoon; my first in P.G. (beware the many mimicking, introductory notes of Yellow-breasted Chats here!) 
Bald Eagle--1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--2
White-eyed Vireo--1
Red-eyed Vireo--2
Barn Swallow--6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Northern Mockingbird--2; one mimicking Summer Tanager
Brown Thrasher--1
Cedar Waxwing--2
Northern Parula--4
Common Yellowthroat--2
Yellow-breasted Chat--9; many doing their call that is a near-perfect initial note of Northern Bobwhite
Scarlet Tanager--1
Eastern Towhee--5
Chipping Sparrow--1
Field Sparrow--4
Indigo Bunting--8
Orchard Oriole--3

Non-avian: Fowler's Toad (tiny), Southern Leopard Frog, Green Frog. American Snout (my first in P.G.), Viceroy (fresh), Monarch (1), Black Swallowtail. Prince Baskettail, Widow Skimmer (2), Common Whitetail (20), Needham's Skimmer (500). Tiger beetle sp. (photographed).

CHALK POINT CORMORANT COLONY

After Milltown Landing, Ron Gutberlet and I decided to make one last stop and scan the Patuxent River from Eagle Harbor. We were surprised to note several hundred cormorants roosting on the power line towers between Chalk Point (P.G.) and Leitches Wharf (Calvert). When we scoped them, we were surprised to note many nests, as I'd never heard of a nesting colony in this part of the state. It was my first nesting confirmation for this species in Maryland (Ron had seen the Poplar Island colony). When we got back to my house, we reviewed both the previous atlas data and the latest on-line data. We found that nesting was confirmed at this location during the recent Atlas, but at very few others on the western shore (e.g., Potomac River). I learned that Matt Hafner and Jim Stasz first discovered the Chalk Point colony about five years ago. The first cormorant nesting in the state was discovered at Poplar Island around the end of the previous Atlas effort.

Here are the current numbers from the Chalk Point colony:

Total: 33 nests, 278 individuals

Prince George's Co. side: 16 active nests, 137 individuals

Calvert Co. side: 17 nests, 141 individuals.

Because we were scoping from Eagle Harbor, I would expect that higher totals could be counted if viewing from a closer vantage point.

Highlights from Sunday, 6/28

St. Mary's River SP--Indian Bridge Road, St. Mary's Co.

Walked full length of Indian Bridge Road between Point Lookout Road (MD 5) and St. Andrew's Church Road (MD 4). Effort was made to keep exact counts of all species. Best non-avian sighting was a MINK running across the road.

Red-shouldered Hawk--4
Killdeer--3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--1
Chimney Swift--1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--3
Hairy Woodpecker--2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Eastern Wood-Pewee--5
Acadian Flycatcher--5
Eastern Phoebe--4
Great Crested Flycatcher--1
Eastern Kingbird--1
White-eyed Vireo--3
Red-eyed Vireo--9
Barn Swallow--4
White-breasted Nuthatch--4; local in St. Mary's; more than I'd had in St. Mary's Co. in total before today. Jim Green also had two on McIntosh Road, and Ron Gutberlet had one on St. Andrew's Church Road (total of 7 for St. Mary's River surveys)
Eastern Bluebird--5
Wood Thrush--6
Brown Thrasher--2
Northern Parula--5
Pine Warbler--4
Prairie Warbler--4; concentrated around scrubby field of small pines and sweet gum on the east end of Indian Bridge Road
Prothonotary Warbler--1; singing; second stream crossing from east end of Indian Bridge Road (St. Mary's River; Jarboesville Run); first I've had in eastern St. Mary's
Worm-eating Warbler--1; singing near west end of the road
Ovenbird--6
Kentucky Warbler--1; singing; second stream crossing from east end of Indian Bridge Road
Common Yellowthroat--2
Hooded Warbler--3
Yellow-breasted Chat--1; singing from power line cut near west end of Indian Bridge Road
Summer Tanager--3; one pair, another singing male
Scarlet Tanager--10
Eastern Towhee--5
Chipping Sparrow--22
Field Sparrow--2
Song Sparrow--9
Blue Grosbeak--10
Indigo Bunting--24
Orchard Oriole--1

McIntosh Road, St. Mary's Co.

Some sightings after I picked up Jim Green following our surveys. His full survey numbers are much higher, of course.

Eastern Wood-Pewee--1
Acadian Flycatcher--1
Yellow-throated Vireo--1; my county closeout (#105); found by Jim Green during his survey
Wood Thrush--3
Northern Parula--2
Worm-eating Warbler--1
Ovenbird--2
Scarlet Tanager--1

Beauvue Ponds, St. Mary's Co.

Green Heron--1
Osprey--6
Barn Swallow--4
Common Yellowthroat--1
Chipping Sparrow--1
Grasshopper Sparrow--7
Blue Grosbeak--2
Indigo Bunting--2
DICKCISSEL--2-3; two adult males singing on territory in the field across from Beauvue Ponds; first male found by Jim Green last week. On this visit there were at least two conspicuous, persistently singing males, one of which was missing feathers on its crown. I thought I saw a female fly into dense grass with one of the males, but we were unable to get a confirming view
Eastern Meadowlark--6
Orchard Oriole--6

Sollers Wharf Road, Calvert Co.

Osprey--4
Eastern Wood-Pewee--1
Red-eyed Vireo--1
Barn Swallow--2
Eastern Bluebird--7
Northern Parula--1
Grasshopper Sparrow--2

Mackall Road, Calvert Co. (field habitat)

Grasshopper Sparrow--1
House Sparrow--Pair nesting below active Osprey nesting platform

Cage Road, Calvert Co.

This is one of my new favorite roads in Calvert Co., an excellent winding road that passes hilly fields with scrubby hedgerows. It is a great place to find a Dickcissel or Northern Shrike in season. It is the unnamed road on the DeLorme that connects Mackall Road and Lloyd Bowen Road (well-known spot for Calvert BHNUs).

Eastern Bluebird--2
Grasshopper Sparrow--1; singing
Song Sparrow--2
Blue Grosbeak--2
Indigo Bunting--2

Please contact Dave Curson or David Yeany if you can help out with some grassland IBA Bird Blitz surveys this month!

I hope to post some photos later tonight.

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com