Reading posts by Bill Hubick, Jim Brighton and Jim Green inspired me to head down to Worchester and Wicomico Counties. On Sept 18th I met up with Ron Gutberlet, Mike Walsh, Scot Houster (spelling) and two other birders who came with Ron (sorry can't remember the names) and birded bayside at Assateague. We birded in the parking lot from 0640-0900.
Migrant highlights were:
Common Loon- 3
Yellow-palm Warbler- 1
Pine warbler- 1 (watched it come down from high in the sky)
Magnolia warbler- 10
American Redstart-41
Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 2
Baltimore Oriole- 2
There were impressive numbers of Boat-tailed Grackles and Brown Pelicans, but did not get a count. I believe Ron did though.
There were at least ~75 warbler type fly-overs left unidentified, many of which were probably Redstarts and Magnolia's.
After Ron and his group left Mike, Scot and I walked around the campground and back to bayside with Sam Dyke and Joann Wolfsburg (?), there was not much around but Scot did find a Prairie Warbler and a Merlin landed in the trees really close to us on the walk back. We also walked the Life of the Forest trail, but it was really quiet.
We parted ways and I birded some of the Pocomoke River crossing and Adkins pond on the way back north. Highlights included:
Purnell crossing:
American Redstart- 5
Black and White Warbler- 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 1
Magnolia Warbler- 2
Northern Parula- 2
Worm-eating Warbler- 1
Blue- gray Gnatcatcher- 1
Warbling Vireo- 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo- 1
Adkins Pond:
Nothing to speak of on the board walk, but a walk down the edge of the woods proved fruitful.
Black and White Warbler- 3
American Redstart- 4
Northern Parula- 1
Wilson's Warbler- 1
Most of the flock (~20 birds) went un-id as they moved through too fast.
Massey Crossing:
Black and White Warbler- 2
Northern Parula- 3
American Redstart- 10
Prothonotory Warbler- 2
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Magnolia Warbler- 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 1
Blue-winged Warbler- 1
Sheppards Crossing
American Redstart- 3
Blue-winged Warbler- 1
Dan Small
Chestertown, MD
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