Hi Everyone,
Yesterday (12/27), I joined Jim Brighton and John Hubbell in covering much of the Fairmount area of the Crisfield CBC. We were working with Mike Walsh and covering part of his larger territory. Jim Stasz usually covers this section, but he was up at the Rock Run CBC with Hafner et al. yesterday. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the state, and has to be one of the most under-birded. Our noteworthy birds in Fairmount WMA included CACKLING GOOSE, WOOD DUCK, NORTHERN BOBWHITE, RED-THROATED LOON, NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN BITTERN, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, COMMON MOORHEN, NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SEDGE WREN, NELSON'S SPARROW, and SEASIDE SPARROW.
Because we covered our best dusk spot at dawn and didn't have Short-eared Owls, we abandoned post and started heading home a little before dusk. We took the Whitehaven Ferry into Wicomico Co. and decided to spend sunset scanning the marshes at Ellis Bay WMA. Despite being located strategically between Elliott Island and Deal Island, Wicomico's best marshes seem far less forthcoming with many marsh specialty species. Lack of extensive access via car is key, but then again, some of it must be lack of time invested. The first secret is to explore the marshes via kayak, but a second seems to be persistence in scanning the marshes at dawn and dusk. Our dusk watch was awesome, easily our best to date here, and netted THREE county birds for each of us. There was a nice SHORT-EARED OWL show (two birds), a frequently calling COMMON MOORHEN, two flyby BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONs, and an impressive cacophony of Clapper and Virginia Rails. A fine way to end any day.
Here are the somewhat abridged lists by site.
Fairmount WMA--Ford Wharf Road
Wood Duck--1. Uncommon in the county; flew off, calling when we stepped out of the car
Pied-billed Grebe--1. Heard calling; unexpected, but perhaps not too surprising with the unseasonably warm weather
Great Blue Heron--1
Black-crowned Night-Heron--1
Clapper Rail--2
Great Horned Owl--3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Winter Wren--2
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Gray Catbird--2
Brown Thrasher--1
Fairmount WMA--Rumbley-Frenchtown Intersection
Tundra Swan--19
American Black Duck--22
Green-winged Teal (American)--17
Bufflehead--12
Ruddy Duck--9
Great Blue Heron--6
Black-crowned Night-Heron--6
Bald Eagle--4
Northern Harrier--5
Clapper Rail--7
Virginia Rail--5
COMMON MOORHEN--1. * Rare. Seen by Jim and then heard by all in response to playback. County bird for me and John.
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Ring-billed Gull--2
Herring Gull (American)--7
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Marsh Wren--3
NELSON'S SPARROW--1. Spotted perched up in the morning sun and studied well via scope. Photos.
SEASIDE SPARROW--4. Great close-up views, photos. I think it's so cool that Seaside Sparrows winter here.
Song Sparrow--2
Swamp Sparrow--5
Eastern Meadowlark--2
Common Grackle--1
Boat-tailed Grackle--1
blackbird sp.--600
Fairmount WMA--Rumbley Road Boat Ramp
Tundra Swan--44
Surf Scoter--13
Long-tailed Duck--24
Bufflehead--26
Red-throated Loon--2
Common Loon--6
Bald Eagle--2
Northern Harrier--2
Herring Gull (American)--12
Great Black-backed Gull--20
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--3
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--4
Song Sparrow--3
Swamp Sparrow--2
Boat-tailed Grackle--3
Fairmount WMA--Frenchtown Road
Tundra Swan--16
American Black Duck--2
Surf Scoter--8
Long-tailed Duck--4
Bufflehead--92
Ruddy Duck--20
Red-throated Loon--1
Common Loon--6
Horned Grebe--1
Northern Gannet--1
Bald Eagle--1
Northern Harrier--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--38
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--2
Song Sparrow--5
Swamp Sparrow--2
Eastern Meadowlark--1
Boat-tailed Grackle--4
Fairmount WMA--Ford Wharf Road
Cackling Goose (Richardson's)--1
Canada Goose--37
Mute Swan--3
American Black Duck--3
Hooded Merganser--10
grebe sp.--1. A Horned/Eared Grebe in the distance in the heat shimmer. Some features suggested Eared, but the conditions were too poor to be confident.
Red-shouldered Hawk--1
Greater Yellowlegs--5
Herring Gull (American)--4
Great Black-backed Gull--7
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--2
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Tree Swallow--4
Red-breasted Nuthatch--1
Brown-headed Nuthatch--5
Brown Creeper--1
Winter Wren--7
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--3
Eastern Bluebird--7
Hermit Thrush--3
American Robin--64
Gray Catbird--2
American Pipit--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--57
Eastern Towhee--1
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--4
Fox Sparrow (Red)--3
Song Sparrow--9
Swamp Sparrow--14
Eastern Meadowlark--2
Boat-tailed Grackle--5
Fairmount WMA--Lower Hill Road Impoundment
American Black Duck--2
Green-winged Teal (American)--2
Greater/Lesser Scaup--1
Bufflehead--3
Hooded Merganser--4
Northern Bobwhite--1
Common Loon--1
Horned Grebe--3
American Bittern--1
Black Vulture--4
Turkey Vulture--34
Bald Eagle--4
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--2
Virginia Rail--3
Greater Yellowlegs--5
Brown-headed Nuthatch--7
Winter Wren--4
Sedge Wren--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Hermit Thrush--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--54
Eastern Towhee--3
Fox Sparrow (Red)--2
Song Sparrow--6
Swamp Sparrow--10
White-throated Sparrow--2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--4
Eastern Meadowlark--1
Fairmount Road--Just east of Halls Creek Road
Red-shouldered Hawk--1
Ellis Bay WMA (Boat ramp)
Tundra Swan--3
American Black Duck--16
Double-crested Cormorant--1
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON--2. * Rarely detected in the county. Clearly heard two birds calling 'wuck' calls just after dusk. Coveted county bird for me and John.
Bald Eagle--5
Northern Harrier--4
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--2
Clapper Rail--15. Especially vocal tonight, more so than I've ever heard during breeding season or migration.
Virginia Rail--12. Especially, persistently vocal tonight.
COMMON MOORHEN--1. * Rarely detected in the county. Heard calling at length and then doing its full 'song' once. Recorded audio of calls.
Herring Gull (American)--142
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Great Horned Owl--2
SHORT-EARED OWL--2. * Rarely detected in the county. Put on a nice show at dusk, hunting over the marsh for 15 minutes to the west of the boat ramp. We knew we'd find them here eventually! County bird for me and John.
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--2
Winter Wren--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
American Robin--45
Gray Catbird--1
Cedar Waxwing--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--5
Fox Sparrow (Red)--2. Singing persistently, then heard chipping at dusk
Swamp Sparrow--3
Red-winged Blackbird--185
Common Grackle--30
Directions: Somerset County has three large peninsulas that point west, which from north to south host Deal Island, then Fairmount, and then Crisfield/Janes Island. All of the Fairmount stops we made are accessed by taking 361 west from 413 south of Princess Anne.
Our Ellis Bay watch was done from the boat ramp at Ellis Bay WMA. It is accessed via the poorly marked dirt road that goes south off of Muddy Hole Road in southernmost Wicomico Co., west of Whitehaven Ferry. Note that Muddy Hole Road has been restored beyond what it's name warrants. For the moment, it is readily accessible and nowhere near the adventure it once was to drive it. Any vehicle should be fine right now.
Good birding! Alright, better get ready for work. Wish I were in O.C.!
Bill
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
http://www.billhubick.com |