Hi Everyone,
I joined Dan Small and Mike Walsh for an excellent day of winter birding today (1/24). We decided to spend the vast majority of our time checking coastal waterways and lucked into more than our fair share of great birds. The temperatures were mild by recent standards, but wind became a bit of an issue later in the afternoon. Water levels were high throughout the area, especially out on the marshes. The major highlight of the day was a drake COMMON TEAL found among nearly 600 Green-winged Teal at Truitt's Landing, an exciting first in the U.S. for both me and Dan. Other highlights were our new personal state high counts of 69 COMMON EIDERs; two HARLEQUIN DUCKs, GREAT CORMORANT, EARED GREBE, ICELAND GULL, NELSON'S GULL, 16 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERs, GREAT EGRET, BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, a Peregrine vs. Merlin drama, and some high counts of expected species. See in-line comments for everything in the abridged lists below.
Shantytown
Black-crowned Night-Heron flying over Route 50 just after dawn
Ocean City Inlet
Brant (Atlantic)--52
Greater/Lesser Scaup--5 flybys
COMMON EIDER--54. Very active and restless, but spending much time north of the south jetty. Counted carefully several times, reaching a total of at least 69 in the afternoon.
HARLEQUIN DUCK--2
Surf Scoter--15
White-winged Scoter--1
Black Scoter--11
dark-winged scoter sp.--65
Long-tailed Duck--8
Bufflehead--8
Red-breasted Merganser--4
Red-throated Loon--3
Common Loon--22
GREAT CORMORANT--1. Adult feeding amidst the eiders and scoters near the mouth of the inlet.
Ruddy Turnstone--42
Sanderling--2
Purple Sandpiper--9
Ring-billed Gull--35
Herring Gull (American)--28
Great Black-backed Gull--4
Ocean City--33rd Street
Brant (Atlantic)--110
Surf Scoter--2
Long-tailed Duck--3
Bufflehead--306
Common Goldeneye--6
Red-breasted Merganser--18
Common Loon--7
Horned Grebe--25
EARED GREBE--1. Scoped just off of 33rd Street from the Convention Center, then went to 33rd St. for close viewing. ID straightforward and at close range including pointed crown, steep forehead, delicate slightly upturned bill, dark neck with obvious "ear" pattern, large body riding high on the water. Decent, diagnostic photos.
American Oystercatcher--2 flybys
Ring-billed Gull--4
Herring Gull (American)--34
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Ocean City--Skimmer Island
Brant (Atlantic)--70
Canada Goose--39
Bufflehead--6
Red-breasted Merganser--14
American Oystercatcher--4
Ring-billed Gull--7
Herring Gull (American)--185
ICELAND GULL (KUMLIEN'S)--1. Distinctive first-cycle bird spotted by Dan among the roosting Herring Gulls. Flew toward West OC Pond.
Lesser Black-backed Gull--1 second-cycle
Great Black-backed Gull--8
Shantytown
Brant (Atlantic)--40
Bufflehead--3
Turkey Vulture--1
Killdeer--1
Belted Kingfisher--1
Horned Lark--2
Bayside Development Pond
Brant (Atlantic)--30
Gadwall--19
American Wigeon--58, including the distinctive very pale-faced individual.
Mallard--8
Northern Shoveler--2
REDHEAD--5. Good count for the county.
Ring-necked Duck--6
Bufflehead--6
Hooded Merganser--4
Red-breasted Merganser--3
Black-bellied Plover--1
American Oystercatcher--2
Dunlin--35
South Point
Bufflehead--6
Red-breasted Merganser--2
Common Loon--1
Horned Grebe--1
Black Vulture--1
Eastern Bluebird--1
Eastern Meadowlark--7
Assateague SP--Causeway
Brant (Atlantic)--418
Gadwall--3
American Black Duck--19
Surf Scoter--31
Black Scoter--1
Bufflehead--125
Red-breasted Merganser--2
Common Loon--5
Horned Grebe--3
Merlin--1. First spotted flying near the bridge with an obvious food item. After just a moment of watching, it was chased aggressively by a Peregrine Falcon, which was exciting to watch. The size difference was impressive.
Peregrine Falcon--1--See above.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--34. Several flyby flocks along the causeway.
Berlin WWTP
Canada Goose--218
American Black Duck--9
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)--2
Mallard--11
Northern Shoveler--6
Green-winged Teal (American)--8
Ring-necked Duck--33
Lesser Scaup--3
Bufflehead--23
Belted Kingfisher--1
Song Sparrow--3
Common Muskrat--1
Ocean City Inlet--Second Watch
Little turnover, however we increased our high count of COMMON EIDER to 69 individuals. Mike picked out two adult Northern Gannets flying north past the inlet and we watched a HARBOR SEAL swim into the inlet and toward Shantytown.
Skimmer Island--Second Visit
Added one noteworthy bird -
Nelson's Gull (Glaucous x Herring hybrid)--Apparent second-cycle bird that stood out amidst a flock of smaller Herring Gulls. Large, clean block-shaped head with long, cleanly bi-colored bill. The head looked perfect for Glaucous Gull. Scapulars were overall finely patterned but with light gray feathers coming in. Primaries were a distinctive medium brown color.
Cherrix Road
Tundra Swan--264
Truitts Landing
Canada Goose--261
American Black Duck--43
Mallard--20
COMMON TEAL--1. *** Rare. Reviewable. Spent most of our visit scrutinizing the impressive collection of Green-winged Teal with an emphasis on finding Common Teal. Extended views via scope and distant but easily diagnostic photos. Primary field mark used for identification was the obvious horizontal white stripes and no trace of the vertical stripes present on Green-winged Teal.
Green-winged Teal--590. Impressive collection counted carefully and then thoroughly checked for Common Teal. Actual flock size could easily have included 200 or more birds.
Great Blue Heron--17
GREAT EGRET--1
King Rail--1 (presumed). Vocalized twice from the westernmost wooded edge from among the cattails.
Virginia Rail--2
Greater Yellowlegs--18
Dunlin--2
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER--16. Impressive gathering, roosting on the close shore of the large impoundment. ID as dowitchers very straightforward via scopes, but not thoroughly scrutinized due to obvious ID at this season.
Ring-billed Gull--210
Great Black-backed Gull--1
Carolina Chickadee--1
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Marsh Wren--3
Northern Cardinal--1
Red-winged Blackbird--160
Scotts Landing
Ended the day here in hopes of Short-eared Owls. Whether or not they've been here recently, strong winds and high water were definitely working against us.
Snow Goose--38
American Black Duck--37
Bufflehead--26
Red-breasted Merganser--2
Common Loon--2
Great Blue Heron--3
Turkey Vulture--1
Bald Eagle--1
Northern Harrier--1
Ring-billed Gull--5
Herring Gull (American)--1425. Impressive dusk commute, certainly to roost on the nearby islands
Great Black-backed Gull--4
gull sp.--550
Mourning Dove--5
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--5
Red-winged Blackbird--180
Eastern Meadowlark--86. * Very high water had the meadowlarks restless and flying about in unusually large flocks, up to 43 birds in one group. Flight-type and zrrt call notes heard throughout stay. Near dusk, one bird decided to sing.
Boat-tailed Grackle--1
blackbird sp.--200
Good birding!
Bill
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
http://www.billhubick.com |