Hi Everyone,

I visited as many water stops as I could fit into the itinerary yesterday (Sunday, 14 Mar 2010).  I focused on Talbot and Caroline Counties and also viewed the Queen Anne's side of Tuckahoe St Pk from the Caroline side.  I had some modest success with new county birds, adding AMERICAN WIGEON and HOODED MERGANSER in Talbot, LESSER SCAUP in Caroline, and NORTHERN PINTAIL in Queen Anne's.  Three early spring species--OSPREY, LAUGHING GULL, and TREE SWALLOW--were present at many stops during the day.  These species are now widespread (though not yet numerous) on the lower and mid-shore.  Ospreys are already working on nests down here--I've seen multiple birds carrying sticks.

Like Bill, I was also doing some coveting yesterday--primarily at Tuckahoe State Park, where 2 species I have never seen in Caroline (AMERICAN WIGEON and NORTHERN PINTAIL) went about their business on the Queen Anne's side of the line, apparently oblivious to the covetousness I projected in their direction.  Three AMERICAN COOTS were also on the Queen Anne's side.  Thanks to Ed Boyd, Jim Stasz, and Jim Green for reports about these ducks (and others) at Tuckahoe.  You may remember that all of those guys experienced the ducks-in-flight bonus, recording the species in Queen Anne's and Caroline.  Perhaps on my next visit...  Where's an eagle or a fisherman when you need one?

I spent the end of the day checking Talbot and Caroline waters from landings on the Talbot side.  These stops were a little slow, but I did have 6 GADWALL in Caroline (seen from the Windy Hill Rd boat ramp on the Talbot side).

A few abbreviated lists from the day plus the full list from Llandaff Rd (Talbot Co), which had nice diversity for such a short stretch of road, follow.

Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD
 



Location:     Llandaff Rd (Talbot Co)
Notes:     my first visit to this road--nice spot
Number of species:     35

Canada Goose     368     most (almost all) were flying north in large V's
Tundra Swan     1     on one of the ponds
Wood Duck     5
AMERICAN WIGEON     6
Mallard     14
Green-winged Teal (American)     6
Ring-necked Duck     10
Bufflehead     2
HOODED MERGANSER     12
Great Blue Heron     1
Black Vulture     2
Turkey Vulture     6
OSPREY     1
Killdeer     2
GREATER YELLOWLEGS     7     exact count, a single flock that flew by low
Herring Gull     15
Great Black-backed Gull     1
Rock Pigeon     2
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Blue Jay     4
American Crow     2
Fish Crow     1
TREE SWALLOW     3
Carolina Chickadee     2
Tufted Titmouse     3
Eastern Bluebird     1
American Robin     6
Northern Mockingbird     2
European Starling     1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     2
Eastern Towhee     3
White-throated Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal     4
Red-winged Blackbird     38
Common Grackle     22


Location:     Spring Road Impoundments (Talbot Co)

Tundra Swan     6
Gadwall     11
Mallard     38
Northern Pintail     2
Green-winged Teal (American)     14
Hairy Woodpecker     1
Tree Swallow     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     2
Brown Creeper     1
Field Sparrow     1     singing


Location:     Tanyard Marsh (Caroline Co)
Notes:     water high, no mud exposed

Common Merganser     6
Double-crested Cormorant     5
Osprey     3
Northern Harrier     1
Laughing Gull     4
Tree Swallow     1


Location:     Williston Lake (Caroline Co)

Common Merganser     1


Location:     Martinak State Park (Caroline Co)
Notes:     fishermen and boaters probably reduced the chances of encountering many ducks here today

Wood Duck     2
Common Merganser     6
Ruddy Duck     2
Osprey     2
Laughing Gull     2
Pileated Woodpecker     1
Golden-crowned Kinglet     2


Location:     Denton WWTP (Caroline Co)

Ring-necked Duck     33
Bufflehead     1
Tree Swallow     2


Location:     Ridgely WWTP (Caroline Co)
Notes:     standing on the green box here provides a reasonable view

Ring-necked Duck     30
Lesser Scaup     4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)