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Subject:

Poplar Island, John Brown Road, and Horsehead

From:

Bill Hubick

Reply-To:

Bill Hubick

Date:

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:24:33 -0700

Hi Everyone,

I had the pleasure of finally making my first visit to Poplar Island yesterday (8/9). I was long overdue, and I thoroughly enjoyed my three-day, two-island, 13-county-bird weekend. I kept counts as best as possible during the Poplar visit, and it is serious work. Thanks to Jim Stasz, Ron Gutberlet, Bob Ringler, Mike Walsh, and others for feeding me numbers all day. I definitely have extra respect for the hard work Jan Reese puts in each week. I'm sure others had a few extra species, but alas, my interrogation was incomplete. Jan Reese was also out surveying, so I'm sure he'll have additions. I know he had at least two gnatcatchers, which should be a good island bird (and obvious migrants!).

Before Poplar, Jim Stasz and I looked for migrants around Pickering Creek, but found only expected locals. The ponds at Pickering look nice for shorebirds and held a few dozen peeps. There were two CATTLE EGRETs along Route 33 just east of the turn for Claiborne. I had coveted these for so long here that I'd forgotten I got my county bird as an unexpected flyby at Kingston Landing (4/17/2010).

Here is my list from Poplar, followed by lists for John Brown Road and Horesehead (CBEC).

Poplar Island
* Poplar Island trip with about 24 birders plus MES staff. 

Canada Goose--29
American Black Duck--2
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)--1
Mallard--232
Surf Scoter--1. Adult male spotted just off the island. My month closeout (Seen in MD in all 12 months. Month listing rules.).
Ruddy Duck--2
Double-crested Cormorant--820
Great Blue Heron--18
Great Egret--8
Snowy Egret--17
Tricolored Heron--5
Cattle Egret--16. Three adults and 13 juveniles roosting together.
Osprey--37
Bald Eagle--2 juveniles
Black-bellied Plover--3
Semipalmated Plover--21
Killdeer--9
Black-necked Stilt--21
American Avocet--31
Spotted Sandpiper--18
Solitary Sandpiper--1
Greater Yellowlegs--3
Willet--9. See below.
Willet (Western)--7. Total of 16 Willet. The other nine not seen well enough to call, but probably all Western.
Lesser Yellowlegs--9
Ruddy Turnstone--3
Sanderling--5
Semipalmated Sandpiper--1875. Carefully counted at all sites.
Western Sandpiper--181. Carefully counted at all sites.
Least Sandpiper--85
Pectoral Sandpiper--1
Stilt Sandpiper--1
Short-billed Dowitcher--15
Laughing Gull--42
Ring-billed Gull--22
Herring Gull (American)--280
Great Black-backed Gull--296
Caspian Tern--26
Common Tern--548. Distant birds estimated by 2s and 5s. Observed several very young juveniles. They were the youngest birds I've seen of this species. This is important because 1) they were cool, and 2) to justify why I blurted out Forster's Tern when I saw them from the bus. ;) Also one adult in full basic plumage.
Royal Tern--1
((No Least Terns))
Eastern Kingbird--2
Fish Crow--2
HORNED LARK--5
Purple Martin--3
Tree Swallow--4
Bank Swallow--3
Barn Swallow--46
Seaside Sparrow--2
Red-winged Blackbird--145
Common Grackle--1
Brown-headed Cowbird--240. Several large flocks quickly estimated by 10s

Non-avian: Good numbers of Checkered Skippers (50?), LITTLE YELLOWs (10+) near Partridge Pea, Cabbage Whites, Orange Sulfurs, Monarchs, Black Saddlebags, Seaside Dragonlets. No Least Terns. No sign of the immature male King Eider. 

Central Sod Farms--John Brown Road
Observers: Jim Stasz, Bill Hubick, Ron Gutberlet, Mike Walsh, Kevin Graff, John Dennehy, Bradley Cernohorsky. Non-avian: Zebra Swallowtail, Variegated Fritillaries.

Killdeer--118
Upland Sandpiper--2. Two different birds scoped in the open sod fields, both heard calling as they flew to other locations, which was great.
Blue Jay--1
American Crow--5
Horned Lark--6
Purple Martin--1
Bank Swallow--2
Barn Swallow--2
Grasshopper Sparrow--1
Indigo Bunting--1
American Goldfinch--3

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (Horsehead)
Observers: Jim Stasz, Bill Hubick, Ron Gutberlet, Mike Walsh, Kevin Graff, John Dennehy, Bradley Cernohorsky. 

Canada Goose--2
Mallard--4
WILD TURKEY--1 hen. Spotted by Ron. It stepped out of the woods and then ran back in. Thinking this an unusual site, I ran after it into the woods like a lunatic (as a lunatic) and got to see it running away. 
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN--1. * Rare. Continues.
Great Egret--4
Snowy Egret--51
TRICOLORED HERON--6
Semipalmated Plover--37
Killdeer--3
Solitary Sandpiper--3
Greater Yellowlegs--6
Lesser Yellowlegs--88
Semipalmated Sandpiper--192
Western Sandpiper--30 
Least Sandpiper--70
(Peep counts conservative estimates. They moved between counts and we got distracted by interesting birds.)
Pectoral Sandpiper--51
Stilt Sandpiper--9
Short-billed Dowitcher--12 (adults were hendersoni)
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher--1 
Laughing Gull--4
Least Tern--2. Two juveniles stopped in.
Forster's Tern--1
Royal Tern--2. Adult and juvenile flew by, calling
Mourning Dove--1
Eastern Wood-Pewee--1
Great Crested Flycatcher--1
Eastern Kingbird--3
Barn Swallow--6
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Carolina Wren--2
Northern Mockingbird--3
Pine Warbler--1
House Finch--1
American Goldfinch--3
Non-avian: RED-EARED SLIDER (another first-in-county Red-eared for me), E. Painted Turtles, Halloween Pennant.

Caught up on some Maryland photos, including recent rarities:
http://www.billhubick.com/photos/updates/20100808.php

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com