Hi Everyone,
(** Please read notes on our 12/5 wigeon report and regarding Bayside Development Pond at the bottom of this message.)
I spent most of the day on Saturday (12/11) birding western Harford Co. with Jim Stasz, Ed Boyd, and Jim Brighton. We met up with Matt and Kim Hafner for one enjoyable stop, and then ran into Tom Feild and Geraldine King at Paper Mill Flats in Baltimore Co.
We focused on land birds in Harford County, where our highlights included BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs at four locations, a lingering BALTIMORE ORIOLE (especially rare in winter in the Piedmont), AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and RUSTY BLACKBIRDs.
We also made a few stops around Loch Raven in Baltimore County, where we were excited to re-find the BLACK-HEADED GULL found by Jon Corcoran. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs continued at the Skeet and Trap Club.
Below are the somewhat abridged eBird lists. Full lists and comments (especially for all BCCHs) included in eBird.
Photos at
http://www.billhubick.com/photos/updates/20101213.php
Perryman Peninsula
Canada Goose--253
American Black Duck--2
Great Blue Heron--1
Black Vulture--1
Killdeer--1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Carolina Chickadee--1
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE--3
Brown Creeper--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--2
Eastern Bluebird--1
American Robin--4
Cedar Waxwing--3
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW--1
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--1
Song Sparrow--3
White-throated Sparrow--6
White-crowned Sparrow (Eastern)--5. Some singing.
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--4
Chelsea Road
American Black Duck--5
Mallard--33
Green-winged Teal (American)--2
Great Blue Heron--1
Turkey Vulture--1
Ring-billed Gull--3
Eastern Screech-Owl--1
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--4
Carolina Chickadee--2
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE--3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Hermit Thrush--3
Song Sparrow--16
Swamp Sparrow--2
White-throated Sparrow--29
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--9
RUSTY BLACKBIRD--4
Canning House Road
CACKLING GOOSE (Richardson's)--1
Canada Goose--340
Mallard--2
Turkey Vulture--1
Northern Harrier--1 adult male
Horned Lark--6
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--11
Song Sparrow--1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--30
Park Beach Road
American Black Duck--2
Mallard--4
Ring-billed Gull--1
Mourning Dove--45
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Pileated Woodpecker--2
Carolina Chickadee--2
Winter Wren--2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Song Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--7
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--9
Club House Road pond
* Pond area mostly frozen, with waterfowl concentrated in the tidal area.
American Black Duck--4
Mallard--198. Careful count by Ed, an impressive concentration.
Green-winged Teal (American)--2
Ring-billed Gull--1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Carolina Chickadee--4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Perryman Park
Canada Goose--86
Turkey Vulture--6
Bald Eagle--1
Northern Harrier--1 adult male
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--1
Killdeer--1
Ring-billed Gull--2
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Fish Crow--1
Carolina Chickadee--1
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Hermit Thrush--1
American Robin--21
Eastern Towhee--1
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--3
Song Sparrow--98. * A high count! The dry/frozen retention pond is full of vegetation that held a great density of Song Sparrows. Pishing brought many to the tops of the weeds, allowing relatively easy counting.
Swamp Sparrow--2. Two in the retention pond area.
White-throated Sparrow--10
White-crowned Sparrow (Eastern)--1. Seemed like a somewhat interesting location.
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--4
Rocks State Park
* With Matt and Kim Hafner
Canada Goose--10
Common Merganser--3. * Interesting location. Flyby flock of three spotted by Matt.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Carolina Chickadee--4
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE--3
Red-breasted Nuthatch--2
White-breasted Nuthatch--2
Brown Creeper--1
Eastern Bluebird--6
Hermit Thrush--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--6. Good count for this area at this date.
Fox Sparrow (Red)--1. Spotted high in a large holly.
White-throated Sparrow--4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--12
BALTIMORE ORIOLE--1. * Rare at this date, especially in the Piedmont. Close-up photos confirm ID as Baltimore.
Eden Mill Park
Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern)--1
American Crow--4
Carolina Chickadee--3
Winter Wren--1
Hermit Thrush--3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--4
White-throated Sparrow--7
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--4
Loch Raven Reservoir--Paper Mill Flats
* Ran into Tom Feild and Geraldine King. Tom and Geraldine were texting us about the bird as we walked up, which made for a funny moment when they turned around. (Teleportation is really useful.)
American Black Duck--7
Green-winged Teal (American)--15
Turkey Vulture--7
Killdeer--2
Wilson's Snipe--1. Flew in and landed in the mud nearby, becoming nearly invisible immediately
BLACK-HEADED GULL--1. ** Rare. Found and documented on 12/8 by Jon Corcoran, but not consistently present for a while. Feeding in small open area of water and seen taking minnows. Many photos.
Ring-billed Gull--2
Loch Raven Reservoir--Skeet and Trap Club
Carolina Chickadee--3
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE--6
Red-breasted Nuthatch--1
Eastern Bluebird--5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Song Sparrow--2
White-throated Sparrow--7
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--16
WIGEON UPDATE
On 12/5, we reported TWO female EURASIAN WIGEON at the Bayside Development Pond near Ocean City. I posted both sets of photos with comments at http://www.billhubick.com/photos/updates/20101208.php, noting that one bird was presumed to be a subtly marked Eurasian, but that discussion was continuing. After more research, it appears that the second bird appears to fall within range of American. Note that lack of the black line at the base of the bill is apparently NOT diagnostic for Eurasian, just a good reason to look closely. Kudos to Matt Hafner for keeping the discussion underway based on structural clues supporting American. Note the difference in structure between the two birds, which I know will prove valuable in future encounters. Based on this, please amend any records to show only 1 female Eurasian Wigeon on 12/5. (Thanks to Matt Hafner, Marshall Iliff, Dave Ziolkowski, and Mikey Lutmerding for thoughts on the identification. Cool study!)
Here's the link with wigeon photos again:
http://www.billhubick.com/photos/updates/20101208.php
** PLEASE READ! BAYSIDE DEVELOPMENT POND (WORCESTER CO.) UPDATE
Please note that this site is private and that we are only TOLERATED here. We have no active facilitator and our welcome can change at any time. I've heard a reliable report of a photographer literally walking around in someone's front lawn pointing a large lens directly at window, where a bird was perched. This is HIGHLY inappropriate. Please restrict visits to viewing the pond, the canoe launch area, and maybe the boardwalk. Be friendly to anyone you encounter here. Most importantly, please consider suggesting better behavior if you see anyone being disrespectful of private property. Of course this goes for any location. If we hear of more instances like this, I think we'll need to consider not posting about this location.
Thanks!
Bill
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
http://www.billhubick.com |