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Subject:

Point Lookout SP, Harlequin Duck, Blue-headed Vireo

From:

Mikey Lutmerding

Reply-To:

Mikey Lutmerding

Date:

Sun, 2 Jan 2011 04:36:17 -0500

Hi all,

Danny Bystrak, Jo Anna, and I birded around Point Lookout State Park most of
the day on January 1st, and ended at Piscataway creek area.  Highlights from
Point Lookout were large numbers of BLACK SCOTERs, SURF SCOTERs, and a few
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs, mixed among them was a single female HARLEQUIN DUCK
first located about 50 yards off of the jetty due east of the restrooms at
the point, by the end of the morning, she had drifted north and was about
even with the treeline north of the point.  The constant calling and singing
of FOX SPARROWs in the scrubby area north of the picnic area was also nice.
Our next big highlight came in the form of a (continuing??) BLUE-HEADED
VIREO, which we found just north of the "Fishing Pier" entrance road, we
relocated the bird along the entrance road very near the parking lot a few
minutes later, this bird was located just across the road from where Bill
Hubick, John Hubbell and I found one back in November.  On the walk back to
the car, we sorted through a goose flock flying overhead and spotted a
CACKLING GOOSE flying among the ranks.  We continued North stopping at the
Jacob's Farm area, highlight from here were two PEREGRINE FALCONs, one of
which flew into and landed in the middle of a woodlot.  Along Longneck road
we spotted a nice flock of EASTERN MEADOWLARKs, and good numbers of
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs (in the hedgerow).
We continued North and stopped to check geese in a field along Route 5 east
of Bryantown (on google maps Sapp PL runs north along the field) and located
a single SNOW GOOSE.  We ended the day at Piscataway which had the expected
waterfowl, the last new species for our January 1 2011 list was NORTHERN
SHOVELER.

Good Birding, and Happy New Year!

Mikey Lutmerding
Croom, MD