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Fw: [MDOSPREY] MBC trip to the Lower Shore--Black-headed Gull

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Joe Hanfman

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Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:46:50 +0000

12:30pm 
The Black-headed Gull is still present at Fairmount WMA, East Impoundment. It is in the pond nearest the parking lot. 
Joe Hanfman 
Columbia, Md 
Joe Hanfman Columbia, MD 
 
-----Original Message----- 
From:         Bill Hubick <> 
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <> 
Date:         Sat, 12 Feb 2011 19:21:11  
To: <> 
Reply-To:     Bill Hubick <> 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] MBC trip to the Lower Shore--Black-headed Gull, Franklin's Gull! 
 
Hi Everyone, 
 
Jim Brighton and I co-led a Montgomery Bird Club (MBC) field trip to Somerset County today, a long-planned winter visit to the under-explored marshes around Fairmount and Deal Island. The emphasis was to be marsh birds and uncommon wintering species. Twelve dedicated and hardy birders joined us in weathering the biting winds, and we were very well-rewarded. Here are just the highlights in the interest of getting this out early. 
 
The group: Jim Brighton, Jon Corcoran, Linda Friedland, Jim Green, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Jim Moore, Helen Patton, Evelyn Ralston, Tricia Trice, Anna Urciolo, Marta Wagner, Claire Wolfe, Chris Wright. 
 
Marshes near the town of Rumbly just after sunrise. Low 20s with a light wind that continued to gain momentum throughout the morning. The marshes were very quiet, but not as stingy as they could have been under these conditions. 
 
SEASIDE SPARROW--1. Very scarce and local wintering species. 
Black-crowned Night-Heron--11 
Tree Swallow--4 
Boat-tailed Grackle--7 
 
The open water nearby held small numbers of Surf Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, and Red-breasted Mergansers. A probable hen Black Scoter was left unconfirmed due to tough conditions. 
 
Fairmount WMA--East Impoundment 
 
The water levels were low, ideal for the usual teal flock and small number of wintering shorebirds. In addition to the regulars, however, we were surprised to find a diversity of dabblers and a number of gulls that we'd never previously encountered here.  
 
Gadwall--1 
American Wigeon--4 
American Black Duck--9 
Mallard--5 
Northern Shoveler--3 
Northern Pintail--10 
Green-winged Teal--400 (est., restless) 
Greater Yellowlegs--2 
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER--9 
Dunlin--20 
BLACK-HEADED GULL--1. *** Apparently the 2nd county record. I'll post notes and links to bad photos in our eBird reports. Awesome bird. Mike Walsh got down there around 2:00 p.m. and relocated it. 
BONAPARTE'S GULL--2. Uncommon enough in their own right in Somerset! 
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL--1 adult 
Over 200 individuals of the common gulls, a concentration we'd never seen here. 
Brown-headed Nuthatch--4 
 
Crisfield 
 
We decided to invest some time scanning the water off Crisfield rather than spend the full afternoon out on the marsh at Deal. These marshes can be really quiet when it's windy. Overall it was very slow, but we did have a roosting Black-crowned Night-Heron, 15 Canvasbacks, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Ducks, a couple Common Loons, and more Boat-tailed Grackles (not always easy in mid-winter). The wind was now severe, and we had a decision to make - risk a slow afternoon pishing at the huddled, miserable Marsh Wrens at Deal, or head to the coast? Coast. 
 
Truitt's Landing 
 
Extremely windy, but we quickly picked out the continuing COMMON TEAL and everyone enjoyed extended scope views. Counted 445 Green-winged Teal in view and two Greater Yellowlegs. We walked the road in hopes of the RUFF (awesome record, guys), but had almost nothing on the open marsh. The idea of getting looks at Nelson's Sparrows or Sedge Wrens in that wind was laughable, but we halfheartedly went through the motions. We tend to have some pretty ridiculous luck on these trips. We headed north to end at the Inlet. But first... 
 
Mason Road for the Clay-colored Sparrow 
 
Did I mention it was windy? Met the homeowner and saw a couple Song Sparrows. The Ostrowskis had the Clay-colored today, though. 
 
Ocean City Inlet for the sunset watch 
 
The Ostrowskis were in the middle of an extended watch from the north jetty, so they probably have some nice counts. There was an impressive density of Common Eiders and scoters visible when we arrived, but many of them took off en masse and headed south after a few minutes, the flock slowly building back up over the next hour. 
 
Common Eider--32 (our highest count) 
Surf Scoter--200+ 
Black Scoter--80 
Small numbers of both loons, Ruddy Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers 
No Harlequins or un-Common eiders despite very careful checking 
 
Skimmer Island 
 
As our trip participants parted ways, the remaining half of us chose to spend dusk watching Skimmer Island. We quickly picked out three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Black-bellied Plover, and some Dunlin. Then I almost had a heart attack when I spotted a gull head that appeared to have a partial hood sticking out among the Ring-billed Gulls on the nearby flats (it was a very low tide, one when there are flats close to Hoopers). The gull was dark-backed. I exclaimed something about having either a Laughing or Franklin's Gull (probably requiring minor censorship) and we scrambled to align our scopes. As it turned in profile we let out a collective gasp. It was obviously a FRANKLIN'S. It was a close view, and the bird showed the classic partial hood, bold eye arcs, and a short bill that immediately ruled out Laughing Gull. We also recognized the daintier, short-winged impression. The next few minutes were surreal as we realized we had just minutes to try to 
 turn around cars and to get the Ostrowskis over there. The fading light was chaotic and disappointing, as we struggled to get the Ostrowskis distant scope views (it flew to Skimmer proper) in the wind and in the nearly non-existant light. Crazy end to an exceptional day. 
 
A Franklin's Gull was so far off our radar that we called Mark Hoffman and Matt Hafner to ask about mid-winter records in Maryland and on the East Coast. They both remembered a single pelagic record for February in Maryland. I hope others get out there tomorrow and are able to relocated it. It would be great to have some documentation photos of this one. It's a great bird anytime and anywhere in Maryland, but the timing of this record seems pretty crazy. Here's a map that shows normal winter range: http://www.birdzilla.com/birds/Franklins-Gull/distribution.html 
 
Good birding! 
 
Bill 
 
Bill Hubick 
Pasadena, Maryland 
 
http://www.billhubick.com