Sorry that this note here is a bit late and a bit long but I needed to do a bit of research to check some facts . The other day a couple of folks mentioned Brown Headed Nuthatches being a recent arrivial in Q.A. County and or Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center . I have to dispute that notion. I think there are records at CBEC dating back to dating to as far back as the late 1990s but that would have to be checked in Maryland Bird life records and or Bob Ringer's Data base .
However as for Queen Annes County they are in the western part of the County Kent Narrows areas of kent Island Grasonville and a bit north in the proper habitat . Queen Annes County used to be the northern most population of these southeastern birds but that has changed as they are now found in lower Kent County at Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge as found on the most recent Breeding Bird Atlas 2002 through 2006.
Now for a bit of history Frank C. Kirkwood recorded a pair making a nest in Q.A. County on May 28,1892 and also found another pair much less then a mile a way . Sad to say he did not say the exact place where observed them .
In the Birds of Maryland and DC by Robert Stewart and Chandler Robbins they mention that Brown headed Nuthatches are Uncommon and local in Tidewater areas in Q.A. County and also mentions the Kirkwood sighting but gives the date as May 25,1892 . The map for the Brown head in this 1958 book looks much like the map in the 2002 2006 Breeding Bird atlas minus Eastern Neck Island . I help out on the Lower Kent County CBC and do the Queen Annes County part of that circle and about 4 years ago we went onto a private farm that we had permission to get on and went out to a point of land just across the Chester River from Eastern Neck Island where they have the Brown Headed Nuthatches and we had some in this spot as well that fits in very well with the northern spot on that 1958 map . This 1958 map is also shown in the 1983 -1987 breeding bird atlas.
During the 1983-1987 Breeding Bird Atlas project no Brown headed Nuthatches were observed in Q.A. County which seem a bit odd . I do know that then a lot of the Eastern shore was block busted then and may have just been missed . But I cannot speak about how the Brown headed area were done that time however or weather they were missing . I do think that now they are a bit more common then in the past .
During the 2nd Breeding Bird Atlas project 2002-2006 they were found in a number of spots in western Queen Annes County inculding CBEC
References used
A List of the Birds of Maryland by Frank C. Kirkwood 1895
Birds of Maryland and DC by Robert Stewart and Chandler Robbins 1958
Maryland Breeding Atlas #1 1983-1987
Maryland breeding Bird Atlas #2 2002-2006
I hope this clears up some of the confusion
Recent Bird sightings
Southern Dorchester County with the Talbot County Bird Club outting 2 -27-11
Highlights and all firsts for the year for me
Golden Eagle 1 Blackwater
Short Eared Owl Shorter's warf 2 and Cedar Creek rd 1
AMERICAN BITTERN 1 Cedar Creek Rd
Queenstown Wye Research Center 2 - 28-11
Canada Geese in formation flying north in the morning before the rain came in
Tundra Swan 6 headed north
Fish Crow 2 first of the year in Q.A. County
Happy Birding
Danny Poet
Queenstown, Maryland
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