The Delmarva Ornithological Society had a field trip to Chesapeake Farms over
the weekend. The highlight was a drake Common Teal. Derek Stoner forwarded a
photo of the bird and it's clean. The downside, as anyone who has chased the
Golden-crowned Sparrow knows, you can't get out of your car and access is
limited. But, if you can figure out where it was that they saw the beastie, go
for it!
Tyler Bell
California, Maryland
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Derek Stoner <>
To: DOS Members <>
Sent: Mon, March 7, 2011 8:38:17 PM
Subject: DOS Chesapeake Farms Trip Report: Common Teal and Golden Eagle
Greetings DOS Members:
On Saturday, March 5, Clyde Roberts and Jim White led the annual DOS trip to
Chesapeake Farms and Eastern Neck NWR on the eastern shore of Maryland. As our
club purports to cover the entire Delmarva peninsula, this is a great
opportunity to explore beyond the boundaries of fair Delaware and see what the
western side has to offer.
We enjoyed fantastic waterfowl-watching, observing 20 species of duck and 23
total waterfowl species. Highlights are both species of scaup, all three
merganser species, American Wigeon, Wood Duck, Long-tailed Duck, a large raft of
Canvasback (300+), and the Tundra Swans (207) gathered at Eastern Neck.
The best duck of all, though, was a drake Common (Eurasian) Teal! A life bird
for everyone on the trip, this bird stood out amongst the large flock of
Green-winged Teal with which it associated. A sharp-looking teal with a
horizontal white stripe running the length of its body, this species does not
yet enjoy full-species status in the US, but will one day soon.
Every direction we looked, there were Bald Eagles flying, perching, nesting, and
even mating. Chesapeake Farms is certainly an eagle mecca due to its wonderful
array of habitats. We saw at least 30 different eagles on the day, with all
ages classes well-represented.
After sifting through many eagles, we picked up a sub-adult Golden Eagle, a
gorgeous bird that turned lazy circles as it soared above a marshy impoundment.
Goldens are observed annually at this location, and this is an expected bird on
this trip. Tough to say that in Delaware!
Other highlights for the trip included First-of-Season Tree Swallows, Killdeer,
and Gray Catbird. We ended the day with a total of 66 species. On such a warm
day, calling Spring Peepers and New Jersey Chorus Frogs also livened up the
spring scene.
Good birding,
Derek Stoner
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