Hi Everyone,

Jim Brighton and I spent all day Sunday (3/27) visiting locations on the Eastern Shore. We met at 5:00 a.m., but delayed our departure from Easton until daylight due to heavy snow and suspicious conditions for icy roads (melting snow, sleet, and 33 degrees at 5:00 a.m.). The day quickly warmed to better driving conditions, but there was light standing snow around parts of the lower shore until mid-afternoon. The winds in areas like the Nanticoke waterfront were biting.

At Tanyard Marsh, we photographed a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER among a small flock of Lesser Yellowlegs, as well as a GREEN-WINGED x COMMON TEAL INTERGRADE. The latter featured distinctive horizontal and vertical white stripes. There were good numbers of WILSON'S SNIPE (~40) and a drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Choptank held little of note except two BONAPARTE'S GULLs in Talbot waters.

On the Nanticoke River we had over 60 NORTHERN GANNETs, many of them well north of Cedar Hill Marina. Good numbers were plunge-diving and resting on the water. Two BROWN PELICANs were also present, loafing on the water at Cedar Hill Marina and off Nanticoke Harbor. We were especially interested in NORTHERN GANNETs visible on the Wicomico River viewed from Ellis Bay and Clara Road. 

Viewing conditions were poor at Crisfield, but I finally had good enough looks to confirm 12 REDHEADs here, my county closeout (#129). One of my more painful county listing moments was estimating 800 Aythya here a couple days after Brighton, Hubbell et al counted the wintering Redhead flock and having that number. They were so backlit that I couldn't ID a single one! I think they're common from Crisfield, so it's kind of a lame place to close them out. :) We also had a pair on the Nanticoke River at Tyaskin, only my second sighting in Wicomico.

At Whitehaven Ferry, we photographed a ROYAL TERN roosting on the Wicomico side with Laughing Gulls and Forster's Terns. There are no previous eBird records for the county in March.

At Vessey Orchard we had a nice diversity including American Pipit (only my second in the county), singing Horned Larks, and a nice surprise VESPER SPARROW. 

Notable in their absence were any migratory geese (residents only), dabblers in general (few), Common Goldeneye (none), Long-tailed Ducks (none). Bufflehead and both scaup were widespread but seemed very reduced in numbers.

The best bird we found in western Maryland on Saturday was a MERLIN on Open Plains Road just off Orleans Road South in eastern Allegany (photos). This is the road where I had two Purple Martins investigating a martin house last year (5/31/10). It also seems like a good place to hope for Horned Larks, another tough species in the county.

OK, better go to work...

Good birding!

b

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com

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