Jared and Zach Parks found 3 singing male Dickcissels in NE Kent County on the May count this past weekend. This evening Maren Gimpel and I tried to relocate them. We were pleasantly surprised to re-find 2 singing from two hedgerows along Sassafrass Caldwell Rd, right were Jared and Zach had them. While enjoying the Dickcissels and the swallow show over the fields after the deluge, we noticed 13 Black-bellied Plovers fly in and land in a recently planted corn field, I said to Maren I hope they are joining a larger flock already on the ground. We drove down the road a ways to see over the rise and we were not disappointed. The full eBird list is below.

Sassafras-Caldwell Road, Kent, US-MD
May 20, 2011 5:22 PM - 6:52 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.25 mile(s)
Comments:     Went in search of reported Dickcissels (Jared & Zach Parks) and found them in addition to a big group of shorebirds.
18 species

Bald Eagle  2
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Black-bellied Plover  244     Carefully counted by ones while they fed in field.  This large 
group included the other shorebirds on this list.  They were in a 
recently planted field (2-4" corn) with puddles from recent heavy 
showers.
American Golden-Plover  1     One bird in with the BBPLs.  
Undertail coverts were almost entirely black (there was just a hint of 
mottling).  The flanks were black all the way to the folded wing.  The 
head and back were very golden (easily compared to the white flecking of the BBPLs present).  Dark golden head with white in forehead only. 
White on sides of head, neck and upper breast which ended at the fold in wing. Was slightly smaller than the BBPLs as well.
Semipalmated Plover  2
Ruddy Turnstone  1     One bird in the flock of BBPL.  Orange legs visible.  Breeding plumage
Dunlin  2
Horned Lark  5
Purple Martin  1
Bank Swallow  67
Barn Swallow  41
American Robin  15
Northern Mockingbird  1
Song Sparrow  2
Indigo Bunting  1
Dickcissel  2     Jared and Zack Park reported singing Dickcissels during the May 
Count (14 May).  We went back and located two singing males about .3 
miles apart singing from hedgerows separating the fields.
Red-winged Blackbird  25
American Goldfinch  1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

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