Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Castaways - Sandy Point

From:

Dan Haas

Reply-To:

Dan Haas

Date:

Tue, 24 May 2011 20:18:25 -0400

After packing up and departing my conference at the OC Convention
Center, I dropped by Skimmer Island (again), and then paid a visit to
Castaways. I checked in with the staff and had a great chat with Dave
(owner?), who had nothing but nice things to say about us birders.  So
keep on checking in!

I was hoping to scope a Piping Plover, but only had success locating a
handful of Black-bellied Plover.  While I was scanning the dunes of
Assateague with my scope a large shorebird with a long, straight bill
flew by in my scope, headed North.  I thought it might have been a
GODWIT, so I quickly turned my scope to track it.

Here is what I noticed:  a white rump and black tail.  Relatively
clean, dark upper wings (not the bold pattern one would expect on a
Willet), though all underwing viewing opportunities were not available
as the bird was now headed directly away from me.  It appeared
slightly larger than the many Willets flying and foraging on the West
side of Assateague.  The bird crossed the top of a dune, heading NE
and was no longer visible.  I decided to pack up and head back to
Skimmer one last time to see if this bird might have decided to visit
the island.    Nothing unusual was on or around Skimmer Island, so I
ventured back to Annapolis.  But do keep an eye out if you're planning
a visit tomorrow or later this week.

Today's notable high counts from Skimmer were:
29 Black Skimmers
12 Brown Pelican
5 Red Knot
as well as the usual suspects.

While driving over the Bay Bridge, I noticed the Peregrine on her nest
box, as well as a decent gull gathering on the beach at Sandy Point,
so I dropped into Sandy Point SP for a brief visit.

There on the beach, I was about to take the most impressive,
sharply-focused, potentially award-winning, well-lit photograph of a
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL when this adorable young couple decided to
walk into the gull flock, causing them to leave the beach for the
safety of the Bay.  Perhaps next time...  I generally photograph
LBBG's in conditions like: driving rains, overcast, raging storms,
etc. so the warm glow of the late afternoon sun would've been a treat.

Lastly, something somewhat EXTRALIMITAL. For those interested in
watching Peregrine Falcon chicks getting banded, plan on visiting
http://www.dosbirds.org/wilmfalcons tomorrow, between 10:00 and
12:00PM.  The Wilmington, Delaware pair have been busy raising young
and tomorrow Maryland's own Craig Koppie, the USFWS Endangered Species
Biologist, will be heading up the banding process, assisted by Anthony
Gonzon from DNREC's DE Natural Heritage and Endangered Species
Program.

Good Birding,

Dan Haas
St. Margaret's, MD
nervousbirdsatgmail.com

############################

To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1