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Subject:

Chasing Dickcissels and Kites, 7/17

From:

Bill Hubick

Reply-To:

Bill Hubick

Date:

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:57:02 -0700

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday (7/17) I joined Tom Feild and Ed Carlson in trying for some of the recent rarities in central Maryland. We worked a route that took us down to southern Calvert and Charles Counties, then around the D.C. Beltway to the Poolesville area. We were especially hoping to find that some of the Dickcissels and Mississippi Kites were continuing. Some of these individuals hadn't been reported to eBird in up to two weeks, so several felt like long shots.

Renditions Golf Course, Anne Arundel Co.

We stopped here in hopes of relocating the Dickcissel found by Dan Haas, as Tom hadn't had the chance to visit earlier. The habitat still looks fine except that it appears they used herbicide on the large thistles. We didn't see or hear any sign of our target, but we didn't stay too long. Grasshopper Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Blue Grosbeaks, and others continue.

Lloyd Bowen Road, Calvert Co.

We stopped in to show Ed this location and see Calvert County's most reliable Brown-headed Nuthatches. Two birds were located in just moments.

Turner Road, Calvert Co. 

After an unsuccessful attempt on 6/25 and a last known report of 7/2, I wasn't feeling optimistic about this stop. However, soon after arriving, I pointed out a bird in the distance and Tom quickly scoped it. It was a female DICKCISSEL on a telephone wire, and she ended up posing cooperatively for photos and chipping at length for a nice audio study. Awesome, and actually my first close-up photos of a female Dickcissel. Thanks, Joel!

Swarey Place, Charles Co.

On our second visit to this site, we were thrilled to luck into Rob and Mike Ostrowski's DICKCISSEL. Tom pointed to a distant but approaching passerine and I said, "Ugh, I guess that's going to be a Grasshopper Sparrow..." then added, "or something else with no tail..." Tom laughed as it landed, and offered the scope. It was, in fact, a tailless Dickcissel. It held a large katydid in its beak and spent several minutes quietly chipping and skulking around the branches of a nearby tree. We decided it was waiting for some privacy to visit its nest, so we moved on. We consider this a straightforward breeding confirmation for the site. I was pretty excited to get a seemingly sharp photo of a tailless DICKCISSEL in flight with a large katydid in its mouth - not a common image. Also present were two SOLITARY SANDPIPERs in the small pond, five or more GRASSHOPPER SPARROws (including one recently fledged bird), three EASTERN MEADOWLARKs, a HORNED LARK, and at
 least five flyby ROCK PIGEONs (scarce and local in Charles Co.). Thanks, Rob and Mike! 

Dubois Road, Charles Co.

Between visits to Swarey Place, we cruised the area where Mikey recently found a MISSISSIPPI KITE. To our shock, we quickly encountered it/one being mobbed by a mockingbird. It was seen briefly over the trees to the west at the intersection of Dubois and Meredith. We spent about an hour cruising around in hopes of longer looks, photos, or signs of nesting. No additional luck, but we were thrilled with even our brief look. Thanks, Mikey!

Melwood Road, P.G. Co.

How had I not visited this site before?? It is certainly the undiscovered jewel of P.G. Co., and we spent much of our time discussing that this needs to be a park managed for grassland species. Uncommon county birds like Grasshopper Sparrow and Eastern Meadowlark were easy in this exceptional habitat. We didn't detect DICKCISSEL or NORTHERN BOBWHITE in the heat of the afternoon, but we did locate a stealthy WILLOW FLYCATCHER resting in the shade. It was just off Melwood Road south of the paved pull-in, perched on the east side of the road near a small creek. The large gathering of swifts and swallows included one BANK SWALLOW.

Westerly Road, Montgomery Co.

After a bit of waiting at the previously described location for a while, we began to hear a DICKCISSEL singing to the east. Scoping the telephone wires, we located a nice male singing, the audio lagging behind the scope views from the distance. I suggested pulling forward to snap some photos, and as we approached the bird on the wire, I asked Tom to pass me my camera from the back seat. I quickly focused and began shooting, saying, "The funny thing is that this is a VESPER SPARROW." The Dickcissel was still singing 50 yards farther down the road. The Vesper had just landed between us and insisted on being photographed. I didn't mind the waiting line. Thanks, Clive!

Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co.

Joined by John Hubbell, we spent three hours keeping watch on the skies from Hughes Hollow, John directing the occasional confused photo club member to the sunflower fields that are apparently a hot destination. We didn't hit paydirt with the unpredictable MISSISSIPPI KITE, but we enjoyed the expected sights like RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and post-breeding swallows concentrations. It was hot.

Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co.

Our last stop was Violette's Lock, where I quickly scoped a medium tern perched far upriver. We ended up walking all the way to Riley's Lock to get views that would ultimately confirm it to be a FORSTER'S TERN. It looked like a Common Tern from where were were at first, so we sent out a heads-up to some of the locals, and slowly moved upriver, stop by stop, to get better views. By the time we had hiked all the way to Riley's, the views were better and the bird began to fly. Jared Fisher and Jim Green arrived just in time for us to stay, "Weird... sorry... Forster's Tern." At least you got a decent county year bird and got to hang out with us at sunset on the lovely Potomac river. That should have made your weekend.

We stopped for Thai food in Potomac and got home way too late. Good times.

Bill 


Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com

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