Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Western Shore birding:Imm. White Ibis in St Mary's County

From:

Jim Green

Reply-To:

Jim Green

Date:

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:13:17 -0400

Hi Everybody:

I started my day at first daylight at the end of Scotland Beach Rd scanning the Chesapeake Bay but did not find anything unexpected. I did enjoy several minutes of an adult Bald Eagle fending off a pair of harassing American Crows. I then headed into Point Lookout SP and birded the point only. I did not want to spend too much time in St. Mary's County because my target for the day were the pair of White Ibis found over the w/e at Port tobacco in Charles County. I saw 2 flyby Brown Pelicans and then left the park.

Highlights of my other stops: 

CORNFIELD HARBOR DRIVE:
          Pine Warbler             5
          Bobolink                    2

BAY FOREST ROAD:
         Summer Tanager       1

ST. ELMS PARK:
          Spotted Sandpiper   1
          Brown Pelican          10
          Royal Tern                1

PINEY POINT LANDING (just before crossing over onto St. George Island)
          Forster's Tern           13
          Royal Tern                  1
          Yellow Warbler           1 (sitting in a  small tree by the bridge and giving it's chip note. When I moved over to ID the bird a male flew right over my head.

I then headed for Beauvue Ponds and slowly drove down to the end of Abells Wharf Rd. I noticed a Great Egret in one of the ponds. I then retraced my steps and parked and started scoping from approximately where Jane had mentioned.
I concentrated on the far pond to the right  because that is where I saw all of the Canada Geese and began counting them. This is the pond with the duck blind in it. The Great Egret had moved to this pond since my initial driveby. I started scoping and counting the Geese, most of which were in the water at the time. Before I realized it I was looking at 4 immature WHITE IBIS that were actively feeding along the water's edge about 40 feet to the right of the blind. I initially saw them about 10:20 AM and they were still in the same location when I left at 10:55. I called Kyle Rambo and Tyler Bell and and a few others that I had numbers for and left messages. Glad to hear that they stuck around and Jane was able to find them.

My next stop was the St. Mary's County Water Treatment Plant off of Rosebank Rd. I entered and asked permission and they were very gracious. They asked me to stop in when I was done and let them know what I saw. There were a few species of shorebirds: 12 Killdeer, 1 LEAST and 3 SOLITARY Sandpipers. Since I started County Listing I have only seen 2 or 3 WOOD DUCKS in St. Mary's County until today. In one of the three ponds I counted 11 adults and 9 young!

I then headed for Charles County.  At the Swarey Place Dickcissel spot off of Rt. 6 I saw one Solitary Sandpiper but did not hear or see the Dickcissel. Along Rt. 6 on the other side of LaPlata in the pond on the opposite side of a mailbox with the number 8664 there was one Great Egret and one Spotted Sandpiper. In the pond near the intersection of Rt. 6 and Rosehill Rd there were 2 Great Egrets, 2 Green Herons and 5 Wood Ducks. I then drove over and parked at the Courthouse and walked down the mowed area to scan the pond. I saw one Great Egret and then the two immature WHITE IBIS. My newly formed quest for a 2-county white ibis sighting was successful. Thanks to Rob O. and John Hubbell for their find! It was 2:30 when I saw them. 

My next destination was Brown Station Rd where I saw the following shorebirds: 13 Killdeer, 34 Least, 2 Spotted, 2 Solitary, 3 Pectoral and 1 Western Sandpipers. I saw 3 Great Egrets but no other wading birds. At Schoolhouse Pond I was finally succesful in finding one of the two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS (thanks Fred for the continuing updates). 

My last stop of the day was on Mellwood Rd in hopes of hearing the N. BOBWHITE that had been reported by some in the last several weeks. It was rather quiet. I was there from 5:45 to 6:30 PM. There was no sign of either the Dickcissel or the Willow Flycatchers while I was there. I did not hear the Bobwhite either.

Jim Green
Gaithersburg, MD
work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!

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

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