While the Western Shore continues to get pounded by rain, day after
day, the Eastern Shore has appeared to only be dealing with
intermittent heavy showers.

For example, yesterday's trip to Poplar Island was partly sunny...
okay, mostly cloudy!  But we marveled at the black wall of clouds that
seemed to be hanging over the Western shore all day long.  Because of
that wall of precipitation,when we returned to Tilghman Island, a few
of us followed sunnier skies and headed EAST to Wicomico.  Why not
enjoy that HUDSONIAN GODWIT?  That little pond, just North of
Salisbury, held 11 shorebird species, including a Spotted Sandpiper
(that only I observed).

Today, I had meetings in Salisbury.  A QUICK check of that same pond
(1PM) offered up little aside from two Pectoral Sandpipers, two Lesser
Yellowlegs and two Killdeer.  Seeing all these birds paired up,
two-by-two, I decided to scan the fields for an ark, but thankfully...
there were none being built.  I wonder how that ark just outside of
Frostburg is coming along???

As I am walking into the Board of Education, I get a phone call from
Mark Schilling (you know Mark... he found that Swallow-tailed Kite on
the KI this spring. Thanks Mark!!!!).  Anyway, he must have some kind
of Godwit attractant... last year he found a Hudsonain Godwit on Kent
Island in a field just east Rt 8 (near KI airport). Mark was calling
to inform me that (again) he was looking at TWO Hudsonian Godwits just
South of Rt. 18 (where the new Safeway is on Kent Island).   He went
back again at 2:30 and the birds were still present.  By the time I
arrived at 5PM, the Gods were gone.  More than likely, Jim Brighton
has a bottle of that Godwit cologne as well.  BTW, congratulations Jim
on your vocal bird this evening!

NOTE: I tried to send out a few texts to get the word out about Mark's
HUGO's, but my meeting had started and I was hoping someone would
post.  Sorry all!!!!

Onto other news: This AM at Sandy Point, I briefly conversed with Tom
Field who also dropped by for some early morning birding.  As we
chatted a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER flew North past the point and around
the corner, keeping company with a SANDERLING.  My brief evening visit
tonight tallied a minimum of 6 SANDERLING, along with 1 juvie
Semipalmated Sandpiper. Tom also texted me to let me know he found the
remains of a Sea Turtle on the beach.  ID pending.

Without further ado, here are the totals for our POPLAR ISLAND TRIP on
Wednesday.

Poplar Island, Talbot, US-MD
Sep 7, 2011 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Comments:     The foul weather lurked on the Western Shore, and a
stiff wind blew up from the South, but we had relatively nice
conditions.  Water level was extremely high due to the recent rains.
In some cases, it pushed shorebirds up close to where we could observe
them. In other cases, they were hunkered down in vegetation.  All in
all, a great day to be on the island.
48 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  205
Wood Duck  2
American Black Duck  14
Mallard  360
Blue-winged Teal  9
Northern Shoveler  188
Northern Pintail  5
Green-winged Teal  49
Ruddy Duck  2
Double-crested Cormorant  501
Great Blue Heron  6
Great Egret  16
Snowy Egret  15
Cattle Egret  258
Osprey  12
Bald Eagle  11
Northern Harrier  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Clapper/King Rail  1
Black-bellied Plover  3
Semipalmated Plover  11
Killdeer  3
American Avocet  14
Spotted Sandpiper  6
Greater Yellowlegs  7
Lesser Yellowlegs  43
Ruddy Turnstone  2
Sanderling  48
Semipalmated Sandpiper  236
Western Sandpiper  2
Least Sandpiper  28
White-rumped Sandpiper  17
Pectoral Sandpiper  2
Stilt Sandpiper  3
WILSON'S PHALAROPE  1
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE  2  (Literally, the first bird we saw getting off
the boat!)
Laughing Gull  58
Ring-billed Gull  5
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  602
BLACK TERN  12
Common Tern  2
Tree Swallow  2
Bank Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  1
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER  2
YELLOW WARBLER  1
Red-winged Blackbird  256
Brown-headed Cowbird  165

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

I hope everyone is staying safe in these floods... but if you get the
chance, go birding.  This weather is dropping birds in the most
interesting places... next to Safeway, for example!  ; )

Good Birding,

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

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