I went to bed Thursday with the windows open, and woke up COLD, and HUNGRY! I headed out and stopped at the Wawa for a coffee and donut, and was excited to see they had a 2-for-2 special on their breakfast sandwiches - things were looking good!
I guess the birds were hungry too cause they were (as expected) busy this morning! I tried something I've never done - a morning flight watch at a migrant trap - Point Lookout State Park. I arrived at about 6:30 and the first species observed was Am Crow, but the second was a Co Nighthawk, hunting along/over the road!
The strong flight that was predicted with the cold front materialized as hoped for, but I would say in general that birds were tough to get. I watched the morning flight from the park's southern end, at the parking lot. There was 8 people fishing there, all there when I arrived. All the birds I saw came from the patch of trees/shrubs at the center of the area, and all were headed back north (avoiding the open water). I id'ed a few before they got up, but unfortunately I could only id three species out of about 40 birds that I looked at in flight. They got up high pretty quickly and passed by in a slow but steady trickle of ones or twos for about 5-6 minutes. I don't know how folks id warblers like this, it was tough!
After the trickle of birds ended I began looking for migrants in hiding spots. I'm not familiar with the park, so I basically wandered around whereever, looking around any scrubby areas and wood margins for any passerines I could find. I looked by the picnic grounds, old fort, boat launch, and campground. The best area was around the picnic ground and old fort. There were many small groups of birds, and especially good numbers of Redstart, B&W, Palm, Pine, Maggie and C-sideds.
I birded there from 6:30-11. Conditions were a bit tough; it was very breezy there (open areas had variable and occasionally stiff winds) with much of the vegetation in constant movement, and in secluded areas there was still some leaf movement although not as bad. Highlights at PLSP were a Black Tern, Yellow-bellied Fly, FOS RC Kinglet, Veery and Swainson's, 15 warbler sp, both tanagers, and FOS RB Grosbeak. Warblers included Blue-winged, No Parula, Yellow, Ch-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, B-t Blue, Pine, Palm (both western and yellow), B&W, Am Redstart, Ovenbird, No Waterthrush, Yellowthroat, and Canada.
Then I went to nearby Cornfield Harbor, where I found one nice flock of birds that held Tennessee, Ch-sided, Magnolia, Palm, B&W, Redstart, Yellowthroat and Canada Warblers.
I was originally only going to bird until about noon, but it was so good that I decided to gamble with trying another new spot, on a whim. I headed up to Howard County to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA), and arriverd there at 2 and birded there until 4:15. I had no idea where it was but found it easily, and it is a GEM! It has a great mix of vegetation and habitat types.
I was really hoping to see a Connecticut (recently reported here) or a Golden-winged (old reports, but you never know!), and was curious whether the cold front brought new birds in here as well. Although it was the middle of day and not a great time for birding for warblers, I got VERY lucky! In general birds were fairly quiet (as expected for time of day), but I came across at least 4 groups of mixed passerines that were active, and moving along feeding. You had to be at the right place at right time, otherwise you would think there aren't many birds around. They moved past fairly quickly, but while they were there it was amazing.
Highlights included Philly Vireo, 13 warblers and a RB Grosbeak. Warblers included Parula, Ch-sided, Magnolia, BT-Blue, BT-Green, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Cerulean, B&W, Redstart, Connecticut, Yellowthroat, and Canada.
I saw Joe Hanfman as I was leaving. and told him where I found the CT warbler, which was not along a trail. It was a hatch year bird with a brownish throat with some yellow in it, brownish back and very crisp white eye ring. I also told him about the Cerulean, which was my first fall one ever. I saw it in the area of semi-open meadow on your right, when you first leave the parking area (before the trail splits). It was foraging high up in the crown of a tall maple tree near the wood margin, with a Parula and BT-Green. It was a female and my first time I ever saw a female (all the Ceruleans I've seen have been singing males in spring or breeding season).
I will file eBird reports as soon as I get a chance. Probably my best day ever for fall warblers in MD, just amazing!
Cheers-
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD
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