Around 20 birders had a great time this past Sunday counting birds for
nearly 8 hours from the end of Bayside Point, Assateague. Matt Hafner and I
started the count off just before 4am. Our very first bird was one of our
best: an American Bittern calling just north of the point. Jeff Shenot
joined us shortly thereafter and we continued to listen to a not amazing,
but not horrible either, nocturnal flight, during which we recorded our only
Common Yellowthroats, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Hermit
Thrush, and Swainson's Thrushes of the day.
As dawn approached, more and more birders were arriving, and the waders
began to flyby the Point. Snowys were the most numerous, but there were also
plenty of Tricoloreds, Little Blues, and Great Egrets. As this was going on,
Matt made a comment to the group that if he wasn't there, we would see a
White Ibis flyby. Literally seconds after that, a juvenile White Ibis flew
by.
We add four new species to the cumulative Big Sit list, including: American
Bittern, White Ibis, Pileated Woodpecker (not on the island), and Hermit
Thrush. That brings the cumulative list, after 10 years, up to 162 species.
Our total for the Big Sit was 80 species. Our total for Bayside in general
was 88 species.
I've included the full eBird list below, with some additional comments. If
you were there, use eBird, and I haven't shared the list with you yet,
please email me.
Assateague I. NS--Bayside, Worcester, US-MD
Oct 9, 2011 3:55 AM - 11:45 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: 10th Annual Sitting on our Assateague "Big Sit." Some of the
observers: Rob and Mike Ostrowski, Matt Hafner, Mikey Lutmerding, Jim
Brighton, Jared Satchel, John Hubbell, Frank Marenghi, Peter Osenton, David
Kidwell, Bob Balestri, Marcia Balestri, Mike Walsh, Mike Burchett, Betsy
Bangert, Nick from DC, Jeff Shenot, Scott Housten, Anna Urciolo, Mary
AnnTodd, and Rick.
This list includes all birds observed at Bayside, not necessarily the
official Big Sit totals, since some of the birds were seen outside the
official circle.
Summary, by Matt Hafner: "Overall, the migration was better than expected
given the reports from Saturday. We've certainly had much worse days for
warblers on the Big Sit. However, waterfowl and shorebirds were quite slow,
with many shorebirds being just out of sight from the circle. Night flight
was slow except for a few (mostly unidentifiable) warbler/sparrow notes
between 4:30 and 5am and a few thrush calls right at dawn.
Bad Misses (birds seen 7/10 years):
Peregrine Falcon - 9/10 We even had one during the year it rained the whole
time.
Killdeer - 8/10
Dunlin - 8/10 Oddly, these are the two most reliable shorebirds on the Big
Sit. Black-bellied Plover is the next most reliable with 6/10 years seen.
House Finch - 8/10 There were no finches recorded this year. It also might
surprise many of you (it did me!), that we have only had American Goldfinch
4/10 years!
Surf Scoter - 7/10 Usually we have some migrating down the bay.
Black-throated Green Warbler - 7/10 They were reported as being around in
good numbers the previous few days, so this was really surprising. They are
also usually easy to pick out in flight.
Close calls:
There was a flock of shorebirds just to the north of Bayside that could be
seen by walking out of the circle by about 25 feet that included at least
Semi Plovers, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpipers, American Oystercatcher, Killdeer,
and Red Knot. We were hoping that some would fly offshore far enough to be
seen from our circle.
I had a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker fly across the parking lot, but
unfortunately no one in the circle was looking when I called it out.
We heard from others that there was a flock of Juncoes in the campground
along with other sparrows like Chipping, Savannah, and Field."
The fraction next to each species represents the number of times it has been
recorded in the 10 years of doing the Assateague Big Sit.
87 species (+3 other taxa)
Canada Goose 27 10/10
American Black Duck 21 10/10
Northern Pintail 11 8/10, ducks/geese are surprisingly sporadic on the
big sit, these are the only 3 we have seen more than 8 years
Common Loon 12 10/10
Double-crested Cormorant 525 10/10
Brown Pelican 14 10/10
American Bittern 1 1/10 New for the Big Sit. Rob and Matt only. Matt
picked out the flight call as soon as we stepped out of the car.
Great Blue Heron 4 10/10
Great Egret 48 10/10
Snowy Egret 104 10/10
Little Blue Heron 35 9/10
Tricolored Heron 40 10/10
White Ibis 1 1/10, new for the Big Sit, flying in a mixed SNEG and LBHE
flock. Seen in the dawn wader flight at very close range. Dark brown upper
parts, except for dowitcher-like white rump; white belly; light brown neck;
long orangish decurved bill.
Plegadis sp. 11 2/10 excellent spots of distant birds flying toward
South Point not long after dawn
Black Vulture 14 9/10
Turkey Vulture 15 10/10
Osprey 2 10/10
Bald Eagle 6 9/10
Northern Harrier 1 9/10
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 7/10
Cooper's Hawk 1 3/10
Merlin 2 6/10
Black-bellied Plover 17 6/10
Semipalmated Plover 6 MISSED 4/10. In the marsh, north of Bayside. Not
part of the official Big Sit list.
Killdeer 1 MISSED 8/10. In the marsh, north of Bayside. Not part of the
official Big Sit list.
American Oystercatcher 1 MISSED 4/10. In the marsh, north of Bayside.
Not part of the official Big Sit list.
Greater Yellowlegs 1 5/10
Ruddy Turnstone 4 3/10
Red Knot 1 MISSED Would have been new for the Big Sit. Spotted by Matt.
In the marsh, north of Bayside. Not part of the official Big Sit list.
Pectoral Sandpiper 2 MISSED Would have been new for the Big Sit. In the
marsh, north of Bayside. Not part of the official Big Sit list.
Dunlin 4 MISSED 8/10. In the marsh, north of Bayside. Not part of the
official Big Sit list.
American Woodcock 2 5/10 Amazingly, seen exactly every other year.
Flushed up by Mike as he was driving in. Flew over our heads at the point
for 30 seconds or so. One landed on the ground near the canoes, providing
great looks.
Laughing Gull 115 10/10
Ring-billed Gull 1 10/10 Low numbers are typical at this location
throughout the late summer/fall
Herring Gull 85 10/10
Great Black-backed Gull 3 10/10
gull sp. 200 Distant swarm. Est.
Caspian Tern 4 10/10. 3 in the marsh north of Bayside
Forster's Tern 4 10/10
Royal Tern 18 10/10
Mourning Dove 1 8/10
Great Horned Owl 1 2/10. Calling at South Point predawn.
Belted Kingfisher 2 10/10
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 5/10
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 MISSED 4/10. Seen by Matt outside of the
circle.
Downy Woodpecker 1 3/10 Not a gimme bird at the tip of Bayside.
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 16 9/10
Pileated Woodpecker 1 1/10 New for the Big Sit. Rob only. Seen flying
against the trees across the bay. Not on the island.
Eastern Phoebe 1 4/10
Red-eyed Vireo 1 5/10
Blue Jay 5 5/10. Spotted by Mikey, flying around South Point. Not on
the island.
Fish Crow 110 9/10
Tree Swallow 450 10/10
Brown Creeper 3 6/10
Carolina Wren 2 6/10
Winter Wren 2 3/10
Golden-crowned Kinglet 12 9/10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 6/10
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 7/10. Rob and John only. Night migrant.
Swainson's Thrush 3 9/10. All night migrants
Hermit Thrush 1 1/10 New for the Big Sit. Mikey only. Night migrant.
Gray Catbird 8 10/10
Northern Mockingbird 2 8/10
Brown Thrasher 4 9/10
European Starling 65 10/10
Cedar Waxwing 23 9/10
Tennessee Warbler 1 3/10
Common Yellowthroat 2 5/10. Night migrants
American Redstart 4 6/10. One night migrant
Cape May Warbler 2 9/10 Only missed the first year of the Big Sit.
Northern Parula 6 5/10
Magnolia Warbler 8 2/10
Blackpoll Warbler 18 9/10
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 8 All high flyovers.
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3 6/10
Palm Warbler (Western) 2 10/10
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 1 5/10
Pine Warbler 1 3/10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 160 10/10
Prairie Warbler 1 4/10
Eastern Towhee 2 7/10
Song Sparrow 2 9/10
White-throated Sparrow 2 8/10. Heard at dawn
Scarlet Tanager 1 2/10
Northern Cardinal 3 9/10
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 4/10. Night migrant.
Indigo Bunting 3 8/10. One night migrant
Red-winged Blackbird 73 10/10
Boat-tailed Grackle 40 9/10
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 5/10
Rob Ostrowski
Crofton, MD
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