BLACKWATER N.W.R. & FERRY NECK, JANUARY 6-9, 2012. Liz & Harry Armistead.
JANUARY 6, FRIDAY. 84 Turkey Vultures on the way down from Pennsylvania. An adult Bald Eagle at mile 118.9 on Route 301, another near St. Michaels. Dead on the road: a red phase Eastern Screech-Owl on Bellevue Road near Royal Oak. John Swaine finally finishes bringing in the soy bean crop. It is an experience to ride for a few minutes in his immense combine. He says that a few days ago it got down to 14°F here. The fields are now wide open and gratifyingly green, as much as our lawn almost.
JANUARY 7, SATURDAY. A field trip to Blackwater N.W.R. with the Anne Arundel (County) Bird Club, a chapter of the M.O.S. 30 of us led by Gerald Winegrad and also including Harry (co-leader) & Liz Armistead, Beter Bungay, Ed Carlson, Joy Chambers, Sue Clasen, Carolyn & Steve Derby, Kim Hudyman, Barbara Johnson, Page & Robert Lyon, Rob McEachern, Dotty Mumford, Kerry Murphy, Bruce & Kincey Potter, Colin Rees, Bobbi Reichwein, Art Renkwitz, Barbara Ricciardi, Carolyn & Earl Smith, Kevin Smith, Carol Swan, Juanita & Pat Tate, Barry Wells, and Susan Zevin,
A most congenial group. The biggest group I’ve ever led. In the confusion I am sorry I didn’t get to give a special hello to Dotty Mumford, who I think I’ve only met once previously. Thanks to Gerald for giving Liz and me lunch. Complete list (approximate numbers in most cases), 53 species in Dorchester County, but several seen before or after the official birdwalk:
snow goose 1 immature (Art Renkwist saw 100s in the Pig Neck Road area before joining us on the birdwalk). Canada goose 5000. tundra swan 95 (several small flocks arrive and settle in). American black duck 22. mallard 400. northern shoveler 22. northern pintail 20 (but over 1000 seen in a recent survey). green-winged teal 55 (very distant). hooded merganser 20 (a good showing for here). American white pelican 5 (more were seen a few days ago).
great blue heron 7. black vulture 4. turkey vulture 30. bald eagle 30 (incl. a pair on their nest). northern harrier 3. sharp-shinned hawk (seen by HA,LA at Trappe). red-tailed hawk 4. American kestrel 5 (2 of these seen by LA,HA along Egypt Road before the walk). American coot 4. killdeer 0. greater yellowlegs 5 (seen from Rt. 335). dunlin 60 (also seen from Rt. 335). ring-billed gull 85. herring gull 2. great black-backed gull 6 (seen on the Malkus Bridge, Cambridge, by HA,LA). Forster’s tern 12 (may be the latest they have ever been seen in this county).
rock pigeon 22 (Cambridge). mourning dove 1 (Cambridge). belted kingfisher 1. red-headed woodpecker 1. red-bellied woodpecker 1. yellow-bellied sapsucker 1. downy woodpecker 2. eastern phoebe 1 (possibly the “best” bird of the day). blue jay 3.
American crow 18. horned lark 1. Carolina chickadee 3. tufted titmouse 1. brown-headed nuthatch 7 of the little things, in good voice. brown creeper 1.
Carolina wren 3. golden-crowned kinglet 1 (good looks at the crown). eastern bluebird 3. American robin (Pig Neck Road after the walk). northern mockingbird 4. European starling 95. cedar waxwing 2 (Pig Neck Rd.). pine warbler 1. yellow-rumped (myrtle) warbler 10. song sparrow 5. swamp sparrow 2. white-throated sparrow 3. northern cardinal 4. red-winged blackbird 275. eastern meadowlark 1. house finch 3 (Pig Neck Road). American goldfinch 1.
We are lucky to run into a mixed species foraging guild in the woods of the Observation spur road that contains the nuthatches, warblers, titmouse, chickadee, a downy, and others, plus a Fox Squirrel making depredations on Trumpet Creeper seed pods. Later another Fox Squirrel is seen.
42-60°F., clear becoming fair, SW 5 m.p.h., some ice. 9:45 A.M. – 3:45 P.M. Perfect weather. Water levels in tidal areas are very low, those in the impoundments continue to be high. Back at Rigby’s Folly the warmth continues: 56° F. at 8:30 P.M., 52° F. at 9:45 P.M. and clear and dead calm. The Olszewskis kill 2 deer today, and leave us some prime venison plus 50 lbs. of corn.
JANUARY 8, SUNDAY. Rigby’s Folly. Our yard , often without a single bird, is loaded today. 40-54°F., fair or clear, calm becoming WNW 5-10 m.p.h., then NW 10+, then calm at day’s end. Still a surprising amount of submerged aquatic vegetation in the cove. A lot of surface water, only some of the fields just barely driveable. 40 species on the property. Of most interest:
Canada Goose 1800 (resting on the water in front of Tranquility). Tundra Swan 60 (likewise; very vocal at dusk). From Lucy Point: Bufflehead 650, Surf Scoter only 30, Common Goldenye 20, Long-tailed Duck 20, Mallard 1♂, Lesser Scaup 20, Red-breasted Merganser 8. Bald Eagle 2 adults, 1 immature, the adults for a long time at rest on the navigation marker over towards Nelson’s Point. Black 4 & Turkey 30 vultures. Northern Flicker 3. Winter Wren 1 in Woods 2-Olszewski Trails. Eastern Towhee 2. Fox Sparrow 1. Slate-colored Junco 23.
There are frequent courtship flights of Buffleheads going on. In one 6 ♂ are in pursuit of a ♀. Remind me not to be reincarnated as a ♀ waterfowl.
In the yard in the morning birds are everywhere: a flicker, a downy, 6 Blue Jays, a chickadee, a titmouse, 2 Carolina Wrens, a Hermit Thrush, 30 robins, 25 waxwings, 55 starlings, a mockingbird, 12 Myrtle Warblers, 3 Song & 15 White-throated sparrows, 4 cardinals, 5 House Finches, and a Red-tailed Hawk perched 100 feet from our bedroom window with myrtles foraging unconcernedly a few feet away from it.
5 gray squirrels. 1 deer. From Lucy Point we watch the sun set while the luminous
full moon rises directly behind us. Only 1 boat seen all day. One adult swan today, although in good voice, showed an S-shaped neck when in flight – a wounded bird from a state where they endure a hunting season?
Recently a good turnout of squirreleepoos in our Philadelphia yard made for a very Furry Christmas. Today’s five here ensured a Happy Poo Year. Some world class scampering going on.
JANUARY 9, MONDAY. 40 robins in the yard. Just sit around and read, listen to music. Leave by 1:45 P.M. Cold, raw, penetratsio, overcast in spite of the lovely, clear sunset last night, calm, mid to high 30s.
15 Wild Turkeys actively foraging in a field in back of Carroll’s Market N of Route 33 near Easton. Two Bald Eagles along Route 301, one near Sassafras, where a field held 1000s of Snow Geese and a few Blue Geese just SW of the town with 25 Horned Larks nearby. In the few minutes we watch the geese, at some distance, 100s more warily drop in, spiraling down in a great helix. Amusingly enough, this is about ½ a mile away from another field that has c. 800 massed Snow Goose decoys … and no live geese. A Sharp-shinned Hawk in flight S of Wilmington, DE, seen from Route 495. Only 9 Turkey Vultures on the way home, the low count I guess due to the overcast skies with no winds.
Best to all. – Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.
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