Hi Everyone,

Jim Brighton and I led a Montgomery Bird Club field trip to the Somerset marshes yesterday (2/11). The weather forecast was intimidating, so we semi-canceled the trip. We tried our best to lower expectations and encourage people to opt out of the cold, wet, windy day that seemed certain. This is a dedicated, hard-core group, though, and most of the participants showed up anyway! The weather was gloomy, but restrained itself enough for us to function until the last minutes of daylight. We began the day at Rumbly Point Road in lower Somerset Co.

Rumbly Point featured ideal mudflats that had attracted good numbers of GREATER (16) and LESSER YELLOWLEGS (14), DUNLIN (93), and WILSON'S SNIPE (9). A PEREGRINE FALCON offered nice views both perched and in flight, and a flock of 12 SNOW GEESE roosting on the marsh proper was an uncommon sight in the county. Rounding out the suite of nice but expected species here were NORTHERN HARRIERs (4), VIRGINIA RAILs (2), singing EASTERN MEADOWLARKs (4), and BOAT-TAILED GRACKLEs (3). The open water to the south held a large raft of 2600+ RUDDY DUCKs, 400+ SCAUP, and smaller numbers of COMMON GOLDENEYE (3), CANVASBACK (7), and REDHEAD (1; Jim B. only).

Crisfield held only small numbers of expected species, but we did note a surge of HOODED MERGANSERs throughout the day. Two of our three RED-SHOULDERED HAWKs (uncommon in county) were along Crisfield Highway east of town.

Riley Roberts Road in Deal WMA is very exciting right now, hosting a nice diversity of dabbling ducks, rare-in-winter waders, and the continuing AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN found by Ron Gutberlet on 2/2. We counted 13 GREAT EGRETs, four SNOWY EGRETs, five TRICOLORED HERONs, and nine BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONs along Riley Roberts Road at mid-day. Also present in the area were BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES (4), a GRAY CATBIRD, and a FOX SPARROW.

Polks Road in northern Somerset Co. continues to host a large Canada Goose flock that has attracted GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE since at least 1/22. The group was excited to quickly locate FOUR Greater White-fronted Geese in just moments, allowing great scope views for all. While departing, the geese flushed and Jim Moore spotted a SNOW GOOSE that hadn't been visible on the ground.

Some people were interested in localized riparian/woodland species in Somerset Co., so we worked locations along Dividing Creek in hopes of species such as White-breasted Nuthatch and Barred Owl. With the gloomy weather, it was painfully quiet, easily the fewest birds we've ever seen at these sites.

We headed back to Deal Island WMA and visited Messick Road, Chance Inlet, and the town of Wenona. We found small numbers of expected species, noting BELTED KINGFISHERs at five sites in a row. One was perched on a rock jetty and then seen in flight over open water west of Chance Inlet. There was a Peregrine Falcon on the hack tower at the Messick Road boat ramp. At Wenona, I heard a distant CLAPPER RAIL, a new February species for me and a month closeout (noted in all 12 months in Maryland).

We ended the day at Riley Roberts Road in Deal Island WMA. The pull-off still hosted the AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN and white egrets. We positioned ourselves at the southern end of the road, noting intimidating weather arriving rapidly from the west. As Jim Brighton described the habits of wintering AMERICAN BITTERNs, we had a truly memorable encounter. A bittern lifted out of the marsh nearby and flew right past us, between members of our party, only feet away and at eye level. The exclamations of awe, combined with the arriving storm, made for quite a moment. We spotted a total of three bitterns, but the storm cut short our dusk watch as sleet suddenly began to fall. The sleet escorted us out of Somerset Co., and snow followed us until about the Nanticoke River as we worked west.

Quite a day! The bird gods like persistence.

Participants: Michael Bender, Jim Brighton, Kathy Calvert, Linda Friedland, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Jennifer Kawar, Stephanie Lovell, Jim Moore, Helen Patton, Evelyn Ralston.

A few full eBird reports are linked below:

Rumbly Point
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9812195

Riley Roberts Road
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9812482

Polks Road
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9812555

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com

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