My kid had a long lacrosse tournament in Chaptico yesterday, so after dropping him off I went down to Pt Lookout for a little birding.  It was quite warm and late for birding when I arrived  (10:30), so I wasn't expecting much but had a few nice surprises with 38 species in just over an hour.  There were about 15 people at the point doing a trash pick-up and they had the place pretty scoured, which dashed my hope of finding a purple sandpiper or something good hiding in the nooks and crannies.  But I was pleased to find an early BARN SWALLOW that was foraging and resting in the area, calling frequently.  There was also a lone Tree Swallow that flew over and briefly the two swallows chattered at each other and then TRES left.  The BARS was my earliest date ever for MD, and beat my old record by a whopping 19 days!

On the small exposed bar just south of the tip there were a few birds of interest including a Brown Pelican, three LAUGHING GULLs (full breeding plumage; also beats my early record for MD by 3 days), plus 3 Dunlin and a small group of Sanderlings were feeding.  All the shorebirds were still in winter plumage, and I am guessing they over-wintered somewhere in the region, but was curious if they may have also been north-bound migrants.  Has anyone that birds here been seeing them there this winter or spring?

There were no birds on the tower structure south of the tip, and only a handfull of waterfowl species (Long-tl Duck 29, Bufflehd 88, Red-br Merg 2, Red-th Loon 2, Common Loon 8, Horned Grebe 9).

I also saw a lone male Rusty Blackbird in breeding plumage, very handsome.
 
The pines along the road as you come through the park were full of Pine Warblers.  Everyplace I stopped their song was heard, they seemed ubiquitous.

Also of interest, I spoke briefly with another birder (I did not know him) who mentioned he had a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the picnic area.  So I went there and looked around for it for about 15 minutes, but did not find it and had to leave then.  A nice consolation prize was two Fox Sparrows, always a treat to see.  I don't know what MD's early date for BGGN is, but I am guessing this is extraordinarily early also.

Cheers!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD

############################

To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1