[MDOsprey] Birding Hurricane Floyd (Part 2 of 4) - where to go
Miliff@aol.com
Wed, 15 Sep 1999 16:16:58 EDT
Hello all,
As many of you are realizing, the most recent models (Weather Channel
1:00 EDT) predict Hurricane Floyd to make landfall in the Carolinas this
evening (Wed, Sep. 15) and to pass overland to the Chesapeake, with the
center of the storm passing sometime tomorrow afternoon. It looks like the
center could pass right over, west, or east of the Chesapeake Bay, but the
latter is looking most likely now. Either of the former two tracks are ideal
for depositing tubenoses and terns (especially Sooty Tern) in the Chesapeake
Bay region, and the latter will almost certainly be productive also.
Conventional wisdom is that the stronger (and more dangerous) Northeast
quadrant is best for finding vagrant seabirds, and this has proven true in
most cases. However, there are many notable exceptions (e.g., White-tailed
Tropicbird in Staunton, VA, Oct 15, 1954 following Hurricane Hazel - this was
well west of the storm's track) and anywhere in the state could be
productive.
With the large subscribership to MD Osprey these days communication
within the MD Birding Community has reached new heights and we have the
potential for a coordinated attack on local areas. If you can get out at
all, during a lunch break, before or after work, or, ideally, all day, your
observations will be of great interest. Please take note of ALL species
seen, and any observations on behavior of the birds in the storm. Ned
Brinkley and others noted some very interesting movements of humminbirds and
Chimney Swifts and other passerines within Hurricane Fran in September 1996.
Remember also that noting the movements of common seabirds (Laughing Gulls,
Common Terns, Brown Pelicans) is also of interest. If you use a
microcassette recorder at work this might be the best way to record some of
this data, since the wind and rain and urge to find that Herald Petrel will
prevent most of us from taking notes during the storm!
Below I provide some ideas for strategy and areas of coverage and hope
you will all chime in to report where and when you might be able to check
certain areas.
First I want to say that anytime almost from now on can be productive for
storm-transported birds. Dave Czaplak sent a post a while back about the
Sooty Terns he saw in the early afternoon Sep. 6, 1996, as the eye of Fran
was still in southern VA. There are other examples of birds moving far ahead
of the storm front, and especially, of coastal birds being moved close to
shore or fleeing northward with the strong E winds. Ocean City could use
some coverage today, if possible. During passage will be the best single
time to be afield, obviously, and anywhere across MD could be productive,
especially bodies of water. Points within or east of the eye (or dissipated
eye) are typically best. After the storm's passage your strategy should
change. Most species will depart the area very soon after the storm's
passage. Inland lakes and reservoirs are not likely to be very productive.
For example, in the large fallout at Kerr Res during the passage of Hurricane
Fran in Sep 1996, only a few Cory's Shearwaters remained the next day, while
the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel had a notable southward movement of Black-
capped Petrels, Cory's Shearwaters, Sooty Terns, Bridled Terns, and other
species. By all means though, if you live inland and cannot make it to the
Bay or the coast, get out to those lakes anyway!
Note that most pelagic birds seem at least somewhat RELUCTANT TO CROSS
BRIDGES once over the water. In NC they seem to have been concentrated in
the sounds near bridges which they were not seen to cross. At the
Bridge-Tunnel birds were flying through the breaks rather than over the
spans. Birds moving south and encountering a bridge (i.e. Wilson Bridge,
Rte. 301 bridge, Bay Bridge) may bottleneck there. The Leach's Storm-
Petrels in Assawoman Bay during Bertha July 1996 may have done this to some
degree.
I also want to say, about dead birds, please be sure to save (or at least
note) anything you find, even common species. Get the specimens into a
freezer as soon as you can, and perhaps save them in a cooler until then. It
will be interesting to note the physical condition of the dead birds found
(were they starving? — probably not in a fast moving storm like this). Of
course any vagrant or rarity specimen should be photographed AND preserved.
Systematic searches of the beaches of Assateague (anyone with a 4-wheel drive
vehicle want to drive Assateague on Saturday or Sunday? Great Egret?), Ocean
City, of the Bay, lakes, and reservoirs could produce some of the most
interesting and valuable information. Besides, some of the birds may be
moribund but still breathing, right? Really, though this would be very
valuable. After Fran in 1996 one observer walked some 50 mi of shoreline
along the Great Lakes and found 20+ specimens of Sooty Tern and Black-capped
Petrel. After Dennis (just weeks ago) Cory's Shearwater and Manx Shearwaters
were found on the beach at Chincoteague, and Audubon's and Cory's Shearwaters
were found on the Outer Banks. Cory's Shearwater specimens are of particular
interest since museum examination may be able to determine which of three
subspecies it is: one (borealis) is common, one (diomedea) is a vagrant known
from NY, and one (edwardsii) is unknown in North America and a likely split!
TIMING: As I have said before and will say below several times, you may want
to plan your location differently depending on where the storm heads. My
plan of attack might be this: Pick a good spot (many listed below) and stay
there for the entirety of the storm's passage, perhaps saving the last few
hours of the day, depending on luck so far, to check other locations (i.e. if
I spent all day at Violette's Lock, I might save time for a run to Black
hills Res. and Triadelphia). After the storm's passage (i.e. this weekend
for you workaholics) I would do one of three things: 1) Get on the Point
Lookout to Smith I. ferry!!!! which should be fascinating 2) camp out at
Point Lookout, along the Potomac, along the Susquehanna, at Ocean City or
somewhere else I thought birds might be moving or 3) check some lakes that
haven't been covered for the slim chance at something staying around (might
be a good time to go to Western MD. Once I think moving birds have died down
(perhaps Sunday) I would try looking for dead ones, especially on Assateague.
The following site guides are arranged from West to East. Thus, the most
productive areas (given the storm's predicted track) are at the end. Home
for most of us will be in the middle. Keep in mind that wind direction may
strongly influence your decision to go to the Eastern or Western Shore of the
Bay, as it may shift seabirds from one side to the other. If you are
planning on going to Sandy Point but the wind is westerly, consider Terrapin
Pt. Park or Blackwalnut Point instead.
WESTERN MD: Best strategy I think would be to decide to do a seawatch at
either Deep Creek Lake or Rocky Gap. Both have good shelters which will be
ideal for sheltering you from the elements. Deep Creek Lake is very large
with many branches, so it will be impossible to cover it all. You will be
best served to bird the area right around the Rte. 219 bridge and along the
south shore just west of there, as this is the widest portion and most easily
accessed. You may also want to consider a seawatch at Jennings Randolph Lake
in the extreme south, but the easiest access there is from West Virginia, and
it has never been that appealing for birds in general (ocean birds may go
after different features than migrant ducks and loons though!). Drop in at
Broadford Reservoir, Piney Run Reservoir, and Little Meadows Lake also, but I
think you are best off STAYING at one location rather than dashing from one
to the next. Storm-blown birds in these situations often do no stay long.
At Deep Creek you can cruise the roads along the shore and scan though, and
this is probably the best plan. Broadford Res. is close enough for a quick
look though. Remember that there are NO records for Laughing Gull, Great
Black-backed Gull, Royal or Sandwich terns, Brown Pelican, Black Skimmer, or
even a number of other common coastal species in Western MD.
CENTRAL MD: Again, check those lakes. Piney Run in Carroll County, Liberty
and Loch Raven Reservoirs in Baltimore County, and Triadelphia and Black
Hills Reservoirs, and even Centennial Park are all good places to park your
car and watch. If Broadford Dam is still closed that may knock Triadelphia
Res. out of the running. Again, I would recommend staying at one location
for a good while, as storm waifs may only stay briefly. Any of these lakes
could very likely have Sooty Terns, as well as Royal, Sandwich, and others.
I doubt tubenoses would set down on the smaller ones (like Centennial Lake)
but who knows! Sabine's Gull seems like a great chance on lakes of any size.
POTOMAC RIVER ABOVE DC: Inland, this is undoubtedly the best place to be, at
least up through Washington County. Seneca, Violette's Lock, and several
other access points are the place to go in Montgomery County and are all
areas with an incredible track record for attracting those birds that don't
want to be inalnd and are lookingn for a body of water/a route back to the
coast (consider the records of White Pelican (2), Great Cormorant, both
phalaropes (several), Arctic Tern, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Pomarine
Jaeger, all from this section). The river also has the potential for a
flight line setting up as displaced birds move back towards the coast. Above
Montgomery County the access points are Noland's Ferry & Point of Rocks
(Frederick County), Sandy Hook, Dam #5 Rd. and Four Locks Rd. (Washington
County), and Oldtown/Spring Gap (Allegany County). Several of these spots do
NOT have shelter, so take that into consideration. At some point though the
river gets too small, I expect, and by the time you get up to Hancock your
time would be better spent at Big Pool (just east of Hancock) or Rocky Gap
SP. The Potomac will certainly be THE inland place to be after the storm's
passage as displaced birds may be moving down the river.
POTOMAC RIVER IN AND BELOW DC: This section should be fantastic, and has a
good track record (Roseate Tern, Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Cory's Shearwater,
and possible Black-capped Petrel during Fran 1996). Try any area with a good
view of the river such as Haines Pt., the pelican viewing areas covered
recently, Fort Washington, Potomac Heights/Indian Head, Marshall Hall, Gov
Harry Nice (Rte. 301) bridge, or Cobb Island. Far better, cross state lines
and bird from the Virginia shore which provides better views. Belle Haven,
fort hunt Park, Mason Neck area, and especially Colonial Beach (s. of Rte.
301) all give great views! Again, I expect the birds to be moving from
N-S/W-E in search of the ocean, but this may depend based on wind conditions.
Birds are likely to be roosting only around the Wilson Bridge I think.
SAINT MARY'S COUNTY & POINT LOOKOUT: I am sure Patty Craig ad her team will
cover this one well but I note that it would be tragic not to have AT LEAST
TWO observers at the point itself, all day long, one scanning each side of
the peninsula. This has the potential to reveal a lot about where and how
the birds are moving. Walkie talkies (headsets available for $30 in
Wal-Mart) might be a good idea here... It certainly is one of the best
places to be, given the confluence of the Bay and the Potomac, both potential
flight line places. Also, it is the only easy access to the wide, ocean-like
section of the Lower Bay. Finally, the tern flocks that are regular here
should be attractive to rarities: Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Arctic Tern,
Sabine's Gull... But if you find yourself in a crowd here and have already
seen the Black-capped Petrels, Sooty Terns, and White-tailed Tropicbirds :-)
consider a hop north to St. George Island or even just to Cornfield Harbor.
It would be interesting to compare notes with those at the tip. Looks like
Kyle will have the Base (Patuxent River Naval Air Station) covered.
***POINT LOOKOUT TO SMITH ISLAND FERRY: As soon as it's safe we should make
sure there are some birders aboard, if it is still running (I think it runs
weekends through the end of September). It costs $20 but passes through the
"great unknown" of the Central Bay. This is undoubtedly where the
concentration of oceanic birds will occur and if Thursday or Friday was good
and you couldn't get out, be sure to be on that boat. The more eyes the
better. When on Smith Island try to walk the shoreline for carcasses and
check the roosting flock on the sandbar to the north (if it's not too
flooded) for rarities or White Pelicans.
WESTERN SHORE: The good spots here are clear: Cove Point (no shelter),
Governor's Run (should be good shelter), North Beach (Chesapeake Ave. At
north end of town has good access where you can park a car, though finding a
dry window to look through will be impossible in east winds and rain), Sandy
Point (great shelter), Bay Ridge (no shelter, but maybe you can pull off),
Hillsmere Beach in Annapolis (provides view of mouth of South River — if you
see birds moving upriver stop by my house and see if you can see them from my
yard!). Hopefully Gene will be out at Hart-Miller by Saturday or Sunday, I
am sure Rick Blom will do what can be done in "coastal" Harford, but the
flats at Havre de Grace will be worth several checks.
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER: The same phenomenon discussed for the Potomac should be
going on on the Susquehanna. Conojehola Flats in Lancaster County upriver
have been a gold mine for Pennsylvania birders, as have other sections of the
river during fallouts of seabirds. Try to get to the access points above
Conowingo Dam Check a map, go to the Cecil County side, look for the small
road leading down to the river shore and railroad tracks - this is where the
Pacific Loon was seen in 1997. I'll be surprised if there aren't some neat
downriver movements going on. Conowingo Dam may bottleneck the birds
somewhat too, but I expect less from the rocky, island strewn section
downriver if only because viewing is more difficult and some birds may be
lost on the far side.
TURKEY POINT: Along with the Susquehanna, probably the best spot for Cecil
birders.
EASTERN SHORE: A number of great bayside spots to check. Jim Stasz will be at
Hooper's Island, so try to cover somewhere new (unless you are hoping for
some of his "rare bird aura"). Blackwalnut Point, Talbot, is an obvious
choice, but Jan Reese may be there. Eastern Neck NWR has some good viewing
locations. A good choice is Terrapin Point Park in Queen Anne's County (take
first exit after Bay Bridge, go North, make your first left into industrial
park. Then make first right, then first left, and look for the park in 200 m
on your left. Unfortunately it is a 1/4 mi walk to the beach and the small
shelter will only protect from rain in non-windy conditions. Better would be
to pull into the marina on the southeast side of the Bay Bridge in your car
and scan from the car. Kent Point does not have a good view. Some locations
along the Choptank River west of the Rte. 50 Bridge will give a great view of
the Choptank River (where Harry Armistead had Sooty Tern and Brown Pelican
during Fran). In Wicomico County go to Bivalve and the trailer park at
Nanticoke, in the extreme south. In Somerset County, Chance at Deal Island
has a bay view, and the end of Rumbly Point Rd. would be worth a check but
the marsh may be flooded. If you want Caroline County first records (i.e.
everything remotely oceanic except phalaropes and Black Skimmer ) go to
Choptank and sit, watching for a flight down the Choptank River.
THE COAST: I am hoping Mark Hoffman is already down there... Ocean City Inlet
is the obvious place to scan the ocean, given the chance of parking your car
such that wind and rain doesn't slow you down. Some of the shelters on the
beach at Assateague Island might be good too, ditto Mark's 83rd street
location in OC if the Inlet is closed. Be sure to take an hour or so to
check the flats on Skimmer Island, flocks roosting elsewhere on the Bay side
etc. Also DO NOT IGNORE the bayside locations (Assawoman, Sinepuxent, and
Chincoteague Bays). The backside of barrier islands have had great results
in NC where tubenoses were trapped for two weeks after Bonnie 1998! The
Leach's Storm-Petrels that Jim and I saw in Bertha 1996 were feeding around
Skimmer I. And also farther n. along Assawoman Bay in Ocean City. For a
while one was right off one of the docks and flying into the wind - I was
able to get some interesting photos. Check especially areas around bridges
(Rte. 50, Rte 611 to Assateague, and Rte. 90 in Ocean City ) where birds may
bottleneck (depending on which way birds are moving). A location I have been
thinking about for a while is Public Landing, east of Snow Hill where there
is an excellent shelter.
I am not sure to what extent birds will be moving down the coast itself, but
some VA birders have had good luck at places like Ft. Story and Back Bay
during Bertha, Fran, and Dennis. Finally, as I said before, I hope someone
will walk or drive the beaches after the storm for carcasses. Save those
Cory's Shearwater specimens, you may have a new North American record!
Hope this helps give y'all some ideas. Wish I was there to help out!
Best,
Marshall Iliff
miliff@aol.com