The defending US Big Sit champions "Sitting on our Assateague" were back again this year.  However, we completely acknowledged the fluke that was last year and were back to hoping for 80 species.  The goal was accomplished and we were all pleased to come up with 91 species in the 9 hours we were sitting.  The highlights for us was a very cooperative Clay-colored Sparrow that put on a show for the multiple digital cameras present (Common complaint: "I couldn't get closer than 4 feet").  Photos can be seen Bill Hubick's page.  Unfortunately an Orange-crowned Warbler was not as cooperative and was only seen by a few.  We had a decent flight of Myrtle Warblers with Cape May being the second most common warbler.  This year we were really hurting for ducks and shorebirds, but did pick up a few new species for the Sit: Great Horned Owl, Orange-crowned Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, and Clay-colored Sparrow.  We also had an excellent turnout and I'd like to thank everyone who participated.  Mark Hoffman (the list keeper), Jim Stasz, Zach Baer, Mike Burchett, Hans Holbrook, Dave Powell, George Jett, Gwen Brewer, Kevin Graff, Stan Arnold, Bill Hubick, Lou Nielsen, and ...(I apologize, I didn't write down the name of last person, send it to me and I'll include it in the write-up to BWD.)


Assateague Island/Bayside/Point
10/10/2004

“The Big Sit”
0500-1400

Common Loon - 8
Brown Pelican - 40
Double-crested Cormorant - 800
Great Cormorant - 6
Great Blue Heron - 26
Great Egret - 40
Snowy Egret - 15
Little Blue Heron - 6
Tricolored Heron - 3
Black-crowned Night Heron - 1
Black Vulture – 3 (South Point = 2)
Turkey Vulture – 17 (South Point = 15)
Canada Goose - 25
Wood Duck - 1
American Black Duck - 20
Mallard - 1
Northern Pintail - 1
Black Scoter – 18
Osprey - 8
Bald Eagle - 2 
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3
Red-tailed hawk – 1 (South Point)
Peregrine Falcon - 4
Semipalmated Plover - 1
Killdeer - 2
American Oystercatcher - 1
Sanderling - 10
peep (sp.) (Western/Semipalmated) - 1
dowitcher (sp.) - 1
Laughing Gull - 200
Ring-billed Gull - 20
Herring Gull - 150
Great Black-backed Gull - 15
Caspian Tern - 2
Royal Tern - 40
Forster's Tern - 1
Rock Dove – 10 (South Point)
Mourning Dove - 2
Great Horned Owl - 2 (South Point = 1)
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Northern Flicker - 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3
Eastern Phoebe - 4
White-eyed Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 2
Fish Crow - 80
Tree Swallow - 130
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3
Carolina Wren - 2
House Wren - 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush - 8
Swainson's Thrush - 15
American Robin - 20
Gray Catbird - 6
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Brown Thrasher - 1
European Starling - 40
Cedar Waxwing - 2
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 2
Cape May Warbler - 33
Yellow-rumped (myrtle) Warbler - 220
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 16 (8 western, 8 unknown)
Bay-breasted Warbler - 1
Blackpoll Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 2
Common Yellowthroat - 1
Eastern Towhee - 2
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Clay-colored Sparrow – 1 (photos)
Savannah Sparrow - 2
Song Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 1
Dark-eyed (slate-colored) Junco - 2
Northern Cardinal - 1
Indigo Bunting - 1
Bobolink - 8
Red-winged Blackbird - 80
Eastern Meadowlark - 4
Common Grackle - 1
Boat-tailed Grackle - 200
Brown-headed Cowbird – 20
Baltimore Oriole - 2
Purple Finch - 1
House Finch - 10
American Goldfinch - 1



Matt Hafner
Bel Air, MD