The note below is provided on behalf of Talbot Bird Club Member Diane Cole
of Cambridge, MD.
 
Les Roslund
Talbot County
Easton MD 21601
 
-----Original Message-----
From: WDiane Cole [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:26 PM
Subject: Female Barrow's goldeneye Jan 15th, et al


On 1/15, Danny Poet and I traveled to the Hoopers Islands in search of the
possible female Barrow's goldeneye, reported by Harry Armistead the previous
day.  Around 11:15 a.m., we spied a small, dark duck in the company of a
male Oldsquaw close to the shoreline on the Bay side of the south causeway
to Middle Hoopers.  Upon closer inspection, it was a female goldeneye with a
short, bright yellow beak- a Barrow's!  When Danny tried to get a photo, she
flew south and we were unable to find her again.
 
The NG Birds of North America shows only 3 ducks with mostly bright yellow
beaks:  mallards, early summer male long-tailed ducks, and the female
goldeneye.  The early summer male l-t has a conspicuous white eye patch
around its dark head, whereas the goldeneye does not have an eye patch, nor
a dark eye.
 
Other interesting finds were horned grebe and the oystercatcher, viewed from
Lindy Seafood on Steamboat Wharf Rd- Middle Hoopers, and many tree swallows
flying along the Honga River on the south end of Hoopersville Rd.  A small
group of Lesser yellowlegs was hunkered down amongst marsh grasses on the
Upper Hoopers Island end of the causeway to Middle Hoopers.
 
We noticed the black needlerush in the salt marsh is already greening up,
the result of this unusually warm winter.
 
We passed a Delmarva fox squirrel alongside MD 335 not far out of Golden
Hill on the way to Fishing Creek.  On the way back, we stopped in the refuge
visitor center and watched the video cam of a pair of eagles in their nest.
The female situated some sticks around her body, then settled down in the
little hollow she created.  She should be laying soon.
 
We spied 22-23 white pelicans near the end of the wildlife drive.  They were
facing into the wind, so they were best observed on the little spur road
that leaves the wildlife drive to MD 335.
 
Lots of shovelers and "The Other Long-tailed Duck" on the right side of the
wildlife drive just past the entrance.
 
We didn't find a eurasian collared dove, but the blustery afternoon kept
small birds grounded.
 
Diane Cole


 


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