Hi Everyone,

I joined Jim Brighton and John Hubbell on Sunday (8/9) for yet another excellent day on the coast. We started at Bayside at dawn and then spent the rest of the morning working the ORV (=OSV) zone and Fox Hill Level. After checks of Skimmer Island and Berlin, we worked our way west checking for shorebirds in Wicomico, Caroline, and Queen Anne's Counties. 

Highlights were five species of migrant warbler at Bayside, including LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (a very rarely detected migrant; new Assateague bird for all of us) and AMERICAN REDSTART; an immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Bayside, recently returned CASPIAN TERNS at three locations, SANDWICH and BLACK TERNs on the ORV zone, two MARBLED GODWITs on Skimmer Island, a migrant CLIFF SWALLOW in Caroline, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and GLOSSY IBIS in Queen Anne's. Here are the full lists from Bayside and the ORV zone, followed by abridged lists from the rest of the day.

Assateague I. NS--Bayside

Brown Pelican--1
Double-crested Cormorant--17
Great Egret--17
Little Blue Heron--7
Tricolored Heron--11
white egret sp.--3
Green Heron--1
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON--1 * Immature. Spotted by John on the beach at Bayside. Distinctive, long-necked profile, dark bill, finely patterned white spots. Diagnostic photos of perched bird. County bird for me and John.
Glossy Ibis--2; flyovers
Peregrine Falcon--1; southbound over the bay; new August bird for me 
peep sp.--3
Laughing Gull--23
Herring Gull (American)--7
Royal Tern--5
Mourning Dove--1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Eastern Kingbird--2
Fish Crow--9
Purple Martin--2
Barn Swallow--8
Carolina Wren--2
American Robin--3
Gray Catbird--5; molting tail feathers
Northern Mockingbird--2
Brown Thrasher--1
European Starling--34
YELLOW WARBLER--7; very active; probably quite a few more than this
PRAIRIE WARBLER--1; our first migrant of the season
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER--1; our first migrant of the season
AMERICAN REDSTART--1; our first migrant of the season
* LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH--1; * Rarely detected migrant. Heard chipping, then tracked down and seen briefly, but well, including a diagnostic look at unmarked throat. 
Northern Cardinal--2
Red-winged Blackbird--8
Boat-tailed Grackle--36
ORCHARD ORIOLE--15; nice flight of Orchard Orioles today, including much vocalizing such as flight calls and chatter
BALTIMORE ORIOLE--2; two well seen; our first migrants of the season
American Goldfinch--1

Assateague I. NS--ORV Zone
Drove the full ORV zone and checked Fox Hill Level twice, where we had many of our shorebirds and herons. A breeze kept the Fox Hill Level mosquitoes almost bearable.

Brown Pelican--36
Double-crested Cormorant--2
Great Egret--7
Snowy Egret--2
Little Blue Heron--1
Cattle Egret--5, feeding with ponies
Osprey--1
Black-bellied Plover--31
Semipalmated Plover--52
Killdeer--1
American Oystercatcher--11
Spotted Sandpiper--1
Willet--2
Willet (Western)--14; all seen well were Western; one juvenile noted
Lesser Yellowlegs--3
Whimbrel (American)--72
Ruddy Turnstone--71; an increase over recent ORV numbers
Sanderling--1210
Semipalmated Sandpiper--26
Least Sandpiper--13
Short-billed Dowitcher--63
Laughing Gull--44
Ring-billed Gull--38
Herring Gull (American)--306; many juveniles
Lesser Black-backed Gull--42
Great Black-backed Gull--76; many juveniles
Least Tern--1; just one roosting Least Tern on full ORV zone
Caspian Tern--9; just returned; two juveniles
Black Tern--1; flew south from end of ORV zone and into Virginia
Common Tern--13
Forster's Tern--15; mostly at Fox Hill Level
Sterna sp.--20; distant and backlit birds
Royal Tern--29
Sandwich Tern--13; several photographed nicely. Two juveniles noted, one of which was photographed
Mourning Dove--3
Eastern Kingbird--1
Horned Lark--3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--1
Tree Swallow--1
Barn Swallow--24
European Starling--100
Common Yellowthroat--1
Eastern Towhee--1
Field Sparrow--2
Song Sparrow--4
Red-winged Blackbird--6
Eastern Meadowlark--1
Boat-tailed Grackle--1
American Goldfinch--1

Eagles Landing Golf Course

Northern Bobwhite--2

Ocean City--Skimmer Island

Brown Pelican--15
Double-crested Cormorant--51
Great Egret--10
Snowy Egret--4
Little Blue Heron--1
Tricolored Heron--1
Cattle Egret--4
American Oystercatcher--7
MARBLED GODWIT--2; two well seen in close proximity to one another; very large and towering over dowitchers, cinnamon wash, long upcurved bicolored bill. Ruled out Bar-tailed.
Ruddy Turnstone--15
Sanderling--42
Short-billed Dowitcher--37
Laughing Gull--4
Herring Gull (American)--78
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Least Tern--10
Caspian Tern--3; recently arrived migrants
Common Tern--110; roosting total; two very young birds had wandered out on the beach and were being fed by one parent
Forster's Tern--2
Royal Tern--133; roosting total; many juveniles
Sandwich Tern--2 adults
Black Skimmer--28
Rock Pigeon--8
Fish Crow--2
European Starling--5
House Sparrow--1

Berlin WWTP

Wood Duck--3
Great Egret--1
Green Heron--2
Semipalmated Plover--7
Killdeer--28
Solitary Sandpiper--2
Semipalmated Sandpiper--102
Least Sandpiper--11
Pectoral Sandpiper--9
Laughing Gull--51

Oakwood Turf Farm, Wicomico Co.

Semipalmated Plover--1
Killdeer--281
Least Sandpiper--11
Pectoral Sandpiper--1

Tanyard Marsh

Wood Duck--8
Great Egret--1
Osprey--2
Common Moorhen--1 juvenile
Semipalmated Plover--4
Lesser Yellowlegs--2
Least Sandpiper--13
Laughing Gull--9
Ring-billed Gull--2
Caspian Tern--2; one adult, one juvenile
Forster's Tern--14

Dion Road Pond--Rte 313 x Dion Road

Solitary Sandpiper--1; my county closeout (#109)
Lesser Yellowlegs--1
Least Sandpiper--5

Ridgely WWTP

Semipalmated Plover--6
Killdeer--9
Spotted Sandpiper--11
Lesser Yellowlegs--1
Horned Lark--1
Bank Swallow--20
CLIFF SWALLOW--1; rarely detected migrant in the county

Easton Airport

Checked for Uppies. Only expected species such as Eastern Meadowlarks, Blue Grosbeaks, Grasshopper Sparrow.

Rte. 309 Ponds--South Pond

Wood Duck--1
Green Heron--1
Semipalmated Plover--2
Killdeer--5
Lesser Yellowlegs--6
Semipalmated Sandpiper--12
Least Sandpiper--3
Pectoral Sandpiper--8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--1

John Brown Road, QA Co.

Northern Bobwhite--1
Killdeer--153
Semipalmated Sandpiper--1
Least Sandpiper--15
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER--1; first of fall
Pectoral Sandpiper--1
Horned Lark--3
Grasshopper Sparrow--1

Bennett Point Road

Checked the small ponds, then did a short, late-afternoon sky watch because there was a storm approaching from the north. Reward was a flyover GLOSSY IBIS, a county bird for John and only my second in Queen Anne's.

Great Egret--10
GLOSSY IBIS--1; flyover at dusk; county bird for John
Solitary Sandpiper--1
Grasshopper Sparrow--1

I hope to post some photos tomorrow night, to include a few nice close-ups of roosting Caspian and Sandwich Terns (adults and juveniles). 

Have a good week!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com