Hi Everyone,
I spent all day Saturday birding the lower Eastern Shore with Jim Brighton and Mikey Lutmerding. It was a beautiful spring day to be out birding, and the highlights came steadily throughout the day. In addition to a number of new arrivals, by far the most exciting moment of the day came when Mikey spotted a large flock of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs kettling high over Blackwater NWR. We photographed exactly 39 birds soaring in a kettle and were able to confirm that the Key Wallace bird was relaxing on his favorite mudflat at the same time. I'm pretty sure that 40 is the new state high count for American White Pelican. Quite a sight!
Here are the abridged eBird lists for Saturday:
Bucktown Road, Dorchester Co.
Wood Duck--10
Great Egret--7. Roosting in trees beside a pond.
Killdeer--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Bestpitch Ferry Road, a woodland stop
Wood Duck--2
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Pine Warbler--3
Eastern Towhee--1
Bestpitch Marshes
Canada Goose--2
American Black Duck--3
Green-winged Teal (American)--193
Osprey--2
Bald Eagle--3
Northern Harrier--2
Greater Yellowlegs--7
Lesser Yellowlegs--10
PECTORAL SANDPIPER--1
Dunlin--106
Ring-billed Gull--3
Herring Gull (American)--1
Tree Swallow--1
Brown Thrasher--One singing bird's repertoire included excellent renditions of Common Moorhen and Red-headed Woodpecker.
Elliott Island Road
Canada Goose--10
Mute Swan--6
Gadwall--1 heard
American Black Duck--15
Blue-winged Teal--3
Green-winged Teal (American)--12
Greater/Lesser Scaup--3
Ruddy Duck--1440. * 2750 more at the boat landing. Counted carefully by 5s.
Great Blue Heron--4
Osprey--1
Bald Eagle--5
Northern Harrier--5. Viewed an impressive, undulating display flight near Moorhen Pond. Female watching adult male, another adult male flying nearby.
Greater Yellowlegs--29
Lesser Yellowlegs--14
Dunlin--300
Ring-billed Gull--2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Blue Jay--1
Brown-headed Nuthatch--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--6
Pine Warbler--1
Eastern Towhee--1
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)--2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--1
Elliott Island Boat Landing
Lesser Scaup--21
Ruddy Duck--2750. * Carefully counted by 5s and 10s depending on distance. 1440 more seen along Elliott Island Road.
Northern Gannet--1
Double-crested Cormorant--1
Bald Eagle--8
Northern Harrier--1
Dunlin--1
Forster's Tern--1
Brown Thrasher--2
Vienna--Indiantown Road Pond
Ring-necked Duck--7
Pied-billed Grebe--3
Osprey--3
Laughing Gull--6
Ring-billed Gull--12
Horned Lark--2
Tree Swallow--20
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--1
Shiloh Church Turf Farm
Tundra Swan--2
Killdeer--4
Greater Yellowlegs--37
Lesser Yellowlegs--3
Bonaparte's Gull--2
Horned Lark--4
Tree Swallow--1
Hurlock WWTP
Ruddy Duck--27
Killdeer--2
Tree Swallow--2
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Canada Goose--170
Tundra Swan--12
American Wigeon--3
American Black Duck--10
Mallard--17
Northern Shoveler--37
Northern Pintail--4
Green-winged Teal (American)--50
Ring-necked Duck--2
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN--40. ** Probably the new state high count. Exactly 39 kettling high near the entrance to the wildlife drive. Mikey spotted 36 birds, which were quickly joined by 3 more. Photos show exact count of 39 AWPEs. The 40th bird is the long-staying individual that was present at Seward's on Key Wallace Drive, present while the 39 birds were up.
Great Blue Heron--3
Turkey Vulture--8
Osprey--4
Bald Eagle--3
American Coot--7
Greater Yellowlegs--5
Lesser Yellowlegs--4
Ring-billed Gull--5
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--1
Tree Swallow--26
Pine Warbler--3
(Upper) Hooper Island
Lesser Scaup--2
Greater/Lesser Scaup--45
Surf Scoter--55
Long-tailed Duck--2
Bufflehead--117
Common Loon--9
Horned Grebe--9
Northern Gannet--12
Great Blue Heron--7
Great Egret--4
Osprey--8
Bald Eagle--1
Ring-billed Gull--7
Herring Gull (American)--4
Forster's Tern--1
Tree Swallow--1
Eastern Bluebird--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--2
Middle Hooper Island
Canada Goose--1
Greater/Lesser Scaup--400
Surf Scoter--121
Black Scoter--1. Overdue county bird for Bill and Mikey. My #250 in Dorchester Co.
Long-tailed Duck--4
Bufflehead--104
Common Loon--6
Horned Grebe--37. High count. Pair displaying to each other. Many photos of close birds in near breeding plumage. One bird vocalized.
Northern Gannet--10
Great Blue Heron--3
Great Egret--15
SNOWY EGRET--1. Our first of the year. First in Maryland for the year were two at North Beach by Jim Stasz. My Maryland early date by one day.
Turkey Vulture--4
Bald Eagle--4
Northern Harrier--1
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Ring-billed Gull--2
Herring Gull (American)--1
Forster's Tern--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--3
Song Sparrow--1
Boat-tailed Grackle--6
Golden Hill--Route 335
Tree Swallow--2
BARN SWALLOW--1. Great spot by Mikey. Our first of the year and our first in March.
Salisbury Landfill
** The new road past the pond is now open, including a nice wide shoulder, providing excellent views.
Canada Goose--26
Turkey Vulture--10
Laughing Gull--850. Impressive count. Nearby groups counted by 5s, then a couple distant flocks estimated by 20s quickly as they picked up.
Ring-billed Gull--1
Herring Gull (American)--430
Great Black-backed Gull--3
Fish Crow--50
Ocean City Inlet
Common Eider--28
Surf Scoter--55
Black Scoter--31
dark-winged scoter sp.--135
Long-tailed Duck--2
Red-throated Loon--4
Common Loon--5
Northern Gannet--25
Double-crested Cormorant--3
GREAT CORMORANT--1. Spotted by Mikey as it flew in the inlet with a DCCO
Laughing Gull--6
Ring-billed Gull--32
Herring Gull (American)--55
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Rock Pigeon--20
Ocean City--Skimmer Island
Brant (Atlantic)--30
Canada Goose--2
Mallard--6
Northern Shoveler--10. * Unusual location. Roosting along the island itself.
Bufflehead--1
Red-breasted Merganser--9
Double-crested Cormorant--10
Great Blue Heron--2
Great Egret--1
Snowy Egret--3
TRICOLORED HERON--1. * First of the year for us. My first in March.
Osprey--1
Black-bellied Plover--1
American Oystercatcher--15
Ruddy Turnstone--2
Sanderling--3
Dunlin--1
Ring-billed Gull--35
Herring Gull (American)--465
Great Black-backed Gull--35
Nutters Neck WMA
Hoping for American Woodcock at dusk. Mikey spotted one while we drove through the woods after dark, but I missed it. Spring Peepers and NJ Chorus Frogs vocal throughout area.
Canada Goose--2
Killdeer--1
American Woodcock--1
Great Horned Owl--2
Brown Thrasher--4
Good birding,
Bill
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
http://www.billhubick.com |