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7 Nov Rusty Blackbirds etc. at Jug Bay [Jeff Shenot ] 7 Nov AA County Golden Eagle [Joanne Howl ] 7 Nov Gannets, Scoter & Scaup - Shady Side [Terry Crowe ] 7 Nov Trying for Franklin's Gull [diane Ford ] 7 Nov Lamb's Knoll [Gerald & Laura Tarbell ] 7 Nov Bay Ridge 11-7-09 [Dan Haas ] 6 Nov Golden Eagle at Cromwell Valley Park [James Meyers ] 6 Nov Rusty Blackbird etc. in Columbia [Jim Wilkinson ] 6 Nov Assateague--Bayside--11/6/2009 [Ronald Gutberlet ] 6 Nov Franklin's Gull -- Schoolhouse Pond 11/6/09 [Jim Brighton ] 6 Nov Blackwater - no godwits [sally wech ] 6 Nov Herrington Harbor & Mayo Beach , 11/6/09 [James Tyler Bell ] 6 Nov Injured Bald Eagle Alert [Marian Dodson ] 6 Nov FW: Birding Community E-bulletin - November 2009 [Norm Saunders ] 5 Nov Re: Carroll Co. Birds 11/5/09 [Rick Sussman ] 5 Nov Purple Finch, Chas Cty [Carol Ghebelian ] 5 Nov Infant White-breasted Nuthatch found on Nov 4! [les ] 5 Nov junco question and Turkey Point update [Patricia Valdata ] 5 Nov Carroll Co. Birds 11/5/09 [Bob Ringler ] 5 Nov Re: Brant at Fort McHenry (11/5) [Keith Eric Costley ] 5 Nov Sedge Wren - Montgomery County - CORRECTION [Jim Green ] 5 Nov Sedge Wren - Montgomery County [Jim Green ] 5 Nov apologies-- black-throated gray at little bennett [John F Stup ] 4 Nov Re: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett [Mary Ann Todd ] 4 Nov Re: Franklin's Gull at Schoolhouse Pond [Mikey Lutmerding ] 4 Nov Re: Franklin's Gull at Schoolhouse Pond [hans holbrook ] 4 Nov Re: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett [Andy Martin ] 4 Nov Carroll Co. Birds 11/3-4/09 [Bob Ringler ] 4 Nov Franklin's Gull at Schoolhouse Pond [Fred Shaffer ] 4 Nov Re: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett [Mary Ann Todd ] 4 Nov Easton WWTP Birdes on Nov 3 - Barn Swallow and Ring-necked Duck [les ] 4 Nov Re: EXTRALIMITAL; Radio-Tagged Golden Eagle [Andy Wilson ] 4 Nov black-throated gray warbler at little bennett [John F Stup ] 4 Nov Tundra Swans with blue neck bands [James Tyler Bell ] 4 Nov Brant at Fort McHenry (11/3-11/4) [Keith Eric Costley ] 4 Nov Blackwater Godwits - yes [Anna Urciolo ] 4 Nov Re: Earthlink nonsense [Rob Hilton ] 4 Nov Earthlink nonsense [Norm Saunders ] 4 Nov Re: General Topic - Earthlink Nonsense [Norm Saunders ] 4 Nov General Topic - Earthlink Nonsense [Frank Boyle ] 3 Nov Anne Arundel Bird Club Meeting THIS FRIDAY [Dan Haas ] 3 Nov EXTRALIMITAL; Radio-Tagged Golden Eagle [Donald Sweig ] 3 Nov OCI reprise - eiders, Harleq., jaeger,& scoters, reprise [Leo Weigant ] 3 Nov Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [Leo Weigant ] 3 Nov Lake Elkhorn Bufflehead, yellowthroat, etc. [Jim Wilkinson ] 3 Nov Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [Ole Buck ] 3 Nov FW: DC Area, 11/3/09 [Norm Saunders ] 3 Nov Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [Rick Sussman ] 3 Nov Tundra Swans Oxford, Talbot County 11/3/09 [Jim Brighton ] 3 Nov Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [John Dennehy ] 3 Nov Blackwater Godwits - no [Don Burggraf ] 3 Nov Black Scoter - Triadelphia Reservoir - YES [Joe Byrnes ] 3 Nov Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [June Tveekrem ] 3 Nov Am Go Plo @ Merkle, etc [Dan Haas ] 3 Nov Loch Raven & Hawkwatch, 11/03/09 [Kevin Graff ] 3 Nov Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [June Tveekrem ] 3 Nov Black Scoters - Triadelphia Res - NO [Andy Martin ] 3 Nov Frederick county Loggerhead shrikes no [Stephen Horvath ] 3 Nov Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior [Joanne Howl ] 3 Nov Greenbelt Lake Surf Scoter - not this AM [Elaine Hendricks ] 3 Nov Earthlink blockages [Norm Saunders ] 2 Nov Eastern Shore & Anne Arrundel County 11/2 [Jim Green ] 2 Nov Sandy Point State Park-Brant [diane Ford ] 2 Nov Unusual Yard Birds, AA Co. [Stanley Arnold ] 2 Nov Black Scoters - Triadelphia Reservoir [Bill Hill ] 2 Nov American Golden-Plover Continues at Merkle [Elaine Hendricks ] 2 Nov Backyard HawkWatch, 11/02/09 [Kevin Graff ] 2 Nov Re: Surf Scoter at Greenbelt Lake [Christopher Murray ] 2 Nov Hudsonian godwit and pectoral sandpiper [Otter 919 ] 2 Nov 2 Loggerhead Shrikes in Frederick County reported on eBird [James Tyler Bell ] 2 Nov Hermit Thrush, Creeper & Sapsucker at Schoolhouse Pond [Fred Shaffer ] 2 Nov DNR Proposed Pet Policy [Keith Eric Costley ] 2 Nov Re: Surf Scoter at Greenbelt Lake [Robert Ostrowski ] 2 Nov Surf Scoter at Greenbelt Lake [Elaine Hendricks ] 2 Nov Re: Surf and Black Scoters -- Harford and Cecil, 11/1 [Robert Ostrowski ] 1 Nov Re: Brant at SPS - yes [Christopher Murray ] Subject: Rusty Blackbirds etc. at Jug Bay From: Jeff Shenot <jugbay AT MSN.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 11:56:16 -0500 While doing the Walk for Wildlife this morning at Patuxent River Park (Jug Bay area), I saw my first Rusties of the season in the scrub shrub wetland at Mataponi Creek. This annual event is held to raise funds for wildlife programs and public awareness, and includes a 10K run, 5K run, and 3K walk that hundreds of people participate in. I do the walk with my kids and wife. Although not really a bird walk or remotely even close to one, I watch for whatever we can find, which is influenced (just a little!) by the hundreds of other folks using the same trail. Despite the commotion from this and constant conversation along the way, we saw or heard 40 species on the 50 minute walk: Canada Goose Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Killdeer Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Blue Jay (many) American Crow Fish Crow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird American Robin Northern Mockingbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Rusty Blackbird (6) Brown-headed Cowbird House Finch American Goldfinch Cheers! Jeff Shenot Croom MDSubject: AA County Golden Eagle From: Joanne Howl <jovet AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 11:55:53 -0500 This morning at 10:30 AM I saw a golden eagle overhead at Shoreham/Mayo beach. The bird was soaring and a friend and I had a very good look. I tried very, very hard to make it a bald eagle, because it was lightish underneath and because I have not seen a Golden in this locality. And because I have seen only two Goldens so far in my life, so I’m pretty tough on accepting the species. However, I really can’t force it into a bald eagle. There was no question this was an eagle. As it turned and the sun hit it’s back, the head, nape and upper back and proximal wings were strikingly golden brown. Absolutely not black, not dark, but strikingly golden brown. The head was golden brown with a strong, big bill outlined against the sky. I could not discern the color of the bill. The underwings were dark with lighter areas behind the underwing coverts, especially nearer the wingtips. The patches were light but not bright white and they were symmetric on both underwings, not mottled like I’m used to seeing with juvenile bald eagles. The tail was darkish, without a clear white band. But it also didn’t look absolutely solid. The most confusing mark to me was that the belly was light. It was not white, but lighter than I’ve ever seen an eagle. I tried at that point to turn it into a big ol dark-tailed redtail, but it just was not. It was far too big, the head too large, the bill too large and the golden brown back just not red-tail at all. In the field, I kept coming back to Golden; nothing else fit. I’ve gone home and looked through all books I own. The adult bird on page 124 of the Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, is the bird I saw except the chest was lighter than this picture, and the wings leaned more towards the juvenile. The tail of the adult is compatible with the field bird. I’ve worked hard to make this bird anything other than a Golden and I’m offering the detailed description so that anyone on the list can weigh in. However, at this point, I’m well satisfied that the bird is my first AA County Golden. My friend concurs. Joanne Howl, DVM West River, MD jovet AT aol.comSubject: Gannets, Scoter & Scaup - Shady Side From: Terry Crowe <tmcj2 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 10:38:10 -0500 I was out along the bay yesterday and saw a lot of birds out in the bay. There were hundreds of birds in a large cluster. I have some rough video and pictures if interested. The pictures are from my small digital camera but you can still see the large numbers of birds. I would have loved to have been in a boat to get a better view. I noted several adult and immature Northern Gannets (I tried to count and estimated a safe 50). Scoters were out as well. Black, White-winged and Surf. Lesser Scaup and Buffleheads were in close. The time was around 3:30 so I will be out again to see if the activity is as good today. Terry Terry Crowe Birding Brothers Shady Side, MarylandSubject: Trying for Franklin's Gull From: diane Ford <dmford455 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 06:35:49 -0800 Hi all, If my schedule works out today (crossed fingers) I will try to get down to School House Pond in Upper Marboro and look for the reported Franklin's Gull. So far, the bird has been out of reach for me. DianeSubject: Lamb's Knoll From: Gerald & Laura Tarbell <birdersforever AT EROLS.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:25:21 -0500 Unlike little Declan Haas, I did not wake up this AM yearning for a bird trip. I was out rather late last night on one of those specialized bird trips where you don't bother taking along binoculars and you are happy with a single species. Until last night I was one of the unlucky few that had never stumbled onto a Saw Whet Owl. I had seen a couple confined at raptor exhibits, but last night Steve Huy placed my life Saw Whet on my finger so it could fly off after he banded it. It sat there staring at me for a while and then did what any self-respecting bird that was sitting on my finger would do. Yeah, that's right - it only got my thumb but she pooped. It was inevitable. What a bird. Thanks to Steve and the Washington County crew, particularly trip leader Anna Hutzell for a very nice evening. I recommend that all birders should support their local Owlnet project. Oughta be one on every street corner. Contact Dave Brinker to set yours up. Just be prepared for some long nights banding owls. And cranky neighbors that don't appreciate the sound of an owl call being broadcast all night. Jerry Tarbell Back in Carroll County with washed handsSubject: Bay Ridge 11-7-09 From: Dan Haas <nervousbirds AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:07:04 -0500 This morning my son Declan woke up at 6:30, crying because he wanted to go see birds. So we bundled up, brewed the coffee and headed out for some sunrise car birding. We went to Bay Ridge and drove slowly around the point. There was not one duck to be seen, except for a distant flock moving up the bay. I echo Tyler's post from yesterday... there were hundreds and hundreds of Forsters Terns out on the Bay and on the community swimming area's dock pilings. No Gannets were out in the Bay, yet, but I understand Chris Murray is headed to Thomas Point this morning. Good Birding, Dan Haas West Annapolis, MD nervousbirds AT gmail.com On Friday, November 6, 2009, James Tyler BellSubject: Golden Eagle at Cromwell Valley Park From: James Meyers <jamesleomeyers AT MAC.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 19:50:41 -0500 An immature Golden Eagle was seen at 11:46 AM today, Friday Nov. 6th, at the Cromwell Valley Park HawkWatch. John Landers and I watched this bird carefully, suspecting it was a GE as soon as it appeared. Only when it made a turn and circled at the radio tower did it show symmetric white wing patches and a white patch at the base of it's tail, before continuing south. Interestingly, within minutes a group of 5 Bald Eagles appeared, with only 2 eventually heading south as the other 3 flew north towards Loch Raven reservoir. At 1:55 PM Joe Stag and I saw a group of 6 BE appear diving and chasing each other, with 3 eventually moving south and the others towards Loch Raven again. Lotsa fun to watch!!! Our total count so far this season is 10,751 migrant raptors, not including vultures. WOW! Jim Meyers Parkville MdSubject: Rusty Blackbird etc. in Columbia From: Jim Wilkinson <wilkinson8 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:41:07 -0500 New arrivals at Forebay Pond near Lake Elkhorn in Columbia this morning (11/6): Rusty Blackbird, male Hooded Merganser, and Fox Sparrow. There was still one Eastern Phoebe in the woods between Forebay and Brush Run. Jim Wilkinson Columbia, MDSubject: Assateague--Bayside--11/6/2009 From: Ronald Gutberlet <rlgutberlet AT SALISBURY.EDU> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:35:05 -0500 Hi Everyone, Sarah Loutsch, Jennifer Thompson, Mike Walsh, and I felt our first chilly winds of the season this morning (6 November 2009) at Bayside on Assateague. And Sarah and Jessica got to find out what I mean when I say, "you might want to wear a coat..." Despite the chill, it was a fun morning. The AMERICAN ROBIN flight overshadowed everything else--thank you Sarah and Jessica for your excellent counting work!--but ducks and geese were also moving. Our highlight birds were a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER seen from the campground and a BALTIMORE ORIOLE spotted by Mike in one of the junipers near water's edge at Bayside proper. Our full lists from Bayside and Bayside Campground are below. Have fun, Ron Gutberlet Salisbury, MD rlgutberlet AT salisbury.edu Location: Assateague I. NS--Bayside Observation date: 11/6/09, 7:00-8:30 am Weather (from accuweather.com for Ocean City, MD): 39-43 F, wind NW to NNW at 6-14 mph, relative humidity 72-60%, barometric pressure 30.27-30.28 in, clear, no precipitation, visibility 10 miles. Number of species: 35 Snow Goose 75 single southbound flock; checked for Ross's Goose but none present Brant (Atlantic) 100 2 southbound flocks (75 and 25) flying low over the water Canada Goose 15 American Black Duck 1 Green-winged Teal 1 fly-by spotted by Mike Surf Scoter 1 on bay Black Scoter 6 southbound flock spotted by Mike Bufflehead 31 flying south low over bay in small flocks, some landing on water Red-breasted Merganser 14 all fly-bys, most southbound, all low over water Common Loon 7 some on water, some southbound birds overhead Double-crested Cormorant 46 6 on water; 40 southbound Bald Eagle 1 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Ring-billed Gull 1 Herring Gull 41 Great Black-backed Gull 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 7 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 4 American Robin 2305 fairly steady flight westward over Bayside toward mainland; robins were already flying when we arrived at 7 am and additional birds were trickling through as we left; Sarah and Jennifer did a great job counting and estimating to determine flock sizes Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 2 Cedar Waxwing 2 with one of the robin flocks Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12 probably more present, but the wind may have kept some low in the bushes Eastern Towhee 1 Song Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 6 Red-winged Blackbird 15 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Baltimore Oriole 1 spotted by Mike, great views had by all of us at close range with binoculars; medium-sized passerine with pointed bill, 2 white wing bars, brown head, orange throat and breast; possibly an immature male or a brightly marked immature female American Goldfinch 2 Location: Assateague I. NS--Bayside Campground Observation date: 11/6/09, 8:30-9:20 am Weather (from accuweather.com for Ocean City, MD): 43-46 F, wind NNW at 14-17 mph, relative humidity 60-50%, barometric pressure 30.28-30.29 in, clear, no precipitation, visibility 10 miles Number of species: 18 American Black Duck 6 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 2 Northern Harrier 1 Semipalmated Plover 1 on one of the close spits of marsh in the bay; good scope views; 2 other shorebirds flew off from this spot, and they may have also been SEPL, but we didn't confirm that Herring Gull 6 Carolina Wren 2 Winter Wren 2 American Robin 104 Northern Mockingbird 1 Cedar Waxwing 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 22 Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 4 Song Sparrow 2 White-throated Sparrow 21 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 3 Northern Cardinal 4 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)Subject: Franklin's Gull -- Schoolhouse Pond 11/6/09 From: Jim Brighton <jimbrighton3 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:30:00 -0500 Mikey Lutmerding and I found the Franklin's Gull again this afternoon at Schoolhouse Pond in Upper Marlboro. There was an est. 750 Laughing Gull flock present. Mikey found the Franklin's after about a half hour of searching. It was located in the same area that Mikey and Hans saw the bird earlier in the week. The gull was frequenting the west side of the pond near a stake with a duck box on it. The bird flew out of the pond at 2:47pm. Also present were three Buffleheads and a single coot. Jim Brighton Easton, MD jimbrighton3 AT gmail.comSubject: Blackwater - no godwits From: sally wech <aixxss AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:16:57 -0800 Hi:
Went to Blackwater today - volunteers there said that the godwits hadn't been
seen for a couple of days. We also didn't find them. Probably due to the strong
prevailing wind we saw almost no birds other than canada geese.
Did have terrifc close looks at Surf scoters off Cambridge - at Bellevdere
Ave. A few buffleheads and a common loon were also seen.
Sally Wech
Subject: Herrington Harbor & Mayo Beach , 11/6/09From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:31:07 -0800 I did a little birding in Anne Arundel county today. On my way to meet my carpool in Friendship, I detoured through North Beach (nothing going on there) but had a productive stop at Herrington Harbor. Clear weather made for ideal viewing of some gannets diving out on the Bay. At lunch my friend Karen and I went over to Mayo Beach to see if there were any waterfowl around. There was only one Common Loon there but there was a nice flock of gulls and terns on the rip rapping and fencing there. The Forster's Terns were very vocal and at one point the whole flock of terns and gulls lifted up, for no apparent reason, and flew around then resituated in the same place. Weird. Still, I'm not sure I've ever seen that many Forster's Terns in one place except at Pt. Lookout State Park. Tyler Bell jtylerbell AT yahoo.com California, Maryland Location: Herrington Harbor, 8:00-8:15am Observation date: 11/6/09 Number of species: 7 Canada Goose 150 Mallard 3 NORTHERN GANNET 10 Laughing Gull 25 Ring-billed Gull 15 Herring Gull 15 Great Black-backed Gull 5 Location: Mayo Beach, 12:15-12:45pm Observation date: 11/6/09 Number of species: 8 Common Loon 1 Turkey Vulture 2 Laughing Gull 8 Ring-billed Gull 6 Herring Gull 3 Great Black-backed Gull 5 Forster's Tern 200 Carolina Wren 1 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)Subject: Injured Bald Eagle Alert From: Marian Dodson <MJD405 AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:18:21 EST This message is being posted for Kathy Woods, registered wildlife rehabilatator "extraordinaire" Asking your help today to locate this injured eagle. If anyone sees this bird, or especially sees him on the ground, please call 410 628 9736 or email _phoenixcenter AT comcast.net_ (mailto:phoenixcenter AT comcast.net) This is the message that Kathy received about this bird. "On November 1st we noticed an adult bald eagle in a tree downstream from the second dam at Loch Raven and using our scope found to our surprise that it has a broken leg. While perched on its good leg, the other leg stuck out at 90 degrees from its body; there was no movement of this leg or its claws." kathy woods Please help Kathy find this eagle. Thank you. Marian Argentino Havre de Grace, MD MJD405 AT aol.comSubject: FW: Birding Community E-bulletin - November 2009 From: Norm Saunders <marshhawk AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 06:17:05 -0500
From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:paul.baicich AT verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 3:07 AM
To: Paul J. Baicich
Cc: Wayne R. Petersen
Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - November 2009
THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
November 2009
This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed to active and
concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection
of birds and their habitats. You can access an archive of past E-bulletins
on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA):
www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html
RARITY FOCUS
On the morning of 12 October, a Brown-chested Martin was discovered by
Jeremiah Trimble, Matt Garvey, and Marshall Iliff at the Cumberland Farms on
the Halifax/Middleboro town line in southeastern Massachusetts. One race of
this species is an austral migrant from southern South America, and there
are only five previous convincing sightings for North America since 1983
(Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Arizona), including
several with complete documentation (i.e., specimen or photograph).
This bird appeared to be a juvenile of the "fusca" subspecies, the migratory
race from southern South America, identifiable by a series of black
teardrop-shaped dots down the central belly.
Austral migrants are species or subspecies which breed in southern South
America, but migrate north during the southern (austral) winter to spend
that season in northern South America or southern Central America. In
Brown-chested Martins, the "fusca" subspecies forms huge post-breeding
flocks, often associated with other swallow species, and moves north to
northern South America and Panama, where individuals remain from March to
October/November. The mid-October Massachusetts martin, much like more
regularly vagrant North American Fork-tailed Flycatchers in the fall, was
apparently a reverse migrant that moved north into the United States when it
should have been headed for southern South America.
The Cumberland Farms martin was seen by many dozens of observers
between12-14 October. During its stay, the martin was accompanied by a
number of other swallows, mainly Tree and Barn swallows, but also several
seasonally late Northern Rough-winged, Bank, and Cliff swallows.
Photos by Jeremiah Trimble can be viewed here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jrtrimble/sets/72157622448089005/
IBA NEWS: NOVA-SCOTIA/MASSACHUSETTS CONNECTION
Biologists from Mass Audubon's Coastal Waterbird Program, the USGS (Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center), and Bird Studies Canada were excited to find a
dozen Canadian-hatched Roseate Terns at staging sites on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts, over a 38-day period from 14 August to 21 September 2009. The
Canadian-banded terns were banded as chicks during the summer of 2009 on
Country Island, Nova Scotia, by staff from Environment Canada's Canadian
Wildlife Service. Each juvenile tern carried color leg-bands which made them
visible among thousands of Roseate and Common terns staging at eight
different sites on Cape Cod. Not insignificantly, Country Island where the
terns were banded is a Important Bird Area (IBA) in Nova Scotia. In
addition most of the color-marked terns were also relocated at one of two
highly significant Massachusetts IBAs located on Cape Cod.
The meticulous survey of color-banded terns at these IBA sites is vital to
improving our understanding of the nesting, staging behavior, and migratory
timing of Roseate Terns, a species classified as Threatened in Canada and
Endangered in the northeastern U.S. Such observations also underscore the
significance of IBAs in prioritizing habitat significance at the landscape
level. Currently the northeastern population of Roseate Terns which is
principally located between the south shore of Long Island, New York and
Nova Scotia, Canada, contains approximately 3,000 pairs, with Massachusetts
supporting the majority of the population. In 2009 the Massachusetts
population was comprised of approximately 1,300 pairs.
You can find more on these particular terns from Bird Studies Canada:
www.bsc-eoc.org/organization/newsarchive/10-09-09.html
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, and those across
the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program
web site at:
www.audubon.org/bird/iba/
RARE CROW REDISCOVERED
Last month we described BirdLife International's launch of a remarkable
campaign to search for 47 rare bird species thought to possibly be extinct:
www.refugenet.org/birding/octSBC09.html#TOC02
This month, we describe the discovery of a nearly as rare species. Although
not among the 47 "most wanted" on BirdLife International's list, the
discovery of the Banggai Crow (Corvus unicolor) in Indonesia was highly
significant. The species, first described in 1900, was recently rediscovered
on Peleng Island and just announced last month.
The rediscovery was spearheaded by Indonesian researchers and assisted by
Pamela Rasmussen, an assistant professor at Michigan State University. . For
more information see:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013104340.htm
SECOND STOPOVER BREEDING DOCUMENTED
It is generally thought that most migratory North American songbirds nest
in temperate North America, then start migrating to the Neotropics in the
late summer and early autumn bound for the Caribbean, southern Mexico,
Central America, or parts of South America for the winter.
In the spring these species turn around and return to where they nested,
either by retracing their same route, or sometimes by following a different
path.
Although the distance of these migrations can be challenging, and the
dangers posed by inclement weather, predators, and the loss of suitable
stopover habitat may seem daunting, at least the timing of the annual cycle
sounds straightforward. However, for some songbird species this cycle may
be far more complex than traditionally thought.
Biologists studying songbirds stopping in western Mexico during southward
migration found that for some species there is actually be a "second
breeding season" occurring during that migration. Amazingly, Sievert Rohwer
and his colleagues have discovered that at least five species -
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Orchard Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Yellow-breasted Chat,
and Cassin's Vireo - regularly engage in a second breeding season during
their stopover in the lowland thorn forests of coastal Sinaloa and Baja
California Sur before reaching their western Mexico wintering destination.
This second nesting occurs during the local monsoon season, which lasts from
June through August.
Further investigation of these findings is surely necessary. The discovery
of this surprising dual breeding season may reveal a flexibility in the
lives of these birds that was previously unknown. This discovery underscores
the fact that future conservation plans may need to consider additional new
factors when being established. How many more North American species engage
in these complicated breeding systems is unknown. Similarly, how many
"migration stopover sites" may also prove to be "vital breeding sites"?
These findings appeared in the PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES in late October. To see this summary, visit:
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-10/uow-fef102109.php
WETLAND ASSESSMENT TOOLKIT
A new practical guide has recently been published by the IUCN (International
Union for Conservation of Nature). The guide is intended to enable concerned
individuals to assess a wetland by considering its biological, ecological,
developmental, and economic values.
The toolkit shows how an assessment (including that of the species in the
wetlands) can strengthen wetlands conservation. It specifically outlines the
steps in designing, preparing for, carrying out, and communicating the
results of an integrated wetland assessment.
While primarily written for situations in developing countries, the lessons
in this 144-page toolkit can be useful at other locations as well. The three
main sections in the toolkit cover the integrated assessment process, the
tools themselves, and examples describing detailed case studies.
This is an invaluable tool to help counter the serious and rapid loss of
wetland bird habitat, and it is available free for downloading at:
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iwa_toolkit_lowres.pdf
BOOK NOTES: BULLY!
The United States has never had a bird enthusiast in the White House more
important, innovative, or effective than Theodore Roosevelt. Although TR's
bird-and-wildlife interests have played minor roles in other historical
biographies, it is Douglas Brinkley, in his recent THE WILDERNESS WARRIOR:
THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND THE CRUSADE FOR AMERICA, who most effectively puts
this president's conservation zeal front-and-center (HarperCollins 2009).
Some birders will revel in Roosevelt's near-endless enthusiasm for
ornithology as a youth; others will be amazed by his creative dedication to
federalizing innovative Refuges, Parks, and Forests while serving as U.S.
President. In any case, it's all here in one hefty volume. The American view
of wild creatures and wild places was never the same after the
administration of the 26th President of the U.S. (1901-1909).
If nothing else, at 940 pages, this book seems to include practically
everything that TR ever did concerning wildlife, nature, and the outdoors.
Still, it's far better to have a bit too much than a bit too little!
WIGEON TO GRACE 2010-2011 STAMP
Last month's Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest had five eligible species
qualify as images in the contest: American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Cinnamon
Teal, Gadwall, and Wood Duck. With over 220 art entries, almost 60% were
renditions of the popular and showy Wood Duck. The winning artwork, however,
depicted an American Wigeon, and the artist was a long-time contender. This
year, Robert Bealle of Waldorf, Maryland - an artist who placed second 26
years ago - finally won this prestigious art competition. His painting of a
male American Wigeon will appear on the 2010-2011 Migratory Bird Hunting and
Conservation [Duck] Stamp (to be released next July), with 98% of the
proceeds of the sale of the stamp going directly to secure wetland and
grassland habitat for the Refuge System.
For a look at the impressive image and to read a news story of Bealle and
his artwork, see this piece from the WASHINGTON POST:
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102704127.htm
l
TIP OF THE MONTH: WHEN YOU THINK GIFTS, THINK COFFEE
We'll be looking at the Thanksgiving holiday before you know it, and then
next month, it will be Christmas!
It has been three years since we have mentioned this opportunity, but
holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah are a perfect time to
share bird-compatible shade-grown coffee as a wrapped gift or party
offering. In fact, this is an ideal way to initiate a serious bird
conservation conversation, while enjoying a good brew to go along with it.
It's surprising how few people - even "bird people" - are still unaware of
the link between forest-interior birds and full shade-rich coffee
agriculture. Shade-coffee habitat mimics natural forests in the Neotropics
and can potentially benefit birds with every cup of coffee served.
This is a great time of year to make that special effort to track down
shade-grown, bird compatible coffee from a local supplier. If possible, see
if you can find "triple-labeled" coffee - shade grown, organic, and fair
traded - for gift-giving and holiday visits this year. And remember, by
doing this you will help make a difference to bird conservation, and that's
what counts.
SAN CLEMENTE LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE: INDIVIDUAL MASTER-BREEDER
Loggerhead Shrike is a species that has drastically declined over the past
75 years. It is now almost gone from the northeastern portion of its range,
and the subspecies on Navy-controlled San Clemente Island, California, has
been listed as Endangered on the federal list since 1977.
Since then, the U.S. Navy, the San Diego Zoo, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service have been working on re-establishing this island subspecies. While
the Island's Loggerhead Shrike population at one point dipped down to barely
a dozen, there are now 80 breeding pairs in the wild and more than 60
individuals in captivity as a result of this cooperative California breeding
program.
Interestingly, a single male Loggerhead Shrike on San Clemente has played a
major role in reviving the subspecies population. Over the course of eight
breeding seasons, "Trampas," a shrike hatched in captivity in 2001, has
fathered 62 chicks. From those chicks have come 93 grand-chicks, 61
great-grand-chicks, and 25 great-great-grand-chicks.
OK: Let's hear it for Trampas!
While hopes are increasing for the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike, there is
still no official "Shrike Recovery Plan," although a draft plan was created
about six years ago.
BIRD SONG CARDS: IT WAS INEVITABLE
When did you get your first? When did they start? You know what we're
referring to: those birthday-anniversary-graduation greeting cards with
accompanying music. It's those cards that when you open them will greet you
with a slice of "Wild Thing," or "Smoking in the Boy's Room," or "Crazy," or
"Roxanne," or, goodness knows, something from "Hair."
Well, the next step in their evolution has now occurred: new greeting cards
which contain real bird songs and calls.
Open one of these cards, and out will come 13 to 15 seconds of chirps,
peeps, whistles, and croaks from a variety of birds. The cards were
announced last month, produced by the U.K.'s Really Wild Cards along with
accompanying bird recordings from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Each card
also features a painting of the species selected from the Cornell Lab's art
collection, along with information about the bird.
These cards are made from recycled or sustainable forest products. The sound
chips run on lead-free lithium batteries and even the clear wrapper is
biodegradable. (Note: despite the claim of the cards being environmentally
friendly, all batteries should be treated as potentially hazardous.) A
percentage of profits from the sales of the cards will fund projects at the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The folks at Really Wild Cards expect to release
a new set of bird-sound cards approximately every six months.
Take a look for yourself:
www.reallywildcards.com
STILL TIME: 2010 NWR SYSTEM AWARDS
The National Wildlife Refuge Association and the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation are still accepting nominations for the 2010 National Wildlife
Refuge System Awards to honor outstanding accomplishments by refuge
managers, refuge system employees, volunteers, and Friends Groups.
Some wonderful bird activities, projects, and volunteers have been
highlighted in recent years. Nominations are due no later than 15 November
2009.
To learn more about the awards program, the monetary prizes, and nomination
guidelines, and to download the required nomination forms, visit:
www.refugeassociation.org/new-events/callfornom2010.html
FISH & WILDLIFE NEWS: MIGRATORY BIRDS OVERVIEW
Last month, the summer issue of the FISH & WILDLIFE NEWS was distributed. It
was late, but it was worth the wait.
This particular USFWS publication is a special issue on "migratory birds,"
packed with briefs on partnerships, avian population status, waterfowl, JVs,
NAWCA, refuge issues, bird appreciation: in essence, it is all about birds,
bird habitat, bird education, and bird conservation.
It's worthy of a serious look and broad circulation. You can download a copy
here:
http://www.fws.gov/news/pdf/News_Su09_web.pdf
OUR SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION
Since the Birding Community E-bulletin is in its sixth year of publication
and distribution, we continue to share some remarks from some of our
readers. As previously noted, we are including a comment or two each month
this year. These are being placed at the very end of each E-bulletin so you
can simply stop reading at this point if you'd like!
"In this day of email overload, the Birding Community E-bulletin often
garners a feeling of 'too long to read' for me. But somehow it seems that
this is also one of the few emails I read as soon as it comes in... I am
finding this to be an invaluable resource for birding and conservation
information."
- Chris Eberly, Program Manager, Dept. of Defense Partners in Flight
"The Birding Community E-Bulletin puts my birding in a context -
conservation efforts, political context, and scientific news. As birders, we
are advocates for conservation, and the kind of information we get through
the bulletin deepens our own understanding and makes us more effective in
our conversations with others."
- Barbara Volkle, President, Friends of the Assabet River National
Wildlife Refuge
- - - - - - - - -
You can access past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge Association
(NWRA) website:
www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html
If you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the monthly Birding
Community E-bulletins, we simply request that you mention the source of any
material used. (Include a URL for the E-bulletin archives, if possible.)
If you have any friends or co-workers who want to get onto the monthly
E-bulletin mailing list, have them contact either:
Wayne R. Petersen, Director
Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program
Mass Audubon
718/259-2178
wpetersen AT massaudubon.org
or
Paul J. Baicich
410/992-9736
paul.baicich AT verizon.net
We never lend or sell our E-bulletin recipient list.
Subject: Re: Carroll Co. Birds 11/5/09From: Rick Sussman <warblerick AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:14:01 -0500 1 CHIPPING SPARROW with large flock of Juncos. Bob, Is Chipping Sparrow unusual for this location? I still have many in my yard, so just wondered if it was unusual or just late. Rick Sussman Woodbine,MD -----Original Message----- From: Bob RinglerSubject: Purple Finch, Chas Cty From: Carol Ghebelian <ghebelian AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:44:52 -0500 Female Purple Finch at the feeder today. Carol Ghebelian Indian Head, MD 20640 ghebelian AT comcast.netSubject: Infant White-breasted Nuthatch found on Nov 4! From: les <lroslund AT BLUECRAB.ORG> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:37:19 -0500 _____ This afternoon, Nov 4th, a very young fledgling White-breasted Nuthatch showed up on our deck near the bird feeders. Our small dog approached the baby and sniffed it, but did not even try to bite or grab it. My wife, Carolyn, quickly got to the bird, and though it fluttered a bit, it could not evade her. She picked up the bird, put the dog into the house, and then placed the bird onto a carnation plant in one of the pots on our deck. The bird just sat there. The behavior and appearance of this bird would suggest it was just a few days out of the nest. My wife and I are both pretty familiar with how baby birds look and act. Around this place at the 'proper' times of the year we have seen baby wrens, baby robins, baby bluebirds, baby mockingbirds, baby house finches, baby chickadees and baby titmice, amongst others. This was not a 'sick' bird - it was just an infant. About an hour after leaving the bird, Carolyn checked again and the bird was gone. I was working on the other side of the house during this time, and had heard several calls of White-breasted Nuthatch. I suspect these were the parent birds, and that they found some way to guide the infant to a safer place. It was able to flutter from place to place but did not have enough flight skill to move rapidly. The adult birds were in the general vicinity of one of my feeders filled with black oil sunflower seeds. Rather obviously, this is pretty late for a successful nesting by this species. I would be interested in hearing if anyone has a good explanation for why this one must have nested so late. Also, are there any other stories of extremely late nesting by this species, or others for that matter. LES ROSLUND TALBOT COUNTY EASTON, MD Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.424 / Virus Database: 270.14.48/2479 - Release Date: 11/03/09 19:38:00Subject: junco question and Turkey Point update From: Patricia Valdata <pvaldata AT ZOOMINTERNET.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:07:19 -0500 How unusual is it for a junco to have weird tail feathers? Last year, I had a junco whose tail was half white, half gray-white on the left half, gray on the right. Today I looked at the flock under the feeder in my yard and there's a junco with that tail pattern. At Turkey Point today, I didn't see any warblers. The coolest birds were swans-a small flock flew past the parking lot just as I arrived. There are big flocks of Cedar Waxwings, and I saw an immature waxwing among the grapes in a tree behind the hawk watch table. It appeared to be getting foraging lessons from its parents, which seems a bit late. Also late was a passing Monarch butterfly. Hawks were mostly Red-shouldered. Once again there were no falcons-we are having an unusually low falcon count out there this year. Bander Ken Heselton had at least three Saw-whets last night. He'll be back on the 10th. Pat Valdata Elkton, MDSubject: Carroll Co. Birds 11/5/09 From: Bob Ringler <ringler1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 19:44:38 +0000 Touring the ponds around Westminster this morning produced some new birds. Highlights: Westminster Community Pond - 1 drake Gadwall was unusual there. Also 1 Fox Sparrow. Study Road - 2 Green-winged Teal on the pond & a flock of at least 7 FOX SPARROWS in the overgrown field. Union Mills Wetland - at least 1 RUSTY BLACKBIRD in a big flock of Red-wings. Cranberry Reservoir - 1 adult SNOW GOOSE with heavily stained face, 3 CACKLING GEESE together, 1 CHIPPING SPARROW with large flock of Juncos. Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.netSubject: Re: Brant at Fort McHenry (11/5) From: Keith Eric Costley <OrioleKEC1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 09:47:53 -0500 Jim reports that the Brant (Atlantic) are still at the Fort. Keith Eric Costley OrioleKEC1 AT comcast.net Randallstown, Baltimore County On 11/4/09 7:34 AM, "Keith Costley"Subject: Sedge Wren - Montgomery County - CORRECTION From: Jim Green <jkgbirdman AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 11:31:02 -0500 Hi Everybody: A correction to the previous post about the Sedge Wren seen by Dave Young this morning. The location was at Violette's Lock, NOT at Hughes Hollow. Dave said walk north a very short distance along the C & O Canal towpath and check the weedy overgrown vegetation in the canal on the right of the towpath. Dave said appox. 50 yards north once on the towpath. Sorry for the earlier confusion about location. Jim Green Gaithersburg, MD. work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!Subject: Sedge Wren - Montgomery County From: Jim Green <jkgbirdman AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 09:39:12 -0500 Hi Everybody: Dave Young, a co-worker of mine, stopped at Hughes Hollow this morning and felt confident that he saw, and heard the chip of a SEDGE WREN at Hughes Hollow. He said it was moving along the vegetation on the right side of the first dike about 1/3 to 1/2 way out from the parking lot in the vegetation near the path. I will try to head out at lunchtime to see if I can find it. Jim Green Gaithersburg, MD. work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!Subject: apologies-- black-throated gray at little bennett From: John F Stup <jfstup38 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 07:35:10 -0500 to those that inquired about the location, i ran out of time and had to leave and was unable to give my full attention to my hurried description of the location and i may have missed some who asked. my apologies, john f stupSubject: Re: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett From: Mary Ann Todd <Dma3 AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 18:49:51 EST This afternoon Barbara Gearhart, a three other birders, and myself looked for the warbler from about noon to 3:30, but did not see it. We spent all our time on the 3/4 mile stretch of Kingsley trail (a dirt road) that parallels the creek, east of the parking area on Clarksburg Rd. Dave CzaplakSubject: Re: Franklin's Gull at Schoolhouse Pond From: Mikey Lutmerding <mlutmerding AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 18:28:04 -0500 Hi all, I have posted pictures of the Franklin's Gull that Fred Shaffer found today at Schoolhouse Pond, they can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeycerw/ Great bird! Thanks Fred!! Mikey Lutmerding Croom, MD On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 4:15 PM, hans holbrookSubject: Re: Franklin's Gull at Schoolhouse Pond From: hans holbrook <hansholbrook AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:15:12 -0800 The gull was still present until around 3pm. Mikey Lutmerding was there before I arrived and informed me of the sighting, as I was just dropping by unknowingly. He located the bird and we watched it for about half an hour. Jeff Shenot showed up got on the bird and within a minute or two it got up and circled and headed out. Great find Fred! Hans HolbrookCrofton, MD --- On Wed, 11/4/09, Fred ShafferSubject: Re: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett From: Andy Martin <apmartin2 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 14:35:20 -0500 John, can you post some more details on the BT Gray's approximate location along Kingsley trail? Andy Martin Gaithersburg John F Stup wrote: > as i was birding this morning along the creek on the kingsley side of LB looking for winter wrens which i have seen the last 2 times , i spotted something strange across the creek with some juncos that looked like a cross between a black-throated blue and a black-and-white with a little chick-a-dee thrown in. but when i got back to the car and looked it up in my warbler book, the black-throated gray fit the bill(pun not originally intended)! i also crossed the creek to the south side and got a better look before it disappeared. also yesterday i saw a beautiful sight of 2 bald eagles setting on a dead tree facing different directions in a field in the NW corner of clarksburg and lewisdale roads. john f stup, damascus,md jfstup38 AT hotmail.com > >Subject: Carroll Co. Birds 11/3-4/09 From: Bob Ringler <ringler1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 19:27:22 +0000 Yesterday evening at Liberty Lake off Oakland Road: Canada Goose 50 Bufflehead 2 Ruddy Duck 1 Common Loon 1 DC Cormorant 10 Bald Eagle 1 adult Ring-billed Gull 2 This morning at Piney Run Park where waterfowl numbers are increasing steadily, and the park is now closed on weekends but you may park outside and walk in: Canada Goose 800 BRANT 1 immature, continues grazing near the boat docks TUNDRA SWAN 1, first of the fall Baldpate 26 Black Duck 22 Mallard 10 Green-winged Teal 1 male, showed neither white shoulder bar nor horizontal stripe, perhaps immature REDHEAD 8, three males & five females, first of the fall Ring-necked Duck 310 Bufflehead 35 Hooded Merganser 22 Ruddy Duck 130 Pied-billed Grebe 15 Bald Eagle 1 adult Coot 45 Killdeer 2 Ring-billed Gull 1 Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.netSubject: Franklin's Gull at Schoolhouse Pond From: Fred Shaffer <glaucousgull AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:17:58 -0500 My lunchtime gull observations at Schoolhouse Pond turned up an adult Franklin's Gull. The field marks that turned me onto this neat bird were the dark half hood, very bold, very promient eye rings, small, straight bill (very noticeable in comparison to the surrounding Laughing Gulls), and more rounded head (again, fairly noticeable in direct comparison with Laughing Gulls). Although the plumage marks were right for a Franklin's, what really stood out was the structural differences between the bird and nearby Laughing Gulls. The bill was much shorter and straighter (without the droop) when directly compared to the Laughing Gulls. The white eye crescents were also noticeably thicker than any of the surrounding Laughing Gulls in direct comparison. The gull had fairly large white mirrors on the folded primaries. Unfortunately, the gulls were very skittish and the Franklin's and surrounding Laughing Gulls flushed and flew off in a large group. The Franklin's had pale flight feathers (on the underwing) when it was in flight, but due to the mass of flying gulls I never got a good look at the primaries of the extended wing. My gull totals included: 629 Laughing Gulls, 29 Ring-billed Gulls, 5 Herring Gulls and 1 Franklin's Gull (plus one Red-tailed Hawk that probably scared off another couple hundred gulls while I was out there). I am not sure if the Franklin's is still present. As I said, it flew off in a large group and I lost sight of the bird. But some of the gulls did circle around and return. Other birds of note included 5 Bufflehead (this morning) and 1 Rusty Blackbird (morning of Nov. 3). Fred Shaffer GlaucousGull AT verizon.net Patuxent MOSSubject: Re: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett From: Mary Ann Todd <dma3 AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:12:44 -0500 Which end of the kingsley trail? Any landmarks? Dave czaplak On Nov 4, 2009, at 10:28 AM, John F StupSubject: Easton WWTP Birdes on Nov 3 - Barn Swallow and Ring-necked Duck From: les <lroslund AT BLUECRAB.ORG> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:31:07 -0500 A mid-day visit to the Easton Waste Water Treatment Plant around noon on Nov 3 provided views of a single Ring-necked Duck and a pretty late Barn Swallow. Complete list below: Snow Goose (one light, one dark) Canada Goose ~400 Northern Shoveler 28 RING-NECKED DUCK 1 Ruddy Duck 270 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 6 Bald Eagle 1 Northern Harrier 2 Laughing Gull many Ring-billed Gull many Herring Gull many Gt Black-backed Gull 40 Mourning Dove 3 Red-bellied Wpkr 1 Downy Wpkr 1 Northern Flicker 1 Blue Jay 4 American Crow ` 2 Fish Crow 8 BARN SWALLOW 1 Carolina Chickadee 4 Tufted Titmouse 4 Carolina Wren 2 R-C Kinglet 2 Eastern Bluebird 5 American Robin 30 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 42 Cedar Waxwing 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 8 Savannah Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 4 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 33 LES ROSLUND TALBOT COUNTY EASTON, MD Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.424 / Virus Database: 270.14.48/2479 - Release Date: 11/03/09 19:38:00Subject: Re: EXTRALIMITAL; Radio-Tagged Golden Eagle From: Andy Wilson <amw328 AT PSU.EDU> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 11:53:12 -0500 Donald and others, It's highly likely that the Golden Eagle was part of the collaborative effort between the National Aviary, Powdermill Avian Research Center and Ministere des Ressources naturelles et da la Faune in Quebec. More details on the National Aviary website, where you can find maps of the eagles movements. Golden Eagles have been caught on both wintering grounds (mainly WV & PA) and breeding grounds in Quebec over the last few years, and tracked between the two. Their migration along the ridges of Pennsylvania, where there is so much wind farm development, is currently been studied in detail. Hopefully this information will help better inform the siting of wind farms, and suggest ways to reduce bird strikes. Cheers Andy Wilson, Frederick PS: ducks around today, just checked a few local (all tiny) ponds close to my house north of Frederick: 4 Hooded Mergansers, 5 Buffleheads, 2 Ruddy Duck and 1 Northern Shoveler.Subject: black-throated gray warbler at little bennett From: John F Stup <jfstup38 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:28:21 -0500 as i was birding this morning along the creek on the kingsley side of LB looking for winter wrens which i have seen the last 2 times , i spotted something strange across the creek with some juncos that looked like a cross between a black-throated blue and a black-and-white with a little chick-a-dee thrown in. but when i got back to the car and looked it up in my warbler book, the black-throated gray fit the bill(pun not originally intended)! i also crossed the creek to the south side and got a better look before it disappeared. also yesterday i saw a beautiful sight of 2 bald eagles setting on a dead tree facing different directions in a field in the NW corner of clarksburg and lewisdale roads. john f stup, damascus,md jfstup38 AT hotmail.comSubject: Tundra Swans with blue neck bands From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 06:24:20 -0800 Below is some information about neck banded Tundra Swans that observers should
be on the lookout for. Please report sightings to:
Craig Ely
Phone: (907) 786-7182
cely AT usgs.gov
Thanks!
Tyler Bell
jtylerbell AT yahoo.com
California, Maryland
TUNDRA SWANS WITH BLUE NECK BANDS FROM ALASKA
TUNDRA SWANS WERE MARKED IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN ALASKA IN THE SUMMERS OF
2006-2009 WITH CODED NECK BANDS AS PART OF AN EFFORT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE
TIMING OF MIGRATION AND MOVEMENTS OF SWANS RELATIVE TO BREEDING AREA.
NECK BANDS HAVE A FOUR-DIGIT CODE THAT BEGINS WITH A LETTER. CODES ARE READ
FROM BOTTOM TO TOP. BANDS ARE BLUE WITH WHITE DIGITS, EXCEPT CODES T3##, WHICH
ARE WHITE WITH BLACK DIGITS.
______________________________________________________
No. Collared
Marking Location Codes2006 - 2008 2009 Total
YukonDelta K###227 100 327
Alaska Peninsula(North)P###148 105 253
Alaska Peninsula(South) T4##155--- 155
Koyukuk DrainageT213-228, U075-U120, U390-U39966---66
North SlopeT201-212,T3##58---58
Kotzebue SoundU###390197 587
Totals10454021446
______________________________________________________
In 2008, 50 swans were implanted with satellite transmitters, many of which are
still functioning. Birds with transmitters were not collared, but have a black
antenna exiting near the base of the tail. The movements of these swans can be
followed at our web site:
http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/avian_influenza/TUSW/index.html
PLEASE REPORT ANY OBSERVATIONS TO YOUR LOCAL CONSERVATION OFFICER, OR TO:
Craig Ely
AlaskaScience Center
4210 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 786-7182
EM: cely AT usgs.gov
WE WILL PROVIDE ALL OBSERVERS WITH A BRIEF
HISTORY OF THE BANDED SWAN THEY OBSERVED.
Subject: Brant at Fort McHenry (11/3-11/4)From: Keith Eric Costley <oriolekec1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:34:59 +0000 Jim Peters is currently at Fort McHenry watching three Atlantic Brant found by Lou Neilson and June Grenath yesterday. The Brant are on the South side of the Fort, on the lawn. Keith Eric Costley OrioleKEC1 AT comcast.net Randallstown, Baltimore CountySubject: Blackwater Godwits - yes From: Anna Urciolo <urcioloa AT SIDWELL.EDU> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 07:28:29 -0500 I made my way over to Blackwater yesterday afternoon arriving about 3:30 or so and did find the two HUDSONIAN GODWITS in Pool 5C along with Greater Yellowlegs and Black-bellied Plovers. Another nice fellow and I then raced back to the Visitor's Center to find the Avocet. The gates get closed at 4 p.m. but we stayed anyway and did find the Avocet along with many Dunlins. Luckily the sun was getting lower and the Avocet was easy to see. Lovely, lovely afternoon but much too short. Anna Urciolo Rockville, MD urcioloa AT sidwell.eduSubject: Re: Earthlink nonsense From: Rob Hilton <aimophila10 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 03:36:16 -0800 You can also set MDOsprey to nomail. You will still be subscribed to the list,
but won't receive any messages; Earthlink therefore won't bounce you. You can
keep up with MDOsprey by reading emails at the MDOsprey archive site, and you
can still post when you want. This is what I do. By and large I haven't
received emails from Osprey in many many years. I believe that this email
account is the fifth I've used to subscribe to MDOsprey during the ten-plus
years I've been subscribed.
Cheers,
Rob Hilton
Silver Spring
Subject: Earthlink nonsenseFrom: Norm Saunders <marshhawk AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 04:13:29 -0500 All of our Earthlink users have been bumped from MDOsprey twice now. I resubscribed all of these individuals once and I suggested an alternative approach to get around Earthlink's ridiculous spam blockers. Those that took me up on that suggestion are now happily reading their e-mails from MDOsprey. The LSoft people (providers of LISTSERVE services) have been in contact with Earthlink but this apparently Earthlink isn't listening. If I had an ISP who was blocking my e-mails without telling me, I don't care how many years I was with them, they would be history. Make your own choice.I am no longer resubscribing bumped Earthlink users. Norm Saunders Owner, MDOspreySubject: Re: General Topic - Earthlink Nonsense From: Norm Saunders <marshhawk AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 04:08:09 -0500 It's a shame you are blaming the list, Frank. Blame your ISP. All of those who changed to a free e-mail account are still on MDOsprey. I'm not saying to abandon your earthlink account, simply to provide an alternative delivery address for MDOsprey. Norm -----Original Message----- From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:MDOSPREY AT HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM] On Behalf Of Frank Boyle Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 2:24 AM To: MDOSPREY AT HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Subject: [MDOSPREY] General Topic - Earthlink Nonsense Well, it's a shame that I have been bounced from MDOSPREY because of this spam nonsense. I have been a member of several othe e-mail lists for many years (AZ Birds comes to mind) and I've never encountered these issues. Many of us have had the same e-mail address for many, many years and while Gmail or another service might be an alternative, it's just not worth it. So I will lurk online only. Good luck, and good birding. Frank Boyle Rohrersville, MDSubject: General Topic - Earthlink Nonsense From: Frank Boyle <ravenfrank AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 02:24:26 -0500 Well, it's a shame that I have been bounced from MDOSPREY because of this spam nonsense. I have been a member of several othe e-mail lists for many years (AZ Birds comes to mind) and I've never encountered these issues. Many of us have had the same e-mail address for many, many years and while Gmail or another service might be an alternative, it's just not worth it. So I will lurk online only. Good luck, and good birding. Frank Boyle Rohrersville, MDSubject: Anne Arundel Bird Club Meeting THIS FRIDAY From: Dan Haas <nervousbirds AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 23:24:24 -0500 This Friday, November 6th at 8PM, Don Messersmith a true Master Birder who will cover his 65 years of birding on every continent and in 117 countries. This will be an amazing birding travelogue with Don highlighting noteworthy birds he has seen on each continent and island nation using his own slides. WHERE: Arlington Echo Environmental Education Center. http://www.arlingtonecho.org/ Directions: http://www.arlingtonecho.org/directions/directions.html SIXTY YEARS FINDING AND STUDYING BIRDS: MY LIFE AS A NATURALIST. Don Messersmith, Master Birder, Naturalist, and Professor Emeritus (Ret.), University of Maryland. Dons presentation will cover his 65 years of birding on every continent and in 117 countries, amassing a life list of 3,907 species, including 604 North American species. Don will highlight noteworthy birds he has seen on each continent or island nation using his own slides. He began keeping records in 1946 after three years of birding as a Boy Scout. You will be treated to an amazing birding travelogue covering unique birds from all over planet Earth. Follow Don on his birding adventures to: Australia (8 trips, 589 species); China, where he led the first American birding tour and now has led 14 trips and recorded 83 species; and to such exotic spots as Tonga, Iceland, Greenland, Yugoslavia, Greece, Egypt, Kenya, Israel, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Seychelles, and Antarctica. Don has degrees from the University of Toledo, Univ. of Michigan and a Ph. D. in Entomology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He has taught ornithology and other ecology course for more than 48 years, including course/lectures in China, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Cyprus, and Britain. In his spare time, he organized and has led worldwide nature tours for 57 years, including as owner/operator of the former Crowder Nature Tours which Don and his wife, Sherry, continued as their own company, called World Nature Tours. They organized and sent tour groups to every continent except Antarctica for more than 20 years. For 17 weeks in 1972, Don led birding tours across the Pacific Ocean, to Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand and saw over 1500 birds. He has taught adult evening courses about birds and insects for the Audubon Naturalist Society Field Studies Program in conjunction with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Graduate School for 45 years and has won numerous awards for his teaching and conservation accomplishments. Don is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and is the Historian for the Maryland Ornithological Society. We hope you will make plans to enjoy this very special presentation. Don will share stories of his incredible birding adventures around the globe and you'll get to see some of the many fascinating birds that he has observed. See you Friday! Dan Haas -sent on behalf of the Anne Arundel Bird Club and Gerald WinegradSubject: EXTRALIMITAL; Radio-Tagged Golden Eagle From: Donald Sweig <skybirds.d AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:56:44 -0500 I decided to drive the 130 miles up to Waggoner's Gap, Pa. today as the weather looked promising for a good day at the hawk watch. It turned out to be partly good and partly not. I arrived about 11:30 and for the first 3 hours, except for an adult golden eagle, it was very slow. Then about 2:30 the winds shifted and picked up and we had a great flight. In the 40 minutes from about 3:40 until 4:20 we had good looks at SEVEN GOLDEN EAGLES (adults,sub-adults, and juveniles), and an immature Bald Eagle as well. Lots of Red Tails then as well. One of the Goldens appeared to have a RADIO TRACKING PACK on its back. It was also flying somewhat oddly. The total Golden Eagle count for the day was 13, with five Bald Eagles as well. It was well worth the drive up and back. If the predicted winds for Friday materialize, I may go back again. -- Donald Sweig Falls Church, Va.Subject: OCI reprise - eiders, Harleq., jaeger,& scoters, reprise From: Leo Weigant <hawkowl AT CABLESPEED.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:43:36 -0500 Feeling restless after a birding-less weekend, I couldn't resist the posting by Jim Brighton anent his seabird watch at OC Inlet (with Tom, Geraldine, and Bill -- thank you all) I had to go and try today. eiders were on the far side of the South Jetty -- near shore around 12:30, but they'd moved out to the point (apparently with the falling tide) by 4:00. They were seen readily from near the Oceanic Motel. I saw seven -- could this be the same seven reported flying over Cape Henlopen on Oct. 30? white-winged scoters -- 3 among many different skeins. harlequin duck finally showed up around 2:45 -- landing inside the Inlet by the South Jetty, about half-way between the large flat-topped bulge and the point, jaeger (probably "Light Adult nonbreeding" parasitic) -- this was a thrill. I'd been scanning for possible jaegers for nearly two hours & was ready to give up when, very far out, I saw a dark bird flying -- it reminded of Pete Dunne's description of a merlin: "its wing beat is so powerful it reminds you of a Harley" -- but too far off to call. I resolved to watch as long as I could and thought I might have seen a white patch of an underwing -- maybe, but . . . no way. At that moment it turned, flying right toward the Inlet, probably toward a patch of rough water where gannets had been diving all day -- about twice as far out as the green buoy positioned off the mouth of the inlet, perhaps 400 yards away. When it arrived, it banked north and flew along the shore giving me, with the late afternoon sun over my shoulder, a great look at its brown upper parts & wings, the white under-wing patches, its white belly with some cinnamon mottling just under the wings and the cap. There did not seem to be a stripe across the upper breast. "Patience is a virtue is its own reward," they say (I think that's how it goes) and it was today.Subject: Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior From: Leo Weigant <hawkowl AT CABLESPEED.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:31:08 -0500 Well, I saw a ["Red-shafted"] Flicker once in AZ raiding the nest of a Vermilion Flycatcher. It proceeded to eat the chicks, one by one, ignoring the parents' flustered fluttering. This proves no generalization, but does indicate the possibility. Hope this helps you sleep better tonight. Leo Weigant On Nov 3, 2009, at 12:36 PM, Joanne Howl wrote: > About 10:30 AM this morning I was standing on Fox Point at SERC and > heard the distinct sound of tundra swan. It sounded like a small > flock or a few birds in flight. My companion and I were not able > to locate them and the sound soon disappeared. We went up to Mayo > Beach, usual winter home to a nice flock, but did not locate any. > > Best bird at SERC today was a red-bellied woodpecker. We located > it because it was making very loud pounding sounds. Turns out it > was pecking on a very hollow area in a tree. It was digging a hole > about six inches below and an inch or so lateral to a very nice > round entry to a cavity nest. I would guess the entry hole was > about three inches in diameter a bit bigger than a Red Bellieds > head but smaller than his shoulders. We watched the feeding > behavior for a bit and wondered about the nest site, what species > it might have belonged to. The Red Bellieds bill sank very deep > into the tree it was quite a hole it had created! And all of a > sudden a bird burst out of the nest hole! The red bellied squawked > and fluttered back. Neither of us got a very good look at the bird > from the cavity it was smaller than a red-bellied, about the > size, was brown or reddish, had some white on a longish tail. > Guess my best guess would be a screech owl, but then again, I > didnt think owl when I saw the burst. So I dunno. > > The red bellied returned and pecked at the hole it had created. It > began to pull out bits of grasses had to be nesting material! It > seemed to eat things, too. I dont know if it was after eggs, > after bugs living in the nesting material or what it was eating, > actually, but I did think it was eating things. Every once in > awhile it would skitter up to the cavity hole and look inside > just peeking in, never sticking the whole head in. Then it would > go and peck at its "feeding" hole. It was uncharacteristically > quiet the entire time we observed the bird maybe ten minutes. > > Another red-bellied flew in and there was a flutter of wings; one > bird flew away. I believe it was a new bird that stayed, because > it had a loose feather on its head, fluttering. The first bird > had a nice smooth head! The second bird, after having run off the > first, was quite noisy. It went and poked in the small hole, then > peered in the big hole a few times, back and forth. It chattered > and looked around, without getting engaged in pulling anything out > of the small hole, or feeding. Then it flew away, muttering loudly. > > Are Red Bellieds known to predate the nests of other cavity > dwellers? Any guesses on the cavity-bird? I guess I wonder if > there were eggs the Red Bellied was after. I did not see him with > shell, however, but he did stick his bill in and lingered there for > a moment or two at times feeding or probing, I guess. Any ideas > or comments? > > Joanne > > > > Joanne Howl, DVM > West River, MD > jovet AT aol.com > > > =Subject: Lake Elkhorn Bufflehead, yellowthroat, etc. From: Jim Wilkinson <wilkinson8 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:08:37 -0500 I walked early this morning (11/3) to Lake Elkhorn in Columbia, Howard County. The sun was just coming up and mist was rising from the surface of the lake. Highlights were two male Buffleheads close to the dam, six Pied-billed Grebes and a female Lesser Scaup in the middle of the lake, an Eastern Phoebe along the bank, and a first fall male Common Yellowthroat (showing a hint of the black mask), near the bridge at the upper end. There was also a Great Blue Heron standing motionless in the water above the bridge and a Belted Kingfisher nearby. Close to Brush Run were a Brown Creeper and my first flock of juncos this fall. Jim Wilkinson Columbia, MDSubject: Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior From: Ole Buck <olebuck AT STRIXVARIA.ORG> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:01:58 -0500 Seems like this was a Tundra Swan kind of day! As I dropped my son off at daycare in the Fort Washington area I sorta-maybe-thought I heard a noise and looked up as 11 Tundra Swans flew overhead. About 2 hours later I heard Tundras calling down the hill from the farm in Accokeek, putting them most likely over near Fort Washington Marina. Chris Ordiway Hard Bargain Farm Accokeek, MDSubject: FW: DC Area, 11/3/09 From: Norm Saunders <marshhawk AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:59:58 -0500 -----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:scordle AT capaccess.org]
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 4:28 PM
To: birdeast AT listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: DC Area, 11/3/09
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 11/3/09
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(email): voice AT AudubonNaturalist.org
Compiler: Joe Coleman
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the
Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle AT capaccess.org)
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of the
Voice (Individual $40; Family $50; Nature Steward $75; Audubon Advocate
$150). The membership number is 301-652-9188, option 12; the address is 8940
Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; and the web site is
http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist
Society. This report was completed Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 11:00 am.
Top birds this week are grebe sp.* in VA, GREAT WHITE HERON* in VA and DE,
and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* in VA.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, COMMON MOORHEN, shorebirds
including HUDSONIAN GODWIT, PARASITIC JAEGER, gulls, WESTERN KINGBIRD,
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, COMMON RAVEN, sparrows, YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
A GREBE, either a CLARK'S*, virtually unheard of in our area, or a WESTERN*,
also very rare, was reported at a small pond at Atlantic Shores, Virginia
Beach, VA Nov 2.
A GREAT WHITE HERON*, a white morph of the GREAT BLUE HERON, was seen and
photographed Oct 31 in a field along Clifton Farms Rd near the confluence of
the Clinch and Little Rivers, Russell Co, VA. A GREAT WHITE HERON* was also
reported from Bethany Beach, DE on Nov 1. It was found at a pond on the
north side of the road close to where Fred Hudson Rd intersects with Cedar
Neck Rd just before the entrance to the Bethany Lakes development.
An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* was seen and heard for about an hour from the
Kiptopeke SP Hawkwatch, Northampton Co, VA on Nov 1.
A CACKLING GOOSE (RICHARDSON'S) was seen Oct 28 at the Boy Scout Camp near
Swoope, Augusta Co, VA. One was found Oct 29 at Cranberry Reservoir, Carroll
Co, MD and three were there on Oct 30.
A BRANT was found at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD on Oct 28 and seen
through the first of Nov. Several BRANT were also found at Sandy Point SP,
Anne Arundel Co, MD throughout the week.
Waterfowl numbers swelled this past week and included seven COMMON EIDERS on
Oct 30 and a HARLEQUIN DUCK flying over Cape Henlopen on Oct 29. Five COMMON
EIDERS and one juvenile HARLEQUIN DUCK were seen at the Ocean City, MD inlet
on Nov 1. Scoters showed up at a number of locations including seven SURF
SCOTERS reported Oct 30 from Lake Royal in the Kings Park west area of
Fairfax Co, VA. On Nov 1 there were two BLACK SCOTERS on the Potomac River
between the 14th St. Bridge and Memorial Bridge in SW DC. Six BLACK SCOTERS
were seen Nov 1 on ponds in Augusta Co, VA. Four SURF SCOTERS and two BLACK
SCOTERS were found Nov 1 at Lapidum, Harford Co, MD. There was a single
female SURF SCOTER at Greenbelt Lake, PG Co, MD Nov 2. A LONG-TAILED DUCK
was seen at Cranberry Reservoir on Oct 30. There was a LONG-TAILED DUCK at
the Georgetown Reservoir, NW DC on Nov 1.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD on
Oct 28.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen Oct 28 in the newly constructed wetlands along
the east side of Egypt Road, Dorchester Co, MD. The AMERICAN BITTERN
reported last week at the pond behind the Walmart on Rte 29 in Madison
Heights, Amherst Co, VA, was seen again on Oct 29 and Nov 2.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen flying over Little Island City Park, Virginia
Beach, VA on Oct 31.
A light-phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew over the Gardenville section of
Baltimore, MD Nov 2.
GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at a couple of different locations including one on
Oct 31 flying over Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier Co, VA. Two GOLDEN
EAGLES as well as two SNOW GEESE and over 60 TUNDRA SWANS flew over the
Snickers Gap Hawkwatch, Clarke Co, VA on Nov 1.
A COMMON MOORHEN was found Nov 1 in the large pond along Elliott Island Rd,
Dorchester Co, MD.
A flock of SANDHILL CRANES flew over Calf's Mtn, Waynesboro, VA, Nov 1. A
SANDHILL CRANE flew over Bombay Hook NWR, DE on Nov 2.
On Oct 28 six AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS flew over the Kiptopeke St Pk
Hawkwatch, Northampton Co, VA. There was an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER at Merkle
Wildlife Sanctuary, Prince George's Co, MD on both Nov 1 and Nov 2.
The two HUDSONIAN GODWITS spotted in pool 5a of Blackwater NWR, Dorchester
Co, MD last week continued to be reported with reports from every day of the
week. Also present there on occasion were two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. A
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was also found at the ponds along Rte 3 in King
George, King George Co, VA on Oct 31. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at
Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary the 28th through the 31st of Oct. A WESTERN
SANDPIPER and two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen during the trip to
Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on Oct 31. There was a STILT SANDPIPER
at Leonard's Pond in Rockingham Co, VA on Nov 1.
A juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER was seen Oct 31 at the Ocean City Inlet,
Worcester Co, MD, and three were seen there on Nov 1.
An adult FRANKLIN'S GULL was found Oct 31 on Hydes Rd off of Long Green Pike
in Baltimore Co, MD. Other gull sightings included LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS
from several locations.
A WESTERN KINGBIRD was found Nov 2 at Cape Henlopen SP, DE.
Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were reported Nov 2 at 4407 Ballenger Creek Pike
Frederick County, MD, which is between Cap Stine Rd and New Design Rd just
south of Elmer Derr Rd.
There was a late PHILADELPHIA VIREO in Lynchburg, VA on Oct 28.
COMMON RAVENS were seen near Tyson's Corners, Fairfax Co, VA on Oct 29.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued to be reported from a variety of
locations.
A VESPER SPARROW was found Oct 27 at Loch Raven Reservoir, Baltimore Co, MD.
There was also a VESPER SPARROW at Sky Meadows SP on Nov 1. A NELSON'S
SPARROW was found in the marsh along Rumbly Point Rd, Somerset Co, MD on Oct
29. A NELSON'S SPARROW was also seen along George Island Landing Rd, east of
Stockton, Worcester Co, MD on Oct 31. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen Oct 30
along the C&O Canal west of
MD-61 where it crosses the Potomac River in South Cumberland, Allegany Co,
MD. Two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Little Island City Park, Virginia Beach,
VA on Oct 31.
On Oct 31 a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, in full breeding plumage, was
found mixed in with flock of over 4,000 blackbirds in a field of waste corn
across Rte 3 from a pond to the right of the Aggregate driveway in King
George, King George Co, VA. A flock of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen nearby
earlier in the morning.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey, VA-Bird,
and DE-Birds list servers.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=511) is an excellent
source for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to voice AT AudubonNaturalist.org
or call 301-652-1088 and select menu option 2. Please post reports before
midnight Monday, identify the county as well as state, and include your name
and a Tuesday morning contact, either e-mail or phone.
Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
*Of interest to the records committee
Subject: Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behaviorFrom: Rick Sussman <warblerick AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:37:54 -0500 Hi Joanne, First, whatever bird flew out of the hole was roosting there not nesting, though it may have nested there earlier in the season. As you describe it, the hole had grasses in it, but you don't mention how high up the tree the hole was. Regardless, the original hole was made by a woodpecker, a primary nester (it builds its own nest/hole), but since it was filled with grasses, it was likely last used by a secondary nester, one who utilizes nest cavities but does not excavate them. Woodpeckers don't really line their nests wiith grasses, mostly just woodchips as I understand it. So, based on the description of the bird that flew out, it may indeed have been a red-phase screech owl, but my guess would be Carolina Wren. A screech owl is about 8 1/2 inches long with a rather short tail, with no white in it. A Red-bellied Woodpecker is about 9 1/ 4 inches long, and a Carolina Wren is about 5 1/2 inches long, but also without white in the tail. But the wren is close to half the woodpeckers size, and perhaps you saw the white of the throat and/or the eye line in a flash as the bird flew out. Rick Sussman Woodbine,MD -----Original Message----- From: Joanne HowlSubject: Tundra Swans Oxford, Talbot County 11/3/09 From: Jim Brighton <jimbrighton3 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:29:24 -0500 Hi everyone, While working outside at the boatyard this afternoon, I had three groups of Tundra Swans fly over around 12:45pm (73 birds total). My first of the season. Jim Brighton Easton, MD jimbrighton3 AT gmail.com http://jimbrighton.smugmug.com/Subject: Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior From: John Dennehy <jedennehy AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:42:28 -0500 Red-bellied woodpeckers (and apparently some other North American woodpeckers) are known predators of songbird eggs and chicks. I once watched a red-bellied woodpecker behave the same way you have described, Joanne. It kept lunging deep into a nest hole while a frantic adult downy woodpecker attacked it . There was lots of noise and commotion. Eventually, the red-bellied woodpecker plucked out a chick and flew off. After that, all was silent. John Dennehy BaltimoreSubject: Blackwater Godwits - no From: Don Burggraf <dburggraf AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:17:58 +0000 Hi all I stopped in at Blackwater this afternoon, hopeful of the godwits. Unfortunately, you will notice my list below conspicuously lacking in godwits. The Avocet was nice, though. Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Tundra Swan Snow Goose Canada Goose American Wigeon Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Northern Pintail (estimate 2000) Northern Shoveler Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel American Coot American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Dunlin Great Black-backed Gull American Herring Gull Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Forster's Tern Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren Northern Mockingbird Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Robin Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Blue Jay American Crow House Sparrow American Goldfinch Yellow-rumped Warbler Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Brown-headed Cowbird Red-winged Blackbird I stopped by the long wharf at Cambridge on my way home, adding Royal Tern and Common Loon Don Burggraf Baltimore dburggraf AT hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/ http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/Subject: Black Scoter - Triadelphia Reservoir - YES From: Joe Byrnes <LBRoller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:04:54 -0500 I ran into Emy Holdridge and Jo Solem this afternoon at Triadelphia Reservoir, where Emy refound one of the Black Scoters about 3 PM to the north of Greenbridge access road close to the Howard County side of the reservoir. -Joe Byrnes Columbia, MD Bill Hill wrote: > I spent some time late this afternoon checking out Triadelphia Reservoir. Initially found three Gadwall in the cove by the dam but the majority of ducks were north of the Greenbridge access road. Found four scoter candidates but they mostly kept their heads tucked which complicated getting an id. Eventually, they ended their naps and was able to identify them as female/imm Black Scoters. There were several other rafts of ducks: 21 Bufflehead, 20 scaup sp, 3 Ruddy Ducks, and 10 Mallards. As I was leaving, a Common Loon called and an Osprey dove into the water nearby. Nice way to end the afternoon. > > Bill Hill > Glenwood, Md. > >Subject: Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior From: June Tveekrem <tweekiebird AT SOUTHERNSPREADWING.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 16:27:56 -0500 I think the bird that flew out of the hole was just roosting there. Screech owl sounds like a good guess to me. At least I don't have a better guess. The hole was almost certainly used as a nest cavity, since the woodpecker pulled grasses out of the tree. I've never heard of red-bellied woodpeckers preying on nests, and in any case the woodpecker wouldn't wait until November to do so. No bird would have an active nest this late in the year. I suspect the woodpecker was looking for insects, and probably finding lots of them. My understanding is that's what woodpeckers normally eat. June -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland tweekiebird|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com jovet AT aol.com wrote: > June, > > I think you've pretty much got it! > > I think the woodpecker penetrated the cavity. I believe there was > nesting material in the cavity and the woodpecker was pulling the > nesting material out. Some was grass - appeared to be - some may have > been sticks. Some was something I could not figure out. The bird > pulled quite a bit out. > > I'm looking for any discussion on this odd behavior. I figure the > bird in the tree might have just been roosting there, or it may have > been nesting - but it did come out of the hole. I'm curious if nest > predation is a behavior of red bellied woodpeckers. > > Any information or enlightenment would be welcome! > > Thanks > > Joanne > > Joanne Howl, DVM > West River, MD > jovet AT aol.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: June Tveekrem > To: MDOSPREY AT HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM > Sent: Tue, Nov 3, 2009 2:17 pm > Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior > > Joanne, > > I don't quite follow your description about the woodpecker behavior. > Let's see if I've interpreted it right: > > 1) A tree had a hole in it; the hole was 3 inches in diameter. You > assumed it was a cavity nest. > 2) About 6 inches below the hole, a red-bellied woodpecker was pecking > on the trunk. > 3) The pecking sound was loud, meaning the tree was hollow where the > woodpecker was. This implies the hole extended down inside the tree > for at least 6 inches. > 4) The woodpecker's bill went deep into the tree. You don't mention > whether the woodpecker had gotten all the way through the trunk yet > and tapped into the original hole. > 5) A different bird flew out of the 3-inch diameter hole, scaring the > woodpecker away temporarily. > 6) The woodpecker returned to where it was pecking before, and began > pulling grasses out of the tree. Evidently the woodpecker had now > penetrated all the way through the trunk. > 7) The woodpecker occasionally went up to the 3-inch diameter entrance > and peered in, but did not enter. > 8) A second woodpecker chased the first one away, poked around a bit, > then left. > > You asked two questions: > 1) What species of bird flew out of the hole? > 2) What was the woodpecker looking for and eating? > > Is the above indeed what you were saying, or did I misinterpret? > > JuneSubject: Am Go Plo @ Merkle, etc From: Dan Haas <nervousbirds AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 16:25:00 -0500 Not while I was there around lunchtime. 2 Pectoral, 4 Dunlin, 10 Greater & 2 Lessers, dozens of Pipits, loads of Killdeer, Harrier, Eagles, Red-tails, blah, blah, blah.. Hey, so I saw on the eBird gadget a confirmed report from yesterday of 2 Sandhill Cranes in Howard County (Wilde Lake). Anyone know if the birds were seen today, or have any further details? Thanks. -Dan Haas West Annap nervousbirds AT gmail.comSubject: Loch Raven & Hawkwatch, 11/03/09 From: Kevin Graff <whitemarlin2001 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:56:46 -0800 Hi all,
First of the reservoir weekly walk. Next walk will be at Prettyboy Reservoir on
11/10/09 at 830am. Check with me by Mon evening for direction. *Note: I'll be
out of touch tomorrow till late Sun for Irish Grove work week and will check
email sometimes late Sun night or Mon morning.
11/03/09 - 830am-1130am
Loch Raven Reservoir "Loch Raven Skeet & Trap Club" Dulaney Valley Rd., E of
Stone Hill Rd., Phoenix, Baltimore Co., MD
WEATHER: Fair, 46-60 degrees, W 8 mph- W 9 mph
OBSERVERS: Johanna F, Kevin G, John L, Joann P, Mark ?
Canada Goose - 92
American Wigeon - 21
American Black Duck - 2
Mallard - 18
Green-winged Teal - 3
Ring-necked Duck - 78
Bufflehead - 4
Pied-billed Grebe - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 1 (near #1 bridge)
Great Blue Heron - 1
Black Vulture - 4
Turkey Vulture - 5
Osprey - 2
Bald Eagle - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
Ring-billed Gull - 13
Rock Pigeon - 4
Mourning Dove - 11
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Northern Flicker - 4
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Blue Jay - 4
American Crow - 5
Carolina Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 9
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Carolina Wren - 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 16
American Robin - 86
Northern Mockingbird - 4
Brown Thrasher - 1
European Starling - 24
Cedar Waxwing - 22
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3
Eastern Towhee - 2
Chipping Sparrow - 10
Field Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 7
White-throated Sparrow - 78
"Slate-colored" Junco - 72
Northern Cardinal - 8
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Brown-headed Cowbird - 1
American Goldfinch - 23
SPECIES: 50
TOTAL BIRDS: 674
MAMMALS
Gray Squirrel - 17
BUTTERFLIES
Monarch - 2
MOTHS
Isabella Tiger Moth - 3 (Woolly Bear caterpillar)
11/03/09 - 12pm-1pm
Backyard HawkWatch at temporary site, White Ave., Gardenville section of
Baltimore, MD
WEATHER: Fair/PC, 62-63 degrees, WSW 11 mph- WNW 12 mph
OBSERVERS: Kevin G, John L, Joann P
Snow Goose - 12 (1224pm, headed SSE)
Canada Goose - 14 (1243pm, headed SE)
Tundra Swan - 14 (1228pm, headed SE)
Turkey Vulture - 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 7
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 6
Rock Pigeon - 7
Mourning Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 3
American Crow - 6
Carolina Chickadee - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
American Robin - 16
Northern Mockingbird - 1
European Starling - 9
House Finch - 3
American Goldfinch - 8
SPECIES: 20
TOTAL BIRDS: 122
Raptors by hours
12-1
Turkey Vulture 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 6
24
Kevin Graff
Jarrettsville, MD
WhiteMarlin2001 AT yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behaviorFrom: June Tveekrem <tweekiebird AT SOUTHERNSPREADWING.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 14:17:42 -0500 Joanne, I don't quite follow your description about the woodpecker behavior. Let's see if I've interpreted it right: 1) A tree had a hole in it; the hole was 3 inches in diameter. You assumed it was a cavity nest. 2) About 6 inches below the hole, a red-bellied woodpecker was pecking on the trunk. 3) The pecking sound was loud, meaning the tree was hollow where the woodpecker was. This implies the hole extended down inside the tree for at least 6 inches. 4) The woodpecker's bill went deep into the tree. You don't mention whether the woodpecker had gotten all the way through the trunk yet and tapped into the original hole. 5) A different bird flew out of the 3-inch diameter hole, scaring the woodpecker away temporarily. 6) The woodpecker returned to where it was pecking before, and began pulling grasses out of the tree. Evidently the woodpecker had now penetrated all the way through the trunk. 7) The woodpecker occasionally went up to the 3-inch diameter entrance and peered in, but did not enter. 8) A second woodpecker chased the first one away, poked around a bit, then left. You asked two questions: 1) What species of bird flew out of the hole? 2) What was the woodpecker looking for and eating? Is the above indeed what you were saying, or did I misinterpret? June -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland tweekiebird|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com Joanne Howl wrote: > Best bird at SERC today was a red-bellied woodpecker. We located it because it was making very loud pounding sounds. Turns out it was pecking on a very hollow area in a tree. It was digging a hole about six inches below and an inch or so lateral to a very nice round entry to a cavity nest. I would guess the entry hole was about three inches in diameter – a bit bigger than a Red Bellied’s head but smaller than his “shoulders”. We watched the feeding behavior for a bit and wondered about the nest site, what species it might have belonged to. The Red Bellied’s bill sank very deep into the tree – it was quite a hole it had created! And all of a sudden a bird burst out of the nest hole! The red bellied squawked and fluttered back. Neither of us got a very good look at the bird from the cavity – it was smaller than a red-bellied, about ½ the size, was brown or reddish, had some white on a longish tail. Guess my best guess would be a screech owl, but then again, I didn’t think “owl” when I saw the burst. So I dunno. > > The red bellied returned and pecked at the hole it had created. It began to pull out bits of grasses – had to be nesting material! It seemed to eat things, too. I don’t know if it was after eggs, after bugs living in the nesting material or what it was eating, actually, but I did think it was eating things. Every once in awhile it would skitter up to the cavity hole and look inside – just peeking in, never sticking the whole head in. Then it would go and peck at its "feeding" hole. It was uncharacteristically quiet the entire time we observed the bird – maybe ten minutes. > > Another red-bellied flew in and there was a flutter of wings; one bird flew away. I believe it was a new bird that stayed, because it had a loose feather on it’s head, fluttering. The first bird had a nice smooth head! The second bird, after having run off the first, was quite noisy. It went and poked in the small hole, then peered in the big hole a few times, back and forth. It chattered and looked around, without getting engaged in pulling anything out of the small hole, or feeding. Then it flew away, muttering loudly. > > Are Red Bellieds known to predate the nests of other cavity dwellers? Any guesses on the cavity-bird? I guess I wonder if there were eggs the Red Bellied was after. I did not see him with shell, however, but he did stick his bill in and lingered there for a moment or two at times – feeding or probing, I guess. Any ideas or comments? > > Joanne > > > Joanne Howl, DVM > West River, MD > jovet AT aol.com >Subject: Black Scoters - Triadelphia Res - NO From: Andy Martin <apmartin2 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 13:51:26 -0500 I went over to Triadelphia around 9:30 AM but was unable to relocate Bill Hill's Black Scoters. Andy Martin Gaithersburg Bill Hill wrote: > I spent some time late this afternoon checking out Triadelphia Reservoir. Initially found three Gadwall in the cove by the dam but the majority of ducks were north of the Greenbridge access road. Found four scoter candidates but they mostly kept their heads tucked which complicated getting an id. Eventually, they ended their naps and was able to identify them as female/imm Black Scoters. There were several other rafts of ducks: 21 Bufflehead, 20 scaup sp, 3 Ruddy Ducks, and 10 Mallards. As I was leaving, a Common Loon called and an Osprey dove into the water nearby. Nice way to end the afternoon. > > Bill Hill > Glenwood, Md. > >Subject: Frederick county Loggerhead shrikes no From: Stephen Horvath <Falcon85 AT PRODIGY.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 13:04:26 -0500 I took a ride around frederick county looking for the Loggerhead Shrike, that doesn't mean they aren't out there.Subject: Tundra Swan and odd Woodpecker behavior From: Joanne Howl <jovet AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 12:36:00 -0500 About 10:30 AM this morning I was standing on Fox Point at SERC and heard the distinct sound of tundra swan. It sounded like a small flock or a few birds in flight. My companion and I were not able to locate them and the sound soon disappeared. We went up to Mayo Beach, usual winter home to a nice flock, but did not locate any. Best bird at SERC today was a red-bellied woodpecker. We located it because it was making very loud pounding sounds. Turns out it was pecking on a very hollow area in a tree. It was digging a hole about six inches below and an inch or so lateral to a very nice round entry to a cavity nest. I would guess the entry hole was about three inches in diameter – a bit bigger than a Red Bellied’s head but smaller than his “shoulders”. We watched the feeding behavior for a bit and wondered about the nest site, what species it might have belonged to. The Red Bellied’s bill sank very deep into the tree – it was quite a hole it had created! And all of a sudden a bird burst out of the nest hole! The red bellied squawked and fluttered back. Neither of us got a very good look at the bird from the cavity – it was smaller than a red-bellied, about ½ the size, was brown or reddish, had some white on a longish tail. Guess my best guess would be a screech owl, but then again, I didn’t think “owl” when I saw the burst. So I dunno. The red bellied returned and pecked at the hole it had created. It began to pull out bits of grasses – had to be nesting material! It seemed to eat things, too. I don’t know if it was after eggs, after bugs living in the nesting material or what it was eating, actually, but I did think it was eating things. Every once in awhile it would skitter up to the cavity hole and look inside – just peeking in, never sticking the whole head in. Then it would go and peck at its "feeding" hole. It was uncharacteristically quiet the entire time we observed the bird – maybe ten minutes. Another red-bellied flew in and there was a flutter of wings; one bird flew away. I believe it was a new bird that stayed, because it had a loose feather on it’s head, fluttering. The first bird had a nice smooth head! The second bird, after having run off the first, was quite noisy. It went and poked in the small hole, then peered in the big hole a few times, back and forth. It chattered and looked around, without getting engaged in pulling anything out of the small hole, or feeding. Then it flew away, muttering loudly. Are Red Bellieds known to predate the nests of other cavity dwellers? Any guesses on the cavity-bird? I guess I wonder if there were eggs the Red Bellied was after. I did not see him with shell, however, but he did stick his bill in and lingered there for a moment or two at times – feeding or probing, I guess. Any ideas or comments? Joanne Joanne Howl, DVM West River, MD jovet AT aol.com =Subject: Greenbelt Lake Surf Scoter - not this AM From: Elaine Hendricks <ehendric48 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:14:25 -0500 I checked the lake at 7:00 and 8:30 this morning but did not see the female Surf Scoter. There were 4 female Buffleheads, 3 Ruddy Ducks (new arrivals), and 2 Double-crested Cormorants hanging out in the middle of the deepest part of the lake. By the way, the scoter was species #132 for my Greenbelt Lake list, which I think is pretty good for a dinky little lake just outside the Capital Beltway. Elaine Hendricks Greenbelt, MD (PG County) ehendric48 AT gmail.comSubject: Earthlink blockages From: Norm Saunders <marshhawk AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 05:04:59 -0500 Despite the fact that LSoft has applied to Earthlink to STOP blocking all LSoft group mail, the blockages continue. Everyone who was kicked from the list a few days ago be prepared to be kicked once again tomorrow. PLEASE consider setting up an alternate e-mail account on Gmail or yahoo and LET ME KNOW what it is so I can change your account before you get kicked again. Thanks. NormSubject: Eastern Shore & Anne Arrundel County 11/2 From: Jim Green <jkgbirdman AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 21:51:37 -0500 Hi Everybody: I spent the last week visiting my folks in Fort Myers, Fla. and
reading about all of the great birds that were being found in MD while I was
gone. Since I had Monday off also before going back to work I decided to see if
any of them were still around. I started in WYE ISLAND NRMA (QA CO.) at first
daylight and found nothing but very common species.
I then drove down to Blackwater NWR and I was able to locate the 2 HUDSONIAN
GODWITS where they have been previously reported. In the same pond were 4
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS & 24 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.
My next stop was to check Tanyard (Rt. 331 - Caroline County). There were alot
of gulls: majority were Laughing along with Ring-billed, Herring and Grt.
Black-backed. I also found 6 GREATER YELLOWLEGS & 2 DUNLIN.
I then drove over to the Easton Wastewater Treatment Plant off of N. Dover Road
(Talbot County), asked and received permission to enter and check the 2 ponds.
The first one had Canada Geese and 2 American Coots. As I approached the second
one there were gulls circling, landing and constantly flying off from the
nearby landfill. The mix were similar to those at Tanyard with no rarities
found. The following waterfowl were also here:
GADWALL 1
N. SHOVELER 9
LESSER SCAUP 4
HOODED MERGANSER 2
RUDDY DUCK 375
As I was leaving a male Harrier flew overhead and then once I was back on N.
Dover Road I heard some birds flying overhead. I quickly pulled over, located
the flock as they were landing in a field. I counted 25 AMERICAN PIPITS ambling
through the field.
I headed west on Rt. 50 and then pulled into Sandy Spring State Park. The 8
BRANT & 3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were stilll there but I could not find any
other shorebirds. I then drove down to Sands Road County Park (AA Co.). Other
than approx. 60 A. Goldfinch and several E. Blued birds it was very uneventful.
Overall I picked up 6 new County Birds for the day and the Hooded Mergs at the
Easton Wastewater Treatment plant was my 89th Closeout. Thank you to everybody
who provided updates on the H. Godwits, Brant etc. for the past week.
Good to be back and birding in Maryland.
Jim Green
Gaithersburg, Md.
work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!
Subject: Sandy Point State Park-BrantFrom: diane Ford <dmford455 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 18:18:02 -0800 Hi all, I made a trip up to SPSP to view the reported Atlantic Brants, Black bellied Plovers, and gulls. Didn't see any Dunlin, but was concentrating on studying the Brant. I was there a short time when Jim Green arrived with scope in hand, and looking for county birds. The wind was offshore, and the bay was choppy. Here's my stationary count list: 8 Atlantic Brant Canada Geese (approx 30 with some flyovers) 4 Black bellied Plovers (they appeared from out of nowhere) Ring billed Gulls Laughing Gulls Great black backed Gulls 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Fish Crow 5 Common Crow D.Ford/ Bethesda, MdSubject: Unusual Yard Birds, AA Co. From: Stanley Arnold <dy.dx AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 19:39:29 -0500 Hi Folks, Elaine had quite an interesting time in our Ferndale yard today while I was at work, and the excitement continued after I got home. In the morning she had found a fairly late SWAINSON'S THRUSH, poking around the pokeberries, probably our fourth or fifth of the fall. She was quite delighted when she heard our first-of-year RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH beeping around the yard, and our hope is that they will be around daily for the entire winter as they were two years ago. We have not had Fish Crows around for the past couple of months, but Elaine counted a murder of about 130 FISH CROWs flying over early this morning, certainly our high count for the yard. Her most unusual sighting, however, was a bird seeming to associate with the 20 or so juncos in the back yard--a very late male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. Of course I had to check the yellow book, which gives a late date of 16 Nov. The biggest surprise, however, came after I got home just before sunset. I was walking the periphery of our acre lot hoping to hear the beeping of the nuthatch (I never did) when to my astonishment a WOODCOCK flushed from just across the back fence, flying from the corner of a neighbor's yard out over the fence into a small wooded area. This actually was not a new yard bird, as I had flushed one from the end of our driveway on a very foggy morning last fall. I never thought we would ever approach our excellent tally of 122 species in the yard in 2008, but the nuthatch and woodcock bring our 2009 yard list up to 117, so we are certainly headed towards another terrific year. We did add another new bird to our all-time yard list recently--one long expected and hoped for. A week ago, on Sun., 25 Oct, Elaine looked out the back door, and on the patio was a tiny little wren, our yard's first recorded WINTER WREN (yard bird #143). When we created our 14 brush piles around the yard in 2006 and 2007 I had envisioned finding a Winter Wren in one of them some day. We certainly didn't expect it on the patio where the sparrows and doves feed. Then last Friday when I was walking around the yard a small wren that was flitting about one of the brush piles turned out to be another WINTER WREN (or maybe the same one). This little bird had no fear, and hopped toward me close enough that I could no longer focus my binoculars on it. Absolutely the best look I've ever had at this species--it looked just like it does in the field guides! So, the exciting year of 2009 continues, even in the yard. Stan Arnold Ferndale (AA Co.) dy.dx AT earthlink.netSubject: Black Scoters - Triadelphia Reservoir From: Bill Hill <gandb2000-02 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 18:39:05 -0500 I spent some time late this afternoon checking out Triadelphia Reservoir. Initially found three Gadwall in the cove by the dam but the majority of ducks were north of the Greenbridge access road. Found four scoter candidates but they mostly kept their heads tucked which complicated getting an id. Eventually, they ended their naps and was able to identify them as female/imm Black Scoters. There were several other rafts of ducks: 21 Bufflehead, 20 scaup sp, 3 Ruddy Ducks, and 10 Mallards. As I was leaving, a Common Loon called and an Osprey dove into the water nearby. Nice way to end the afternoon. Bill Hill Glenwood, Md.Subject: American Golden-Plover Continues at Merkle From: Elaine Hendricks <ehendric48 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:52:23 -0500 I spent much of the afternoon at Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, where I was able to relocate the AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER reported yesterday by John Hubbell and the Fallons. It was in the middle of the large, mostly bare field beyond the ponds behind the Visitor Center, loosely associating with a flock of Killdeer. Also present in the field were 5 or 6 Dunlin. There were 20+ yellowlegs of both species and a few Green-winged Teal on the larger pond. I did not see any of the White-rumped Sandpipers. Elaine Hendricks Greenbelt, MD (PG County) ehendric48 AT gmail.comSubject: Backyard HawkWatch, 11/02/09 From: Kevin Graff <whitemarlin2001 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:28:30 -0800 Hi all,
Great day to see hawks at my old backyard hawkwatch at a temporary site in
small grassy area between my old place and the ridge. Odd to have that many on
a NE winds. John Landers came by and we both had over 200 during his stay.
11/02/09 - 1030am-3pm
Backyard HawkWatch at temporary site on grassy area, White Ave., Gardenville
section of Baltimore, MD
WEATHER: Overcast/MC, 55-57 degrees, NE 10 mph- E 6 mph
OBSERVERS: Kevin Graff (1030am-3pm), John Landers (1130am-230pm)
Canada Goose - 51 (48 headed SE at 156pm, 3 headed E at 229pm)
Common Loon - 4 (2 at 134pm headed SE, 2 at 136pm headed SE)
Black Vulture - 3
Turkey Vulture - 137 (kettle of 25 at 1251pm, 18 at 152pm)
Bald Eagle - 6 (3 adults, 1 4th, 1 2nd)
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 37
Cooper's Hawk - 7
Red-shouldered Hawk - 20
Red-tailed Hawk - 126
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK - 1 (adult light phase, 1059am following single Redtail)
American Kestrel - 1
Merlin - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Rock Pigeon - 8
Mourning Dove - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 2
American Crow - 21
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
American Robin - 18
Northern Mockingbird - 1
European Starling - 12
AMERICAN PIPIT - 3
Cedar Waxwing - 17
Northern Cardinal - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 2
Common Grackle - 6
House Finch - 4
American Goldfinch - 11
House Sparrow - 3
SPECIES: 32
TOTAL BIRDS: 510
MAMMALS
Gray Squirrel - 5
Raptors by hours
1030-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 Total
Black Vulture 0 0 3 0 0 3
Turkey Vulture 10 39 55 29 4 137
Bald Eagle 0 1 2 2 1 6
Northern Harrier 1 0 0 0 0 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 10 9 11 3 37
Cooper's Hawk 1 2 2 2 0 7
Red-shouldered Hawk 3 5 6 5 1 20
Red-tailed Hawk 13 36 28 38 11 126
Rough-legged Hawk 1 0 0 0 0 1
American Kestrel 0 0 0 1 0 1
Merlin 0 0 0 1 0 1
33 93 105 89 20 340
Bald Eagle - 1 adult 1133am
2 adult 1243pm
1 adult 105pm
1 4th 157pm
1 2nd 244pm
Kevin Graff
Jarrettsville, MD
WhiteMarlin2001 AT yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Surf Scoter at Greenbelt LakeFrom: Christopher Murray <amarumayo AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:10:05 -0500 Double thanks, I also got this county bird today. As of 230 PM the bird was miked in with a small flock of buffleheads and Canada geese. After that I checked Lake Artemesia. Waterfowl numbers are increasing including ring-necked duck 35 ruddy 12 canada 350 mallard 6 pied billed 2 Good Birding, Chris Murray AnnapolisSubject: Hudsonian godwit and pectoral sandpiper From: Otter 919 <otter919 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 16:56:56 -0500 Two Hudsonian Godwits were still present Sunday November 1 in Pond 5C of Blackwater NWR. To the west of the visitors' center among others were one avocet and five pectoral sandpipers. A flock of tree swallows was active. DW Holmes otter nine one nine at gmail com Washington, DCSubject: 2 Loggerhead Shrikes in Frederick County reported on eBird From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 12:37:54 -0800 There were 2 Loggerhead Shrikes reported to eBird at 1:15pm. The address below
is the location listed:
4407 Ballenger Creek Pike
Frederick County, MD
This location is between Cap Stine Road and New Design Road just south of Elmer
Derr Road.
Tyler Bell
jtylerbell AT yahoo.com
California, Maryland
Subject: Hermit Thrush, Creeper & Sapsucker at Schoolhouse PondFrom: Fred Shaffer <glaucousgull AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 13:00:03 -0500 Between my morning and lunchtime walks around Schoolhouse Pond, I saw some new arrivals of returning wintering birds. Highlights included a calling Hermit Thrush, which was vocal along the back edge of the pond this morning and at noon. Also seen for the first time this season at the pond was a Brown Creeper and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Both birds were working on trees at the rear of the pond. Waterfowl included a pair of Hooded Mergansers, several Wood Ducks, 1 Northern Shoveler, a couple dozen Canada Geese, and 1 Mute Swan. Raptors included an adult Bald Eagle, a Red Shouldered Hawk, and a flyover Sharp-shinned Hawk (all this morning). Other birds present included an American Coot, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers. There have been few to no gulls at the pond at lunchtime (or during the afternoon) over the last week. However, there were several hundred flyover Laughing Gulls during my morning walk, as well as smaller numbers of Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. Fred Shaffer GlaucousGull AT verizon.net Patuxent MOSSubject: DNR Proposed Pet Policy From: Keith Eric Costley <OrioleKEC1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 12:42:07 -0500 DNR Plans To Expand Pet Access In State Parks
Maryland Park Service Seeks Comment On Proposed Pet Policy
Annapolis, Md. (October 26, 2009) — The Maryland Park Service (MPS) will
begin taking public comments on its plan to expand pet access in state
parks, while continuing to provide a safe, enjoyable outdoor experience for
everyone. MPS recently reviewed the existing pet policy in state parks and
is proposing adjustments to that policy.
“We want to give Marylanders the chance to enjoy more of our parks with
their whole family, including pets, while minimizing any potential conflicts
with other visitors,” said MPS superintendent Nita Settina.
As part of the overall policy, park managers will retain the discretion to
prohibit pets from certain facilities within areas where pets are allowed
(e.g. visitor centers, playgrounds). Service animals will still be allowed
in all areas open to their owners.
After reviewing the comments received from park users and other interested
parties, final decisions will be made and the new policy will be implemented
in early 2010.
Maryland’s State Parks have always been places where families can come to
engage in a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities in beautiful
surroundings. Increasingly, there is a desire for pets to be included in
that experience. While the MPS has historically created opportunities for
visitors to recreate with their pets, certain areas have been off-limits. As
part of a continuous effort to improve visitor experiences in Maryland State
Parks, a comprehensive review of the existing pet policy was conducted and
proposed changes were developed. The last phase of that review is to solicit
public comment on the proposals before the final policy is implemented.
The proposed pet policy changes were developed with consideration for the
opinions and perspectives of park staff and visitors who have contacted the
MPS about this specific issue over the years. Pet policies employed by
similar parks and recreational facilities in Maryland and in other states
were also reviewed.
The MPS encourages opinions and comments and will consider them to arrive at
the best possible policy to serve all visitors.
To review the proposed changes to the Maryland Park Service Pet Policy, go
to http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/petpolicy/comment.asp and view
the information, organized by region and individual park.
Public comments on the proposed changes will be accepted online until
November 30 at
http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/petpolicy/comment.asp
Written comments may also be sent to: Pet Policy Comments, Maryland Park
Service, 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401.
October 26, 2009 Contact: Josh Davidsburg
410-260-8002 office I 410-507-7526 cell
jdavidsburg AT dnr.state.md.us
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its
40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing
natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR
manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of
waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for
maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national
leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and
cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead
agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's
number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov
Subject: Re: Surf Scoter at Greenbelt LakeFrom: Robert Ostrowski <rjostrowski AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:01:59 -0500 Thanks Elaine! I got your report en route to work and made a u-turn and got myself a county bird in 5 minutes. Maybe working in College Park isn't so bad... Robert Ostrowski Crofton, MD rjostrowski AT gmail.comSubject: Surf Scoter at Greenbelt Lake From: Elaine Hendricks <ehendric48 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 08:04:33 -0500 On Greenbelt Lake (7:55 AM): Wood Duck - 1 male American Wigeon - 1 male SURF SCOTER - 1 female Bufflehead - 1 male, 2 females Elaine Hendricks Greenbelt, MD (PG County) ehendric48 AT gmail.comSubject: Re: Surf and Black Scoters -- Harford and Cecil, 11/1 From: Robert Ostrowski <rjostrowski AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 07:29:03 -0500 Hello everyone, Now that I've had a chance to sleep, I want to add some stuff to Mike's post. The first being that we had 4 Surf Scoters (not 6) and 2 Black Scoters. Mike, Tom, and I spent the entire day birding Harford County with some pretty good success, totaling 71 species. Our first stop was at Swan Harbor Farm Park, where it was raining for nearly the entire 3 hours we were there. The cornfields were very flooded, in some areas enough for Mallards and Black Ducks to set down happily. In one of the less flooded areas, we flushed several Wilson's Snipe. A park ranger, who had just opened the gate in front of us, told us about a little pond behind the ridge of pines on the left as your driving down the entrance road. We were glad he told us about this because on the pond we had 1 female American Wigeon (FOS) and one male Hooded Merganser, both county birds. Down by the bay, we added one female Lesser Scaup to our duck list. Next we checked out Tydings, Lapidum, Conowingo, Harford Glen Park, and a final stop at Lakeside Ponds, a series of ponds within an officeplex. At Tydings, Forster's Terns were everywhere. We also had 41 Coots around the marina, 6 Northern Shovelers hanging near the pier that runs parallel with the land, one female Blue-winged Teal at the end of said pier, along with 1 Greater Yellowlegs and one unidentified shorebird species. The shorbird sp. was seen flying away silently with the GRYE. All we could get on it was that it was smaller than the yellowlegs and did not have a white rump. It would've been nice if some walkers hadn't flushed them 2 min before we would've got down there. :) Our next stop was at Lapidum where we got by far our best birds of the day, which Mike already posted about. SURF SCOTER and BLACK SCOTER both have nothing in the Yellowbook for Cecil County, but after talking to Hafner and Stasz, I know there has been records of each since 1996. After Lapidum, we went to Conowingo to see if we could pick out any rare gulls, but if there were any, we didn't see them among the ~ 600 Ring-billeds, ~75 Herrings, and ~50 Great Black-backeds. There were 60+ Bald Eagles and almost as many Bald Eagle photographers, which they no doubt thought we were part of. It was our first trip to Harford Glen Park, which looks like a really nice place. There is some decent edge, marsh, and woods habitat to explore. Our best birds here were a two Green-winged Teal and a female Northern Pintail. Full lists: Location: Swan Harbor Farm Park Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 46 Canada Goose 330 Wood Duck 3 American Wigeon 1 American Black Duck 4 Mallard 115 Lesser Scaup 1 Hooded Merganser 1 Pied-billed Grebe 6 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Great Blue Heron 4 Bald Eagle 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Wilson's Snipe 3 Ring-billed Gull 1 Herring Gull 1 Great Black-backed Gull 1 Forster's Tern 11 Rock Pigeon 36 Mourning Dove 46 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 3 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 60 Fish Crow 40 crow sp. 10 Carolina Chickadee 5 Tufted Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 1 American Robin 15 Northern Mockingbird 5 European Starling 15 Palm Warbler 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Savannah Sparrow 7 Song Sparrow 17 Swamp Sparrow 17 White-throated Sparrow 10 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 27 Common Grackle 30 American Goldfinch 12 House Sparrow 2 Location: Tydings Memorial Park, Havre de Grace Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 24 Canada Goose 22 Mallard 52 Mallard (Domestic type) 1 Blue-winged Teal 1 Northern Shoveler 6 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 6 Great Egret 1 Bald Eagle 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Coot 41 Greater Yellowlegs 1 shorebird sp. 1 Laughing Gull 100 Ring-billed Gull 29 Herring Gull 1 Great Black-backed Gull 1 Forster's Tern 6 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 3 Carolina Chickadee 1 Carolina Wren 1 Song Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Location: Lapidum Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 18 Canada Goose 50 Wood Duck 10 American Wigeon 2 American Black Duck 3 SURF SCOTER 4 http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142 AT N04/4066908494/ BLACK SCOTER 2 **An excellent bird for Harford County. Somewhat distant, but we got prolonged scope views of the birds on the water and in the air. These two birds stayed close to each other and slightly apart from the Surf Scoters, but were loosely associated with them (often close enough for easy comparison with surfs). Overall black including under the wing. Dingy white-ish cheek (easily seen to be more extensive than white spots on nearby female surf scoters). Steeper forward and smaller bill than nearby, more easily identifiable male Surf Scoters. Perhaps slightly smaller than Surf Scoters, but difficult to judge at this distance. Bufflehead 15 Double-crested Cormorant 8 Great Blue Heron 1 Bald Eagle 2 Ring-billed Gull 4 Herring Gull 2 Forster's Tern 15 Belted Kingfisher 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 American Crow 1 Carolina Chickadee 2 Song Sparrow 1 Location: Cecil County as viewed from Lapidum Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 9 Canada Goose 10 Surf Scoter 4 Black Scoter 2 Bufflehead 15 Double-crested Cormorant 16 Ring-billed Gull 50 Great Black-backed Gull 2 Forster's Tern 5 Rock Pigeon 5 Location: Conowingo Lake, Harford County Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 13 American Black Duck 2 Mallard 2 Double-crested Cormorant 180 Great Blue Heron 31 Black Vulture 20 Turkey Vulture 2 Bald Eagle 45 Ring-billed Gull 550 Herring Gull 5 Great Black-backed Gull 1 Rock Pigeon 40 Fish Crow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Location: Harford Glen Park Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 35 Canada Goose 1 Wood Duck 1 American Black Duck 2 Mallard 30 Northern Pintail 1 Green-winged Teal 2 Cooper's Hawk 1 Accipiter sp. 1 Mourning Dove 11 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 6 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 5 American Crow 2 Carolina Chickadee 4 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Eastern Bluebird 1 American Robin 3 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 18 Yellow-rumped Warbler 10 Eastern Towhee 2 Field Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 9 White-throated Sparrow 50 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 45 House Finch 2 American Goldfinch 5 Location: Lakeside Ponds Observation date: 11/1/09 Number of species: 9 Canada Goose 40 Mallard 4 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Great Blue Heron 1 American Robin 4 European Starling 15 Song Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 1 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Robert Ostrowski Crofton, MD rjostrowski AT gmail.comSubject: Re: Brant at SPS - yes From: Christopher Murray <amarumayo AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 21:23:01 -0500 Dan Haas and myself stopped by Sandy Point later this afternoon at around 3:30. We were also joined by Fred Shaffer. The 8 brant and 3 black bellied plovers will still present along with the many gulls. Also of note were 3 flyby long-tailed ducks, my first of the season. Good Birding, Chris Murray Annapolis |