Date: 1/10/26 9:53 am From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] Ferry Neck, Dec, 28-31 & other news.
FERRY NECK, RIGBY’S FOLLY, DECEMBER 28-31, 2025.
DECEMBER 28, SUNDAY. Along Route 481: bald eagle 6, tundra swan 360, snow goose 425 (only 8 blue geese).
DECEMBER 29, MONDAY. Our cove at mid-day: overcast then mostly fair, SW15, then SE20, then NW245, 73-70. Canada goose 860, mallard 8, common loon 2 (with hogchokers), bufflehead 80. Liz sees a brown-headed nuthatch. 2 gray squirrels.
At BELLEVUE: bufflehead 85, common loon 3 (2 dealing with hogchokers), ring-billed gull 8. Then an eastern redcedar drey with nearby 4 gray squirrels, I suspect a family group, judging by their close proximity, antics, and mannerisms. 2 turkey vultures.
DECEMBER 30, TUESDAY. 30s, NW20-25, mostly fair. 3 gray squirrels at the feed. A brown-headed nuthatch also, so close even with my bad ears I can hear it.
DECEMBER 31, WEDNESDAY. Cove has frozen out to Weisman’s shoreline diagonally across to our boat ramp. 33, NW15, fair. 4 pieces of heavy equipment are at work for CRP out in Field 1. In the cove: 1,070 Canada geese, 7 ring-billed gulls, 70 buffleheads, 3 horned grebes. Leave at 10:30.
At Route 481, south and east of Ruthsburg, a solid group of 1,700 tundra swans with 2 adult bald eagle closeby that flushed and engaged in an impressive courtship flight. This is a huge field area quite far inland and c 10 miles north of Easton. A common raven in flight near signpost 112, Route 301, not unexpected, good view of the prominently-wedged tail. They are spreading south and east on the Delmarva Peninsula. I predict CORA will be the next new yard bird at Rigby’s Folly.
BLACKWATER NWR, recently, by Ron Ketter, January 2: bald eagle 254, common merganser 847, American White Pelican 67. His Jan. 7 totals are also of great interest: bald eagle 172, American white pelican 219. and common merganser 334.
JANUARY 3, WACHAPREAGUE, VA, CBC, Mario Balitbit and Aylett Lipford find 35 eastern screech owls, calling them up for c 1.5 hrs before sunrise and c. 1.5 hrs. after sunset. Years ago I called up 21 in 2 hours on this CBC. Many thanks to Mario for sharing the Wachapreague preliminary CBC results. Other birds of interest there:
American black duck 449, bufflehead 2033, oystercatcher 221, black-bellied plover 771, willet 187, dunlin 2,931, western sandpiper 51, greater yellowlegs 59, turkey vulture 624, bald eagle 62.
Considering this CBCs small land area it’s always of interest and surprising how certain landbirds turn up in such high numbers: pileated woodpecker 18, American crow 843, bluebird 183, chipping sparrow 101.
ST. MICHAELS, MD, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT. from Wayne Bell’s summary: Some 49 of us (in 21 sectors) found only 99 tundra swans, Dec. 14. This CBC used to formerly find 1000s, but the big die off of SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) caused many of the swans to switch to NE North Carolina. But … see Dec. 31 above. !!
POPLAR ISLAND, Talbot County, MD, this just in from Tim Carney, results of the Dec. 31 count there: 11,640 lesser scaup and 2,300 ruddy ducks. Most impressive: his photograph of 1000s of waterfowl filling the sky.
CAPE CHARLES, VA, CBC, Dec, 30. Big thanks to Dan Cristol for sending me a summary (the compilation was last night). 149 species, thought to have surpassed Cape May, incl. a black-and-white warbler, 2 Nashvlle warblers, and a northern parula plus Virginia’s 1st gray flycatcher, seen by many the day of but on private property now off limits. This CBC and some others hampered by unremitting 30 m.p.h. winds
Best to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia.
607 words. January 10, 2026.
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Date: 1/8/26 5:53 am From: james wilson <jfwilson54...> Subject: [MDBirding] Shirlington winter crow roost: another presentation and viewing, January 17
There will be another presentation and viewing of the Shirlington winter
crow roost January 17, put on by the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance and DC
Bird Alliance. It will begin at the Shirlington Library at 4:30, for more
details and to register here is a
link: https://www.nvbirdalliance.org/nvba-events/crow-watch-260117
On Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 1:28:44 PM UTC-5 james wilson wrote:
> There was also a presentation and viewing of the Shirlington winter crow
> roost, Saturday Dec. 13, sponsored by Northern Virginia Bird Alliance and
> DC Bird Alliance. As at North Bethesda, participants got an awesome crow
> show. And this show also continues nightly all winter for anyone who would
> like to see it, here are my suggestions:
> 1. I recommend viewing from parking garage just behind the Shirlington
> Library and Harris Teeter there, 4200 Campbell Ave. Arlington. Drive or
> elevator up to the top floor of the parking garage.
> 2. Dress warmly, bring binoculars and camera and tripod.
> 3. Aim to arrive about 10-15 minutes before sunset, that's about 4:30
> over the coming weeks.
> 4. At first you will not see crows anywhere. Looking south you will see
> Shirlington House apartments and a ridge of trees off to the west. This is
> the staging site, through the binoculars you will start to see crows
> accumulating along there. But in about 15-20 minutes the sky will be full
> of thousands of crows going every which way, very loudly.
> 5. The main show lasts about 20 minutes. As darkness falls the action
> and sound will decline but not end. The crows leave most of the staging
> areas and collect around Shirlington House, which is the roost site.
> 6. Another great place to see the show from up close is the Abingdon
> Elementary School parking lot.
>
> Enjoy this amazing bit of nature.
> Jim
>
> On Monday, November 24, 2025 at 7:09:15 PM UTC-5 james wilson wrote:
>
> I went down to watch the awesome staging at sunset (from the parking
> garage adjacent to the shops and restaurants). After dark I found that
> indeed, the crows roost in the trees around Shirlington House (in front,
> behind, and west end) and in the trees in the adjacent apartments to the
> west, Park Shirlington. I am interested in any additional intelligence
> anyone might have about this roost.
> Jim
>
> On Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 6:33:51 PM UTC-5 james wilson wrote:
>
> The winter crow roost near Shirlington is also happening again this year,
> I observed it on Nov. 5 and saw birds in large numbers. There was
> substantial staging around Shirlington House and along the ridge west of
> there, but I could not find the actual roost, despite interviewing various
> local residents. If anyone has insights on where these crows actually
> spend their winter nights I would love to hear it. The Reagan Airport TDWR
> weather radar captures these crows coming and going, I have a lot of
> information about where they spend their days (out past Burke to the west,
> south to Groveton and beyond), but haven't found the roost area.
>
> FYI there will be a presentation and walking tour about the North Bethesda
> roost, and winter crow roosts in general, on December 7, I will post about
> that separately.
>
> Thanks for anything anyone can share about this fascinating bit of bird
> social behavior.
> Jim
>
> On Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 1:31:17 PM UTC-5 james wilson wrote:
>
> There is also a very substantial winter crow roost near Village at
> Shirlington (part of Arlington). Early this month I observed the crows
> arriving from the roof of the parking garage at the end of the shopping
> area, it was very dramatic.
>
> I also spend time in the Lincolnia neighborhood of Alexandria, which is
> about 4 miles southwest of Shirlington, and I have observed a stream of
> crows heading toward the Shirlington roost, roughly flying along Braddock
> Road, lasting about 40 minutes!
>
> As for the North Bethesda roost (a separate post), I'd be very interested
> in any knowledge folks have about where exactly this roost is overnight (I
> found some at Shirlington House Apts. on 31st Street, but far from the
> total) and where the crows head to during the days. If you've witnessed
> the streams in and out, where, when, roughly how many, direction would be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks again
> Jim Wilson
>
>
>
>
>
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Date: 1/6/26 7:31 am From: james wilson <jfwilson54...> Subject: [MDBirding] Another North Bethesda winter crow roost event - January 11 4:30 PM
The Montgomery Bird Club is sponsoring another North Bethesda roost event,
January 11, 4:30 PM, at the North Bethesda Metro parking garage, 10000
Citadel Ave. North Bethesda. I'll give a very brief presentation before
the crow show begins.
Full details are here:
https://www.montgomerybirdclub.org/event/north-bethesda-winter-crow-roost/
On Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 1:18:49 PM UTC-5 james wilson wrote:
> The presentation and viewing of the North Bethesda winter crow roost
> occurred last Sunday with 40 attending for a presentation followed by an
> awesome show. This show continues nightly all winter for anyone who would
> like to see it, here are my suggestions:
> 1. I recommend viewing from the North Bethesda (formerly White Flint)
> Metro parking garage, 10000 Citadel Ave. N. Bethesda, right next to the
> roost. Drive or elevator up to the 6th floor, south side.
> 2. Dress warmly, bring binoculars and camera and tripod.
> 3. Aim to arrive about 10-15 minutes before sunset, that's about 4:30
> over the coming weeks.
> 4. At first you will not see crows anywhere. About 0.7 miles north you
> will see trees, this is the Wilkins Avenue staging site, through the
> binoculars you will start to see crows accumulating there. But in about
> 15-20 minutes the sky will be full of thousands of crows going every which
> way, very loudly.
> 5. The main show lasts about 20 minutes. As darkness falls the action
> and sound will decline but not end.
>
> Enjoy. If you are going maybe send me a message, I live quite near and
> might join you.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 5, 2025, 10:07 AM james wilson <jfwil......> wrote:
>
> This event is on, flyer and agenda attached, if anyone else wants to join
> please scan the QR code on the flyer.
>
> The roost is near its full number, it will be an awesome crow show after
> the presentations.
>
> Jim
>
> On Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 6:43:07 PM UTC-5 james wilson wrote:
>
> There will be a presentation and walking tour about the North Bethesda
> winter crow roost on December 7 at Pike and Rose (North Bethesda), see the
> attached flyer for details. We will be joined by Craig Gibson, a national
> expert on winter crow roosts, and the presentation will be followed by a
> walking tour as roughly 20,000 crows return to the roost that evening. See
> the flyer for details, and let us know (scan the QR code) to RSVP.
>
> Jim
>
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Date: 1/4/26 12:00 pm From: 'Gail Mackiernan' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
And it is $20 - thankfully I had my America the Beautiful (“Golden Age”) pass - one perk for getting old!
Gail Mackiernan
Sent from my iPad
> On Jan 4, 2026, at 1:24 PM, Robert Parsons <papaparsons...> wrote:
>
> Remember it is the Virginia side of Great Falls. They don’t take cash—only credit cards or passes.
>
> Go through the entrance booth and just head straight until you come to a gate. Park in the North River Trail parking lot—-to the right. You can ask the park ranger how to get to this parking area.
>
> Walk about 50 yards up the trail. Here are some more details from eBird reports.
>
> Comments: "Continuing rarity.
> Photo. Bird approximately here, along the western edge of the Potomac, on small area of land that runs east of the canal. (39.0039276,
> -77.2557849) Plenty of parking at N River Trail Parking lot, then hike north on N River Trail about 200 feet
>
> Probably be a group of birders there to help. About 30 this morning. Great bird.
>
>
> Robert
>
> Robert E. Parsons
>
>
>> On Jan 4, 2026, at 13:09, Mary Maxey <maximom11998...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hi all,
>> I am headed to Great Falls to look for the bird. I am not that familiar with the park. I have looked at some lists in ebird. Can anyone tell me where to park and go to see the bird?
>>
>>> On Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 10:32 AM Scott Baron <baron.scott...> wrote:
>>> Hello birders and Happy New Year!
>>>
>>> If you have not yet heard, a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was found at Great Falls Park in Fairfax County, VA on January 1. See ebird checklists for details. If this bird darts out over the Potomac to catch an insect, it would be a Maryland record.
>>>
>>> It's been at and a little north of the north parking lot. This little songbird species is native to Eurasia, with a range that stretches from Finland east to the Pacific.
>>>
>>> Great Falls Park (Virginia) is a national park with an entrance fee.
>>>
>>> I wonder if "Mega" is an overused term in birding but this certainly rates as a Mega!
>>>
>>> If you go, good luck and as always, please respect the habitat and the birds.
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Date: 1/4/26 11:52 am From: 'Gail Mackiernan' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
Also, the ranger at the entry kiosk yesterday knew all about it and gave accurate directions
Gail Mackiernan
Sent from my iPad
> On Jan 4, 2026, at 1:14 PM, 'James Tyler Bell' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> wrote:
>
> Once you enter the park, drive north as far as you can. Almost immediately you will enter the area where it's being seen today on either side of the path. There's a small island that is solidly in Maryland but everything else is Virginia. Basically, look for people looking for the bird.
>
> Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
>
> On Sun, Jan 4, 2026 at 1:09 PM, Mary Maxey
> <maximom11998...> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I am headed to Great Falls to look for the bird. I am not that familiar with the park. I have looked at some lists in ebird. Can anyone tell me where to park and go to see the bird?
>
> On Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 10:32 AM Scott Baron <baron.scott...> wrote:
> Hello birders and Happy New Year!
>
> If you have not yet heard, a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was found at Great Falls Park in Fairfax County, VA on January 1. See ebird checklists for details. If this bird darts out over the Potomac to catch an insect, it would be a Maryland record.
>
> It's been at and a little north of the north parking lot. This little songbird species is native to Eurasia, with a range that stretches from Finland east to the Pacific.
>
> Great Falls Park (Virginia) is a national park with an entrance fee.
>
> I wonder if "Mega" is an overused term in birding but this certainly rates as a Mega!
>
> If you go, good luck and as always, please respect the habitat and the birds.
> --
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Date: 1/4/26 10:14 am From: 'James Tyler Bell' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
Once you enter the park, drive north as far as you can. Almost immediately you will enter the area where it's being seen today on either side of the path. There's a small island that is solidly in Maryland but everything else is Virginia. Basically, look for people looking for the bird.
Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
On Sun, Jan 4, 2026 at 1:09 PM, Mary Maxey<maximom11998...> wrote: Hi all, I am headed to Great Falls to look for the bird. I am not that familiar with the park. I have looked at some lists in ebird. Can anyone tell me where to park and go to see the bird?
On Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 10:32 AM Scott Baron <baron.scott...> wrote:
Hello birders and Happy New Year!
If you have not yet heard, a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was found at Great Falls Park in Fairfax County, VA on January 1. See ebird checklists for details. If this bird darts out over the Potomac to catch an insect, it would be a Maryland record.
It's been at and a little north of the north parking lot. This little songbird species is native to Eurasia, with a range that stretches from Finland east to the Pacific.
Great Falls Park (Virginia) is a national park with an entrance fee.
I wonder if "Mega" is an overused term in birding but this certainly rates as a Mega!
If you go, good luck and as always, please respect the habitat and the birds.
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Date: 1/4/26 10:10 am From: Mary Maxey <maximom11998...> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
Hi all,
I am headed to Great Falls to look for the bird. I am not that familiar
with the park. I have looked at some lists in ebird. Can anyone tell me
where to park and go to see the bird?
On Fri, Jan 2, 2026 at 10:32 AM Scott Baron <baron.scott...> wrote:
> Hello birders and Happy New Year!
>
> If you have not yet heard, a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was found at Great Falls
> Park in Fairfax County, VA on January 1. See ebird checklists for details.
> If this bird darts out over the Potomac to catch an insect, it would be a
> Maryland record.
>
> It's been at and a little north of the north parking lot. This little
> songbird species is native to Eurasia, with a range that stretches from
> Finland east to the Pacific.
>
> Great Falls Park (Virginia) is a national park with an entrance fee.
>
> I wonder if "Mega" is an overused term in birding but this certainly rates
> as a Mega!
>
> If you go, good luck and as always, please respect the habitat and the
> birds.
>
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Date: 1/3/26 9:15 am From: Scott Baron <baron.scott...> Subject: [MDBirding] Fwd: Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
The Red-flanked Bluetail continues today at Great Falls Park in Fairfax
County, VA. For a few minutes it was on an island just off the Virginia
shoreline, in Montgomery County, Maryland!
See ebird for details.
Scott Baron
Damascus, MD
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Scott Baron <baron.scott...>
Date: Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 10:32 AM
Subject: Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
To: Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...>
Hello birders and Happy New Year!
If you have not yet heard, a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was found at Great Falls
Park in Fairfax County, VA on January 1. See ebird checklists for details.
If this bird darts out over the Potomac to catch an insect, it would be a
Maryland record.
It's been at and a little north of the north parking lot. This little
songbird species is native to Eurasia, with a range that stretches from
Finland east to the Pacific.
Great Falls Park (Virginia) is a national park with an entrance fee.
I wonder if "Mega" is an overused term in birding but this certainly rates
as a Mega!
If you go, good luck and as always, please respect the habitat and the
birds.
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Date: 1/2/26 7:32 am From: Scott Baron <baron.scott...> Subject: [MDBirding] Extralimital - rarity in Fairfax County
Hello birders and Happy New Year!
If you have not yet heard, a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was found at Great Falls Park in Fairfax County, VA on January 1. See ebird checklists for details. If this bird darts out over the Potomac to catch an insect, it would be a Maryland record.
It's been at and a little north of the north parking lot. This little songbird species is native to Eurasia, with a range that stretches from Finland east to the Pacific.
Great Falls Park (Virginia) is a national park with an entrance fee.
I wonder if "Mega" is an overused term in birding but this certainly rates as a Mega!
If you go, good luck and as always, please respect the habitat and the birds.
-- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com Unfamiliar with a hotspot mentioned on this list? Quickly locate it here - http://www.mdbirding.com/hotspot.html --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maryland & DC Birding" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mdbirding+<unsubscribe...> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/CAKO-by-Y4EUPGVBzPQ%2BMEbZ%<2BfSwEVQKsGbi7Riehb3pOmtS3Fg...>
Date: 12/21/25 8:42 am From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] Ferry Neck, December 2025.
RIGBY’S FOLLY, Talbot Co., MD: Dec. 4 - 8, 13 - 15, 2025. most of these seen by George.
sending this out is one way for me to say “Merry Christmas”.
DECEMBER 4, Thursday: George sees tundra swan 6, northern harrier 1, golden-crowned kinglet 2, hermit thrush 1, cedar waxwing 28, fox sparrow 1, and pine warbler 1 among other goodies.
DECEMBER 5, Friday. Liz sees a bald eagle from Route 301, milepost 120. An ad. male Cooper’s hawk. 15 deer at Swaine’s. George sees a red fox.
DECEMBER 6, Saturday. Here today are Liz & me, Kristin & George, Mary with Lucas and David, and Anne with Alexis. Noon at Bellevue: find 12 ring-billed gulls, 1 herring gull, 8 buffleheads, 400 Canada geese, a common loon dealing with a hogchoker, 1 deer, and 4 gray squirrels. I hear a pileated woodpecker adjacent to the Ferry Neck Chapel. Along our driveway a fox squirrel scolds me continuously; I have invaded its domain.
34 degrees F. at start, overcast but some sun at noon, nearly calm. A few birds today: an ad. red-tailed hawk over Field 2. 4 tundra swans, 1 horned grebe, a gray squirrel, 1 common loon.
DECEMBER 7, known to all as Sunday, to some as Pearl Harbor Day also. fair, calm or SW5. low 40s. The big wet area on the south side of Field 1 is frozen, doesn’t get any sun there.
from the dock 10:45 - 12:45: bald eagle 3, turkey vulture 17, black vulture 5, red-tailed hawk 1, Cooper’s hawk 1, Canada goose 570 (plus 75 more in the distance), mallard 13, ring-billed gull 2, kingfisher 1, great blue heron 1, ruddy duck 105, rock dove 5 (seldom seen here). 2 gray squirrels today. Our guests leave c. noon.
DECEMBER 8, Monday. 35, NW 15-20, mostly overcast. On the way back to PA 3 American kestrels, 2 red-tailed hawks, 2 bald eagles, mostly along Route 481.
DECEMBER 13, Saturday: ROUTE 309: groups of 60 & 370 tundra swans + 2 ad. bald eagles. d.o.r. at Royal Oak an eastern cotton-tailed bunny wabbit. Arrive at RF c. 3 P.M., Oh, “just sittin’ on a dock by the Bay”, for an hour or so at day’s end: Canada goose 1,020, great blue heron 1, bufflehead 65, ruddy duck 90, ring-billed gull 7, bald eagle 1. overcast, calm, 43 degrees F., but a spectacular, brief, sunset, bright scarlet (photographed by George). George finds a gray catbird.
DECEMBER 14. PROPERTY LIST, Sun., 42 species, a segment of the Ferry Neck/Deep Neck sector, in turn that is part of the St. Michaels Christmas Bird Count. George, Liz, and me. 1-2” fresh snow ending c. 8 A.M., then overcast, winds NW 15-20, temps in the 30s. The snow dappled the loblolly pines and the branches of the deciduous trees, all the way to their tops, very lovely. The wind made detecting waterfowl difficult. 3 gray squirrels, all of them fussy.
Canada goose 1,150 (probably some duplication), scoter, either black or surf 22, Bufflehead 111, ruddy duck 60, long-tailed duck 4, Cooper’s hawk 1, northern harrier 2, bald eagle 4, ring-billed gull 7, herring gull 3, gull unIDd 4, eastern screech-owl 1,
blue jay 13, American crow 4, Carolina chickadee 10, tufted titmouse 4, brown-headed nuthatch 4, Carolina wren 1 (?!; apparently that was it, sports fans), ruby-crowned kinglet 3, golden-crowned kinglet 6, brown thrasher 1, northern mockingbird 3,
European starling 65, hermit thrush 9, American robin 215, cedar waxwing 110, Amercian pipit 25, slate-colored junco 45, white-throated sparrow 121, song sparrow 11, fox sparrow 1, myrtle warbler 5, American goldfinch 1, red-winged blackbird 5, brown-headed cowbird 51, common grackle 56, northern cardinal 14.
We didn’t do much in the afternoon. But perhaps we should have. But Peterson expressed this very well: “New birds come very slowly on a winter afternoon.” (Peterson, 1948, p. 41)
The convivial compilation is again held at the Methodist church in Royal Oak. I like to think Christmas Bird Counts comprise 3 equally important components: recreation, science, and socializing. ** [go to last page]
I’ve participated in c. 325 Christmas Bird Counts. Usually 6 (sometimes even 7) a year for decades. The current falloff due to what I refer to as my “recessional and diminuendo”. Today, as in the past few years, St. Michaels is my only CBC. My first one here, 70 years ago, before I could drive, was with Gladys and Dick Cole. Dick was then head of the Bird Banding Laboratory. Gladys would later help mentor me when I first began bird banding.
DECEMBER 15, MONDAY. c. 4/5 of cove froze last night last night. 27, NW 15+, fair. George is out 79 mins. this morning and of most interest in his list of 23 species: cackling goose 1, sharp-shinned hawk 1, bald eagle 3, golden-crowned kinglet 3, brown-headed nuthatch 2, eastern bluebird 5, hermit thrush 3, waxwing 55, and white-throated sparrow 75 plus a fox squirrel in the yard next to the tire swing.
Visits today of Reliable Pest Control, C. Albert Matthew$, and those associated with our entry into the Conservation Reserve Program, the latter takes impressive drone photographs of the fields they will be involved with once the program gets going. eastern towhee 1, northern harrier 1 (ad. male).
A fox squirrel with some dark markings near the Ferry Neck Chapel. On the way back to Philadelphia we see 5 groups of horned larks totaling c. 125, concentrated near the shoulders of Route 481 by the snows of Sunday morning. From Route 309 just north of Route 404 in a field are a few 100 Canada Geese being joined by a couple of hundred snow geese (including a few blues) dropping in from above. Later a red fox off in a snowy field to the east of Route 301.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS in the offing include having George’s U. of MD friend Rob Berg build an outdoor shower. Also, make the little downstairs room adjacent to the kitchen into a fully operational bedroom. Rob will also install a rail on the high, brick area on the backside of the house, a spot that gives me the willies whenever I climb or descend from it. In all cases these are good ideas anyway, but we’re also doing this with an eye to the increasing challenges of aging.
Rob has already installed railings on the dock, back porch steps, and in 2 areas of the front porch. Inside Scott Cronshaw has installed grab rails, 3+” diameter dowels, along the steps of the 2 stairs, a Godsend.
CANADA GEESE AND POPLAR COVE. That’s the cove seen from our house. For 4 straight winters big numbers of Canada geese have foraged here, tipping up to reach widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima). One wonders there is any grass left, but for 4 summers it has grown back. Sometimes more than a thousand geese at a time feed on this SAV. Perhaps they help spread the seeds. Sometimes a few tundra swans join them.
OUR FIELDS were recently harvested: sorghum. But the stubble still remains, knee-high.
BLACKWATER NWR recent counts of interest: These have been bruited about elsewhere, but my notes reach some who may not have yet received this news. On Dec. 16 as part of Ron Ketter’s regular waterfowl surveys: 100 bald eagles were seen simultaneously from the Route 335 Bridge, a grand total of 139 for the day, plus 128 American white pelicans. These counts are not unprecedented, but they still blow my mind. When there is a lot of ice, frozen Blackwater River, etc., it seems to bring the eagles out. Then they’re often seen sitting on the ice.
Best regards to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue and Philadelphia.
** …But even though there are many nuggets that ornithologists can mine from this rich lode of bird information [Christmas Bird Count results], to me and my friends it is our way of celebrating the holidays, an ornithological ritual that has come to represent Yuletide more than Santa Claus or the Christmas tree.” !!!
from Birds Over America, the chapter “Census at Christmas”, by Roger Tory Peterson (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1948, p. 47)
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