The Birding Lists Digest

Region: | Jump to : | View All Lists | FAQ

Date: 9/27/25 9:04 am From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] Sept. 20, Dorchester County, fall bird count
29th DORCHESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND, FALL BIRD COUNT, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2025. 143 SPECIES. 23 OBSERVERS in 8 sectors plus 4 yard lists. In a good flight day with increased coverage often the species total will be 150 or more. SYMBOLISM. mallard 94 (6, 1-45) means the grand total is 94 mallards seen in 6 sectors whose totals ranged from a low of 1 to a high of 45. WATERFOWL: snow goose 2 (disabled). Canada goose 986 (8, 20-567). wood duck 16 (4, 1-6). blue-winged teal 8 (2, 2-6). northern shoveler 102 (3, 1-99). mallard 94 (6, 1-45). American black duck 12 (low; 4, 1-4). mallard or American black duck, unnIDd 20. green-winged teal 85 (3, 19-60). ruddy duck 6 (Hurlock). NORTHERN BOBWHITE 1. wild turkey 7 (2, 3-4). rock pigeon 43 (4, 3-20). mourning dove 183 (8, 12-35). chimney swift 2 (low). ruby-throated hummingbird 12 (4, 1-4). RALLIDS: king rail 3 (2, 1-2). clapper rail 10 (2, 1-9 + 1 d.o.r.). Virginia rail 14 (3, 3-8; low). sora 3 (Decoursey Bridge). SHOREBIRDS: black-bellied plover 1. killdeer 34 (8, 1-11). ruddy turnstone 2 (Swan Harbor). sanderling 6 (Swan Harbor). least sandpiper 48 (3, 1-45). white-rumped sandpiper 2 (Hurlock). pectoral sandpiper 4 (2, 2-2). semipalmated sandpiper 25 (2, 5-20). American woodcock (MW; in decline locally). spotted sandpiper 1. solitary sandpiper 2. lesser yellowlegs 14 (2, 3-11). greater yellowlegs 30 (7, 1-9). Wilson’s phalarope 2 (Hurlock; JG; photographed). LARIDS: laughing gull 755 (8, 6-189). ring-billed gull 48 (6, 1-18). herring gull 220 (6, 1-135). great black-backed gull 44 (3, 1-39). Caspian tern 21 (2, 3-18). least tern 2 (late). Forster’s tern 194 (7, 1-65). royal tern 24 (5, 1-11). the PRIMITIVES: double-crested cormorant 388 (5, 2-268). American white pelican 26 (GA; Drawbridge). brown pelican 37 (2, 2-35). least bittern 1 (EIR; SS). little blue heron 2 (2, 1-1). tricolored heron 1. snowy egret 32 (7, 1-21). green heron 2 (2, 1-1). great egret 38 (8, 1-17). great blue heron 63 (8, 2-12). RAPTORS: black vulture 44 (6, 1-15). turkey vulture 237 (8, 4-69). osprey 40 (7, 1-17). northern harrier 11 (5, 1-6). sharp-shinned hawk 13 (4, 1-6). Cooper’s hawk 21 (7, 1-6). accipiter unIDd 4. bald eagle 126 (8, 6-30). red-shouldered hawk 5 (3, 1-2). broad-winged hawk 57 (2, 7-50). red-tailed hawk 8 (5, 1-4). American kestrel 46 (7, 1-12). merlin 11 (5, 1-5). peregrine falcon 1. OWLS: American barn owl 1 (MW; BNWR). eastern screech-owl 25 (4, 2-17). barred owl 4 (3, 1-2). WOODPECKERS + kingfisher: belted kingfisher 16 (7, 1-4). red-headed woodpecker 19 (low; 5, 1-7). red-bellied woodpecker 32 (7, 1-9). yellow-bellied sapsucker 1 (early; MW). downy woodpecker 38 (7, 1-15). hairy woodpecker 6 (4, 1-2). northern flicker 64 (7, 3-14). pileated wodpecker 20 (6, 1-10). FLYCATCHERS: great crested flycatcher 4 (3, 1-2). easern kingbird 2 (2, 1-1). eastern wood-pewee 11 (5, 1-3). eastern phoebe 10 (5, 1-3). Baryshnikov’s tyrannulet 1 (1st record, and, one can only hope, the last). Phew! VIREOS: white-eyed vireo 11 (5, 1-4). yellow-throated vireo 1. blue-headed vireo 1. Philadelphia vireo 1 (JG,RB; Chicone Road). red-eyed vireo 16 (5, 1-7). CORVIDS: blue jay 137 (8, 5-46). American crow 175 (8, 5-28). fish crow 5. LI’L SPRITES (mostly): Carolina chickadee 232 (8, 7-94). tufted titmouse 49 (7, 2-13). tree swallow 92 (3, 1-85; low). barn swallow 10 (2, 1-9). ruby-crowned kinglet 2 (2, 1-1). red-breasted nuthatch 11 (2, 5-6). white-breasted nuthatch 8 (3, 1-4). brown-headed nuthatch 83 (7, 3-31). blue-gray gnatcatcher 12 (5, 1-7; low). Carolina wren 81 (8, 2-12). house wren 7 (5, 1-3). marsh wren 9 (5, 1-2). THRUSH TYPES plus starling: gray catbird 45 (8, 1-12). brown thrasher 7 (6, 1-2). northern mockingbird 38 (8, 2-16). European starling 1,393 (8, 30-750). eastern bluebird 42 (6, 3-17). veery 1. American robin 34 (6, 1-11). SPARROW TYPES: house sparrow 120 (5, 2-45). house finch 33 (5, 2-13). American goldfinch 40 (5, 3-12). chipping sparrow 29 (4, 6-98; low). seaside sparrow 9 (4, 1-6). Savannah sparrow 8. song sparrow 6 (3, 1-4). swamp sparrow 2 (EIR). eastern towhee 3 (2, 1-2; low). BLACKBIRD TYPES: bobolink 7 (2, 3-4; low). eastern meadowlark 2 (low). red-winged blackbird 623 (8, 4-244). brown-headed cowbird 1,075 (6, 3-852). common grackle 21 (5, 1-10; low). WARBLERS: ovenbird 1 (low). northern waterthrush 2. black-and-white warbler 7 (1-10). prothonotary warbler 1 (possibly new to count; Kraft Neck Road, where they breed; JB). Nashville warbler 1. common yellowthroat 78 (8, 3-17). American redstart 55 (6, 3-18). Cape May warbler 2. northern parula 20 (6, 1-5). magnolia warbler 15 (5, 1-6). yellow warbler 8 (1-4). blackpoll warbler 1. black-throated blue warbler 2 (2, 1-1). palm warbler 8 (2, 1-7). pine warbler 54 (7, 1-24). myrtle warbler 2. prairie warbler 2. black-throated green warbler 1. the PRETTIES: summer tanager 8 (4, 1-5). scarlet tanager 4 (2, 1-3). northern cardinal 81 (8, 1-24). blue grosbeak 27 (7, 1-9). indigo bunting 5 (3, 1-3). MISSED SPECIES (always are some, but some are surprising misses): common gallinule, American oystercatcher, semipalmated plover (an unbelievable miss!), common tern, black-crowned night heron, cattle egret, glossy ibis, great horned owl (I think in decline here), ANY empids, horned lark (hard to find due to the summer vegetation growth), grasshopper sparrow, field sparrow, any oriole. EFFORT: 3 hours owling, miles owling 21. parties owling 4, observers owling 12. hours by foot 34. hours by car 38. miles by car 273. 15 miles on foot. 8 sectors + 4 yard lists. 23 observers. 5 A.M. - 6 P.M. DRAMATIS PERSONAE: Taylor's I. Wayne Bell, George Radcliffe, Michael Talley, Ryan Cordre & Jonathan Penn + YMOS: Karolina Mandell, Sam Talley, Rylee Cordrey & Kayla Penn Elliott I. Rd. Suzette Stitely & Jim Bachman. Jim Green + Ryan Belton North of Route 50. Harry & George Armistead: Egypt Rd., Bucktown, Bestpitch, Griffith Neck Rd., and Drawbridge Rd. & on back to Cambridge, Matt Whitbeck, Blackwater NWR restricted areas (Egypt Woods, McGraws I. off of Maple Dam Rd., Greenbriar Tract (north & south) plus Cambridge. Terry Allen, Maple Dam Rd. & central Blackwater NWR Jeff Effinger, Elizabeth Thomas: greater Hooper's I. Area. Peter Smithson, Route 336, Bishops’ Head, Crocheron. 4 yard lists (37 species): Debbie Robbins, Emily, Eddie & Beck Wozny, Sara & Kevin Coulbourn, Mark Smithson. UN-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. The Iron Man Triathlon made birding on some roads difficult. Not much of a flight for neotropical migrants and most other landbirds. A poor day for flycatchers and shorebirds. Good day for raptors. 8 sectors is pretty good coverage, but in the past recently there have been 10 or more. Usually scarce anyway, but fewer sparrows reported this year than usual. 10 SPECIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS: European starling 1,398. brown-headed cowbird 1,075. Canada goose 941. laughing gull 754. red-winged blackbird 623. double-crested cormorant 388. turkey vulture 237. Carolina chickadee 232. herring gull 220. Forster’s tern 194. bald eagle comes in 14th with 126. 33 SPECIES FOUND IN 7 OR 8 SECTORS: Canada goose 8, mourning dove 8, killdeer 8, greater yellowlegs 7, laughing gull 8, Forster’s tern 7, snowy egret 7, great egret 8, great blue heron 8, turkey vulture 8, osprey 7, Cooper’s hawk 7, bald eagle 8, American kestrel 7, belted kingfisher 7, red-bellied woodpecker 7, downy woodpecker 7, northern flicker 7, blue jay 8, American crow 8, Carolina chickadee 8, tufted titmouse 7, brown-headed nuthatch 7, Carolina wren 8, gray catbird 8, northern mockingbird 8, European starling 8, red-winged blackbird 8, black-and-white warbler 7, common yellowthroat 8, pine warbler 7, northern cardinal 8, blue grosbeak 7. WEATHER: 66 - 82 degrees F., trace of precipitation only 12:52 - 12:56, 15 m.p.h. ENE, mostly overcast (c. 80% cloudy), tides unremarkable. SPECIES REPRESENTATION FOR FAMILIES. IF NO COMMENT THEN IS MERELY “O.K.” waterfowl 9. rallids 4. shorebirds 14 (poor). larids 8. heron types 7. raptors 13 (good). owls 3. flycatchers 4 (poor). vireos 5 (excellent). sparrows 6. blackbird types 5. warblers 18. NON-AVIAN ANIMATE TAXA: most of these reported by Matt Whitbeck. One observer just reported the species w/o nos., here shown as “x”. Monarch - 25 Common buckeye - 19 + dozens more Eastern tailed-blue - 20 Pearl crescent - common Saltmarsh skipper - 1 Broad-winged skipper - 10 Common wood-nymph - 5 Common checkered-skipper - 2 Red-banded hairstreak - 3 Red-spotted purple - 5 Silver-spotted skipper - 20 + x cabbage white 1 + x red admiral 1 Big bluet - 4 Twelve-spotted skimmer - 2 Common whitetail - 15 Blue-faced meadowhawk - 3 Delmarva fox squirrel - 2 Eastern gray squirrel - 5 Raccoon 1 Sika - 6 feral cat 20 (Bishops Head Hunting Lodge fide Peter Smithson) Leopard frog - common green frog 31 Snapping turtle - 1 painted turtle 4 + x red-bellied slider 3 + x northern water snake 1 d.o.r. rough green snake 1 d.o.r. the GREAT DISPARITIES in numbers and species reported are due mostly to the variety of the sectors involved: some lack much tidal water, others have few deciduous (or coniferous) woodlands. Some sectors were by foot only, others involved a lot of driving. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Many thanks to the participants. Not only are their skill sets right up there, but they also all submitted neat and complete reports after the fact. MISTAKES. No doubt a few. PLEASE let me know of ANY you spot. Thanks! BEST to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia. -- -- 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/<LV8PR84MB3880CCB8103F95BF421CF2A1CF19A...>

Join us on Facebook!