Date: 5/28/26 11:12 am From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] 126th Dorchester County May Bird Count, May 9, 2026.
126th DORCHESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND, MAY BIRD COUNT, MAY 9, 2026.
EXPLANATION: for Canada goose the grand total is 166 and CG was seen in all 8 sectors whose totals ranged from 4 to 36. for rock pigeon the grand total is 26, seen in 2 sectors whose totals ranged from 4 to 6 so that 16 were seen by those other than members of the 8 sectors (so in cases such as this “others” might be yard listers or individuals who happened to be present but were not part of the 8 assigned sectors).
EFFORT: 149 species (low). night hours 9. night miles 22. miles on foot 15. hours on foot 31. miles by car 331. hours by car 53. Fifteen observers in 9 sectors (consisting of 10 parties) plus 4 others working separately within established sectors, and some not technically participants, but whose findings were missed by the others.
WATERFOWL: Canada goose 166 (8, 4-36). tundra swan 2. wood duck 44 (6, 1-24). American black duck 19 (5, 1-8). mallard 63 (7, 3-18). mallard X American black duck hybrid 1. green-winged teal 2. ruddy duck 2.
PARTICIPANTS: Terry Allen, Harry & Liz Armistead, Alicia & Jim Bachman, Wayne Bell, Ryan Belton, Kevin & Sara Coulbourn (yardlists), David Fleischmann, Jim Green, Holly Keepers, Ron Ketter, Randy Kimmet, Tom Miller, Cristina Niciporciukas, Debbie Robbins (yardlists), Peter Smithson, Suzette Stitely, Donna Wadsley, Matt Whitbeck, Becky & Eddie Wozny (yardlists).
9 SECTORS W/ ASSIGNED PARTICIPANTS:
Blackwater NWR: main, central area - Terry Allen + Maple Dam Rd.
“ off limits areas - Matt Whitbeck: McGraws I., Greenbriar Swamp,
Kentuck Swamp.
“ other off limits areas - Ron Ketter: Kuehnle Tract, Harriet Tubman Rd.
Trail, Hog Range & central BNWR (in part).
greater Elliott I. Rd. sector: Suzette Stitely, Alicia & Jim Bachman.
Route 336, Crocheron - Peter Smithson.
greater Hooper’s I. area, Liner’s & Shorter’s Wharf Rds. - Liz & Harry Armistead.
county N of Route 50 - Ryan Belton.
N Tara Rd. - Cristina Niciporciukas & Donna Wadsley.
Taylor’s I. - Wayne Bell.
10 SPECIES W/ THE HIGHEST # REPORTED: dunlin 1,323. red-winged blackbird 1,243. laughing gull 1,005. least sandpiper 401. common grackle 361. purple martin 212. glossy ibis 199. common yellowthroat 192. barn swallow 188. tree swallow 177.
NO. OF SECTORS, OUT OF 9, REPORTING SELECTED SPECIES IF FOUND IN 7, 8 OR 9 SECTORS (43 species):
found in 9 sectors (9 species): turkey vulture, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, Carolina wren, blue-gray gnatcatcher, common yellowthroat, chipping sparrow, northern cardinal, brown-headed cowbird.
found in 8 sectors (19 species): Canada goose, mourning dove, laughing gull, great blue heron, bald eagle, red-bellied woodpecker, great crested flycatcher, eastern kingbird, red-eyed vireo, blue jay, American crow, tree swallow, barn swallow, ovenbird, pine warbler, summer tanager, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, red-winged blackbird.
found in 7 sectors (15): mallard, ruby-throated hummingbird, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, osprey, downy woodpecker, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, eastern wood-pewee, white-eyed vireo, brown-headed nuthatch, eastern bluebird, American goldfinch, saltmarsh sparrow, yellow-breasted chat, common grackle.
AMONG THE MISSING, seems like an awful lot considering how good the coverage was: a source of worry: 23+ species: brown pelican, gadwall, blue-winged teal, sora, American oystercatcher, American woodcock, Caspian tern, cattle egret, black-crowned night heron, American kestrel, common nighthawk, belted kingfisher, bank swallow, thrushes other than wood, any empids other than Acadian fly., cedar waxwing, various warblers (esp. what I call montane, north woods, or boreal warblers), rose-breasted grosbeak, white-throated sparrow. Then, in the old days, these species were a “given”: black rail, Henslow’s sparrow, sedge wren.
WEATHER: winds SW 15-20, mostly overcast but with some blue sky showing for a while from 3 P.M., temperature from c. 50-73. high tide letting out.
the GREAT DISPARITIES here are mostly due to the widely varying nature of the sectors as well as the level and intensity of coverage. One sector was covered entirely on foot. Sectors varied greatly in the extent of pine, or deciduous forest. One sector had no open or Bay water. Some were worked for only a few hours, others for 10 or more hours. Some lacked tidal marsh.
brown pelican 0. 0/36, now an at times abundant breeder on remote islands, with sometimes 100s seen at Hooper’s I., yet sometimes none.
American white pelican 0. 0/36, has become regular in fall, winter, and early spring, sometimes lingering into May.
American bittern 0. 24/36, encountered seldom any more. High of 8 May 5, 1973, unusual even for back then.
IBISES: glossy ibis 199. 25/36, w/ a high of 13 on 2 dates. Now much more frequent and abundant. white-faced ibis 1, May 9, 2026, well-seen by David Fleischmann and Donna Wadsley (3 diagnostic photos by DW), seen by others, May 6 until at least May 12. New to this count. Discovered by Holly Keepers, May 6. white ibis 2 adults, seen by Terry Allen and Tom Miller at BNWR. Perhaps should be highlighted, but I decided no based on the current burgeoning increase in the region.
black vulture 58. 24/36 with the highest then of 19 but usually only 6 or fewer. Big increase.
northern harrier 2. Seems to be decreasing as a local breeder.
American kestrel 0. 10/36. Scarce then, still scarce now.
great horned owl 1. 32/36. decreasing, perhaps a West Nile Virus victim.
red-tailed hawk 1. 36/36. same comment as for great horned owl.
red-headed woodpecker 23. 21/36. Increase lately probably due to the countless 1000s of recently dead loblolly pines (“ghost forest”) caused by sea level rise, salt water intrusion, = big increase of ideal habitat for them.
belted kingfisher 0. 20/36. Residence limited by the lack of exposed banks in tidal areas, most of which here are in the north part of the county. But lingering birds sometimes seen in the south parts. Only 3 records of > 1 bird in the 1st 36.
eastern wood-pewee 28 and Acadian flycatcher 8. Both arrive late so are sometimes missed in the 1st weekend counts.
white-breasted nuthatch 3. Rather scarce locally, probably due to the relative lack of hardwood forests.
eastern bluebird 50. 30/36. Even in the old days most counts were 1-4, but note the 6 years they were missed.
sedge wren 0. Apparently no longer a resident breeder. 23/36.
Henslow’s sparrow 0. 32/36. Now gone. Formerly an uncommon breeder. Highs were 15, 12 & 11, but mostly 2-5 or so.
thrushes other than wood, 0 in 2026. Usually none. veery 11/36. Swainson’s 19/36. gray-cheeked 11/36. hermit 0/36.
house finch 18. new kid on the block 0/36.
sharp-tailed sparrow 0. 30/36. But even back then often just 1 or 2. highs of 11, 7 & 6. Much easier to find the 2nd weekend. Somewhat cryptic. Once Alice Jones, George & I saw > 100 by dragging a big rope section.
yellow warbler 10. seems to have exhibited a real decline. 36/36 but with higher totals back then, often 15 or more.
prothonotary warbler 11. 36/36. modern nos. comparable. steady as she goes, apparently.
Kentucky warbler 1. 26/36. Higher nos. back then, WHEN and if found at all. Seems to have slipped quite a bit.
yellow-throated warbler 4. 25/36. Not as easy to find these days.
eastern meadowlark 7. 36/36. Modern nos. way down.
boat-tailed grackle 3. 36/36. Modern nos. also way down
scarlet tanager 4. 36/36. Nos. significantly lower than for summer tanager back then, and now. Lower in 33 out of 36 years.
Non-avian animate taxa, that is to say: CRITTERS, or even worse, VARMINTS. Few reported these, but there were (X = no # reported): sika deer 4, feral cat 3, snapping turtle 2, raccoon 1, box turtle 1, red fox 2, muskrat 2, red-bellied slider X, painted turtle X, bullfrog 1, gray squirrel 2, fox squirrel 1, river otter 1. Liz and I saw the otter haul out from Honga River at Fishing Creek and then go right through peoples’ yards headed to Chesapeake Bay.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Big thanks to Neil & Kate Birchmeier who continue to give us access to the terrific view from their dock at Swan Harbor. To Matt Whitbeck and others at Blackwater for giving us access to restricted areas of the refuge. To the participants who worked their areas well and, as usual, submitted prompt, neat and complete reports.
Best to all. - Harry Armistead. 5.25.26. 2,463 words.
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