Date: 6/29/25 5:50 pm From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] Ferry Neck, June 18-23, 2025.
FERRY NECK, JUNE 18-23, 2025. Oh, not much really.
JUNE 18, WEDNESDAY. Stimulating to drive through a storm on the way down, especially along Route 481, at times torrential rain with abundant lightning and thunder, often close, but, as happens often, by the time we get to Rigby’s Folly it is evident there hasn’t been much rain here.
Almost run over a killdeer at the Easton Acme, perhaps breeding on one of the area rooftops, esp. if it is a gravel one, as least terns sometimes have.
Arrive 6:15, fair or clear, 78 degrees F. (down from near 90 earlier thanks to the storm), light westerly winds. 2 gray squirrels. 3 deer (does).
JULY 19, THURSDAY. up to 92, fair, but rip snortin’ rain, lightning and thunder 5:30-dark causing the temperature to fall 20 degrees in less than an hour. c 1’ diameter dead tree across Ferry Neck Road prevented us from returning home from Easton so we beat it back to Royal Oak and had a light supper at ‘The General Store’, good food, but the place is too loud. Mrs. Weisman was there. Left a gift dopy of Our flag was still there at the Easton Library. gray squirrel at Easton. 2 ospreys. 2 robins.
JUNE 20, FRIDAY. low humidity, NW10, up to 82 only, clear, pleasant. brown thrasher 1, snowy egret 1, wild turkey 1, osprey 2, pileated woodpecker 1, Carolina wren 5. mostly stayed inside, did email. All fields have been planted with the emerging sorghum just barely visible, but didn’t inspect the clover field. 2 gray squirrels, 5 deer plus 3 at Swaine’s, 2 at Camper’s. The fields all driveable in spite of yesterday evening’s sometimes heavy rains. For once did not install the feeders.
Bellevue, 7:30 P.M., 1 gray squirrel, 1 herring gull, 5 deer on the outskirts.
JUNE 21, SATURDAY. fair, 74-88, SW 10. a killdeer going over high twice and in good voice. Tide is just right to see oysters next to the submerged tire squirt a few times. a bald eagle. Liz sees 8 Canada geese.
JUNE 22, SUNDAY. fair, SW 15, 76-90. with apologies to John O’Hara “from the terrace” (front porch actually). Ohara’s son, Patrick, and I were friendly. Patrick was a publisher’s rep who used to visit Jefferson on occasion. From our front porch:
Liz sees a fox squirrel only c. 25 feet away. A small buck distant in the Big Field. Skinks: 2 well-marked females and a fat but tailless male. A pileated woodpecker, a chipping sparrow, a yellow-billed cuckoo, a pair of eastern bluebirds at the lawn nest box, a killdeer, an osprey. Flutterbys: 2 red-spotted purples, the remainder all singletons: Horace’s dusky wing at the coreopsis, cabbage white, hackberry emperor, an unIDd sulphur, pearl crescent.
“Just sittin’ here a thousand miles from nowhere/In this one room country little shack/My only worldly possession/Is the raggedly old eleven foot cotton sack./ I wake up every night about midnight/people I just can’t sleep no more./… only crickets and frogs to keep me company/and the wind howlin’ round my door./Gonna leave here early in the mornin/I’m about to go out of my mind./Gonna find me some kind of companion/even if she’s dumb, deaf, crippled, and blind. - Mose Allison.
“One of these days I‘m gonna go back home/sit on the front porch and compose a poem.” likewise also Mose Allison. These from his Cotton Sack Period.
JUNE 23, MONDAY. head back to PA. Nothing to report this day.
Best wishes to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue and Philadelphia.
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Date: 6/23/25 4:54 pm From: Denise Ryan <screechowl...> Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Henslow's Sparrow(s) in Frostburg area
I thought I'd write a follow up report on the trip to search for a
Henslow's sparrow over the weekend.
First, I drove by the Frostburg site to look at the "access road" which is
clearly gated, so you can't drive up it, so people must be walking in.
I didn't go there, but tried the many other sites in the county over two
days. Also looking for Vesper sparrows, and ruffed grouse.
I went to the Rock Lodge Trust site, which is also gated, so I didn't
attempt there. I tried Aaron Run Road, with no luck. Finally around 2:40 pm
I rolled out to Pea Ridge Road and pulled up and immediately heard a
Henslow's near the intersection with Avilton Lonaconning Road. No Vesper
sparrows were singing, but the Bobolinks and others were still singing.
I was also thrilled to relocate the female ruffed grouse located by Amelia
Starliper reported crossing the road with her polts on New Germany Road, at
the exact same place she saw them. Just dumb luck driving past the site to
pull off down the road near a trail head, I saw her and at least one chick
around 10:30 am on Sunday. In that same area the mountain laurel is in full
bloom and is absolutely gorgeous. That little stretch of road has what
looks like an informal ORV trail that was great with warblers, vireos, and
thrushes at dawn.
In all, a great trip to the area, and if you aren't trying to do a county
tick, you can also try Pea Ridge Road for your state bird.
Denise Ryan
Cheverly, MD
On Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 2:48:09 PM UTC-4 Mike Bowen wrote:
> Denise: In fact there have been quite a few reports of Henslow's
> Sparrow(s) just West of Frostburg over the past month of so:
>
> [image: Inline image]
>
> The red "balloons" represent different reports, entered into eBird by 5
> different people at places fairly close to one another but not at the exact
> same location, but all shown as just to the West of a local road, Winners
> View Terrace. I suspect, as you do, that this area has in the past been
> the site of surface coal ("strip") mining by a local company called
> Beechwood Coal, but I am not 100% of this. Interestingly, the
> "traditional" place to find breeding Henslow's Sparrow in the Frostburg
> area was along Old Legislative Rd. a few miles south of I-68 and only about
> 4 miles from these more recent sightings north of I-68. The OL Rd. site no
> longer features Henslow's habitat -- it is now the site of a massive solar
> cell array.
>
> Mike Bowen
> Bethesda, Montgomery County
>
>
> D. H. Michael Bowen
> 8609 Ewing Drive
> Bethesda, Maryland 20817
> Phone: (202) 236-0510
> Ambassador for American Bird Conservancy, helping ABC help the birds
> eBird volunteer Hotspot Reviewer/Editor for Maryland, Delaware, the
> District of Columbia, and the Republic of Ghana
>
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Date: 6/23/25 4:05 pm From: 'Jim Rapp' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> Subject: [MDBirding] Registration is open for the 77th Annual MOS Convention in Frederick, MD
Register today https://mosconvention.org/registration-2025/ for the 77th Annual Maryland Ornithological Society Convention, September 26-28, 2025, in scenic Frederick, Maryland. The cost is $60 for MOS members and $80 for non-members. Expect fantastic fall birding and friendly faces!
We will not have a host hotel for the 2025 convention. We encourage you to choose the hotel that best suits your budget and preferences in the Frederick area. Since Frederick is centrally located for many MOS members, participants living nearby have the option to return home each night.
Scroll down for more information about the annual pin design contest, field trips and engaging social events. Visit www.MOSconvention.org https://mosconvention.org/ for more information.
Calling all artists! Submit your artwork for the Pin Design Contest
For each MOS convention, a pin is selected and given to each participant. Convention pins illustrate the time of year and a bird species appropriate to the location. Pin designs are selected by competition and are highly treasured convention souvenirs. Convention attendees proudly display their colorful collection of pins going back many years. The pin design contest is open to MOS members. The deadline for pin contest submissions is Monday, July 21.
Field Trips
Late September offers an exciting time for birding in Frederick, Maryland, and its surrounding areas, as it marks the protracted peak of fall migration. Field trips will be offered on Friday (including Friday morning), Saturday and Sunday in Downtown Frederick and Frederick County, and at locations up to an hour or so outside of the city. The field trip roster includes a Birding the Battlefields series, visits to local Audubon sanctuaries and a future MOS Sanctuary, and accessible trips for participants using mobility aids. Field trips will begin in the mornings on Friday, Saturday and SundayFor more information, please click here https://mosconvention.org/field-trips-2025-2/.
We will be updating the field trip pages on the convention website over the next few weeks. If you are interested in leading a field trip, please contact Jim Rapp at <jim.rapp...>
Evening Events
After a day of exciting field trips and incredible birding at the MOS Convention, why not socialze and compare notes with your fellow birders? Join us for our evening socials and dinners – the perfect opportunity to swap stories about your most exciting finds, marvel at each other’s photos, and maybe even learn about a bird you missed! It’s a fantastic chance to connect, relax, and keep the good times (and great conversations) going.
On Friday, Sept. 26, from 4:00 - 9:00 pm, we're hosting a social and pizza picnic in the pavilion at Monocacy Village Park. The cost is $12/person, and the event is BYOB. For more information, click here https://mosconvention.org/friday-sept-26-monocacy-village-park-2025/.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, from 4:00 - 8:30 pm, we're hosting a social with poster presentations and vendors, a buffet dinner and a Frederick bird conservation panel presentation at the Arc at Market Street. The cost is $40/person, and a cash bar will be available. For more information, click here https://mosconvention.org/saturday-sept-27-the-arc-at-market-street/.
Save the Date for the 2026 MOS Convention
The 78th Annual MOS Convention will be hosted at the Solomons Inn Resort + Marina https://www.solomonsresort.com/ in Solomons, MD during May 15-17, 2026.
We look forward to seeing you in Frederick this September!
Jim Rapp
MOS Convention Chair
<jim.rapp...>
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Date: 6/18/25 12:03 pm From: Mike Milligan <mike.milligan...> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Henslow's Sparrow(s) in Frostburg area
I graduated from Frostburg State over 40 years ago and I can confirm (with
100% certainty) that this is the site of the old strip mine. It was still
active when I was a student.
Mike Milligan
On Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 2:48 PM 'Mike Bowen' via Maryland & DC Birding <
<mdbirding...> wrote:
> Denise: In fact there have been quite a few reports of Henslow's
> Sparrow(s) just West of Frostburg over the past month of so:
>
> [image: Inline image]
>
> The red "balloons" represent different reports, entered into eBird by 5
> different people at places fairly close to one another but not at the exact
> same location, but all shown as just to the West of a local road, Winners
> View Terrace. I suspect, as you do, that this area has in the past been
> the site of surface coal ("strip") mining by a local company called
> Beechwood Coal, but I am not 100% of this. Interestingly, the
> "traditional" place to find breeding Henslow's Sparrow in the Frostburg
> area was along Old Legislative Rd. a few miles south of I-68 and only about
> 4 miles from these more recent sightings north of I-68. The OL Rd. site no
> longer features Henslow's habitat -- it is now the site of a massive solar
> cell array.
>
> Mike Bowen
> Bethesda, Montgomery County
>
>
> D. H. Michael Bowen
> 8609 Ewing Drive
> Bethesda, Maryland 20817
> Phone: (202) 236-0510
> Ambassador for American Bird Conservancy, helping ABC help the birds
> eBird volunteer Hotspot Reviewer/Editor for Maryland, Delaware, the
> District of Columbia, and the Republic of Ghana
>
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Date: 6/18/25 11:48 am From: 'Mike Bowen' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> Subject: [MDBirding] Henslow's Sparrow(s) in Frostburg area
Denise: In fact there have been quite a few reports of Henslow's Sparrow(s) just West of Frostburg over the past month of so:
The red "balloons" represent different reports, entered into eBird by 5 different people at places fairly close to one another but not at the exact same location, but all shown as just to the West of a local road, Winners View Terrace. I suspect, as you do, that this area has in the past been the site of surface coal ("strip") mining by a local company called Beechwood Coal, but I am not 100% of this. Interestingly, the "traditional" place to find breeding Henslow's Sparrow in the Frostburg area was along Old Legislative Rd. a few miles south of I-68 and only about 4 miles from these more recent sightings north of I-68. The OL Rd. site no longer features Henslow's habitat -- it is now the site of a massive solar cell array.
Mike BowenBethesda, Montgomery County
D. H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20817Phone: (202) 236-0510Ambassador for American Bird Conservancy, helping ABC help the birdseBird volunteer Hotspot Reviewer/Editor for Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and the Republic of Ghana
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Date: 6/18/25 6:27 am From: Denise Ryan <screechowl...> Subject: [MDBirding] RFI - Allegany County Henslow eBird site - Frostberg
Hello birders, I've noticed a recent eBird site in Frostberg for Henslow's Sparrow. Doing a little virtual recon via Google maps it looks like an active or defunct coal site. Maybe this is on reclaimed land. Maybe the sightings come from an individual trespassing.
I'd love to visit this weekend to enjoy the birding delights of Allegany Co. Any additional information about the site or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you and enjoy your birding.
Denise Ryan screechowl at gmail.com Cheverly, MD
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Date: 6/17/25 1:28 pm From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] Rigby's Folly & E. New Market, May 22-27, 2025.
MAY 22- 27, 2025. FERRY NECK and East New Market. Exotic katydid.
MAY 22, THURSDAY. a half-grown woodchuck scrambles out of the way on the edge of Route 481 near Price. Paradiso’s Mammals of Maryland (1969) shows them entirely absent from the Eastern Shore save from Kent County on north. So since 1969 these “field fatties” have enjoyed a range expansion
MAY 23, FRIDAY. Dorchester County, 3600 Goose Creek Rd., East New Market, private property, 2:30-3:10 P.M., May 23, 2025, Friday, Liz & Harry Armistead: Beautiful property, what a view out over Choptank River! Abundant feeders, water basins, and nest boxes. 66 degrees F., NW 15-20, fair.
bird list: orchard oriole 1 ad. male, house finch 4 (some song), and these all singletons: red-bellied woodpecker, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, and blue jay + brown-headed cowbird 2, tree swallow 2 (1 in nest box), common grackle 6, northern cardinal 2, red-winged blackbird 3, barn swallow 4 (nesting in shed?), European starling 5, eastern bluebird 2 (1 at nest box), chimney swift 3, American robin 2, osprey 2.
Easton: a bald eagle, a Cooper’s Hawk being pursued by grackles. Anne, Derek & Alexis arrive
MAY 24, 2025, SATURDAY. mostly just sit out by the Big Field. Summer tanager giving its call note in Woods 2. BELLEVUE, 6:18 P.M., 2 eastern cottontails, 2 gray squirrels, 6 cow-nosed rays, 2 ospreys, 1 wild turkey. 1 ad. bald eagle. Our guests clear the driveway of overhang. 7 deer in the Plaindealing Farm field.
MAY 25, SUNDAY. clear then overcast at the end, NW 15-20 falling to near calm, 58-70. Anne, Derek and Alexis leave c. noon. a pileated woodpecker calling and well seen in the yard. cattle egret 1. indigo bunting 1. red-eyed vireo 1. bufflehead 1. 7” skink, all brown, no markings. Four cedar waxwings and another flock of two. Three chimney swifts.
Also: mallard 2, CG 2, snowy egret 1, great blue heron 1, at the feeder: BH nuthatch at least 2, sometimes it is several days before they turn up at the feeders. titmouse, chickadee. cardinal, goldfinch, house finch, mourning dove, RW blackbird, cowbirds, grackles, blue jay = 11 species at the feed. see oysters spitting or squirting. muskrat 1. gray squirrel 2. spring azure 3, cabbage white 3. cormorant 3. killdeer. osprey makes a couple of ineffectual dives at the CGs.
The tide is just low enough so that the oysters are partially exposed. Liz sees several “spit”.
From Google: “oysters. Fun fact: Did you know that oysters spit? They suck in water, filter out plankton & detritus to feed on, and then spit the filtered water back out! This is how they are able to filter our water and keep it clean! One oyster is able to filter 20-50 gallons of water PER DAY!” I never expected that they had such high SAT scores.
Probably not inspired by the ‘Titanic’ where we got to see that Kate Winslett was a quick study. Or by the song ‘My way’:
“Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out,
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way.”
Concerning oysters, one of Jay Fleming’s many marvelous photographs is on the March 2025 cover of Tidewater Times showing Eddie Evans’ workboat the ‘Kaitlan Noelle’ loaded down with 35 or more bushels of oysters he had harvested.
In school my dear friend, the late Van Hubbard, originator of the phrase “transcend your destiny”, disliked Dickens’ Great expectations and this became for him Great Expectorations. In similar manner some of my classmates, by crossing out some of the letters on the books’ covers altered the titles so that God’s Angry Man (about John Brown) became Go, Man, and in similar manner Religion and the Rise of Capitalism became Eli and the Rise of Ali.
PA former Senator Arlen Specter: it doesn’t take too much imagination to know what certain of his opponents did with his name.
Somewhat relatedly we used to say: “better to urp the burp and bear the shame, than to squelch the belch and die of pain.”
MAY 26, MONDAY, Memorial Day. overcast becoming fair, light NNE or light and variable winds switching to southerly c. 6 P.M., high 59 - 70. Of most interest: red-headed woodpecker, bald eagle, brown-headed nuthatch, chipping sparrow (singing), American goldfinch, killdeer, pine warbler, wild turkey, downy woodpecker.
In Field 1 a small buck and 7 does.
I do a “whimbrel watch” 6:15 - 8:30 P.M. when the winds finally become favorable for them to lift off from the Virginia Eastern Shore. No luck but I bet there would be some Tuesday. Other parts of the East do these whimbrel watches.
These are especially successful in Toronto, as described in Birding, June 2025, pages 42-52, with 17 photos, maps, etc., of these big, spectacular shorebirds that fly, often nonstop 4 or 5 days and nights, from the Virginia Eastern Shore to Hudson Bay or points even farther north after increasing their body weight, bulking up, 30% or more by loading up in fiddler crab eggs. Eight or so times I’ve been lucky enough to intercept their late afternoon flights at Rigby’s Folly. Watches are also conducted in the Philadelphia area. These all in the 4th week of May.
MAY 27, TUESDAY. On the driveway X Field 4: 2 deer and a red fox. 2 gray squirrels at the feed. Leave for PA at 8:40, 65 degrees F., light winds.
KATYDID. Here in Philadelphia Liz found a 3”, brilliant green katydid inside an unopened, sealed, watercress package, of clear plastic, March 16, 2025, B & W Quality Growers LLC, Fellesmere, FL 32948 (use by 3.25.25). Package we’d bought March 15 from the local Giant, had been in the frige 24+ hours, sealed. It was sluggish but very much alive.
Best to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia.
________________________________
From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...>
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2025 5:55 PM
To: Anne Armistead <annearmistead...>; Charlotte Betancourt <charlottebetancourt...>; Dorothy mallam <mallamdorothy...>; Norah Mallam <norahmallam...>; George Armistead <george...>; Liz Armistead <memarmistead...>; Nicole Compte <nicdiverphoto...>; Whitney Mallam <wwmallam...>; Bill Burt <wburt48...>; Bob Lukens <lukensfamily...>; Linda Strawsburg <tom.strawsburg...>; Carl Sheppard <cfsheppard...>; Carroll Sheppard <carrollshe...>; Ann Yonkers <ann...>; John Weske <jsweske...>; Charles Swift <chaetura...>; Colin Mc <colin.vols...>; COLIN MCALLISTER <colinmm1...>; Deborah Kogan <finch359...>; Emilie Harting <echarting...>; Robert Harting <rmharting2...>; mdbirds googlegroup <mdbirding...>; Ginny Raynor-Smith <virgrsmith...>; Gordon Chaplin <gordonchaplin...>; Irene Sacilotto <isacilotto...>; John Friedman <johnfriedman46...>; Kathy Shuman <shumankathleen22...>; Lars Egede-Nissen <larseg...>; Marty 2 Daniels <martymdaniels...>; Nancy Moran <nancy...>; Rob Pyle <pyleye...>; Sarah Warner <warnerse77...>; Tad de Bordenave <tadpole...>; <Ls.Broker...> <Ls.Broker...>; will russell <wcr100...>; Ben Weems <benfweems...>; Anna Stunkel <appywalker...>; Derek Ayres <wunderlad...>; Annie Laurie Armistead <anilauri...>; Justin Carey <justin.carey...>; Joan Menocal <joanmenocal...>; Joan Sykes <jjsykes...>; Kristin Klein <kklein4000...>; mary armistead <maryarmistead...>; Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...>
Subject: Re: 124th Dorchester County, MD, May bird count, May 10, 2025.
MAY 3, 2025, 123rd DORCHESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND, May bird count. 149 species.
KEY: see under Canada goose: 102 is the grand total, seen in 8 sectors whose totals range from a low of 3 to a high of 90.
the “PRIMITIVES”: common loon 1. double-crested cormorant 314 (5, 1-280). brown pelican 25. least bittern 2 (2, 1-1). great blue heron 40 (9, 1-16). great egret 48 (3, 2-32). snowy egret 30 (4, 3-18). green heron 6 (4, 1-2). black-crowned night heron 5. white ibis 3 (ph. MW, BNWR; on May 6 a flock of 85 in flight seen by Jim Green and Jim Brighton at Drawbridge; the entire flock photographed by JB). glossy ibis 27 (6, 1-21).
EFFORT: 5:45 A.M. - 8:30 P.M. 12 observers in 9 sectors. hours on foot 21, hours by car 32, hours owling 5. miles on foot 20, miles by car 279, miles owling 45.
WEATHER: 58-82 degrees, mostly clear or only partly overcast, winds SW20 dropping to W6 then calm.
UN-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: 9 sectors is real good coverage. See my summary for May 10, a lot of which is applicable for May 3. No warbler flight or neotrops to speak of and lingering waterfowl almost non-existent. The difference between today’s good coverage and not-so-good May 10 is easily seen by comparing some numbers. Those in parentheses are for May 10:
SPECIES FOUND IN 8 OR 9 SECTORS (34 species). 8s have no number after them. 9s 9. only 15 species seen in all 9 sectors.
Canada goose, mourning dove, laughing gull 9, Forster’s tern, great blue heron 9, turkey vulture 9, bald eagle 9, pileated woodpecker, great crested flycatcher 9, eastern kingbird 9, red-eyed vireo, blue jay, American crow, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse 9, tree swallow 9, purple martin, barn swallow, Carolina wren 9, northern mockingbird 9, European starling 9, American robin, American goldfinch, chipping sparrow 9, orchard oriole 9, red-winged blackbird 9, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle 9, common yellowthroat, pine warbler, summer tanager, northern cardinal 9, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting.
10 SPECIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS: laughing gull 2,557. dunlin 1,335. red-winged blackbird 899. European starling 504. purple martin 436. common grackle 455. double-crested cormorant 314. American robin 305. turkey vulture 198. common yellowthroat 198. At 133 bald eagle is tied for 17th place with lesser yellowlegs.
the GREAT DISPARITIES shown by the widely divergent totals of some species as seen by various sectors are due to a bunch of factors: varying effort, skills, some sectors lacking in salt marsh, some lacking deciduous woodlands, some lacking for the most part pine forests, and so on.
NON-AVIAN ANIMATE TAXA (critters), reported by several sectors: MAMMALS: sika deer (elk) 84, white-tailed deer 18, gray squirrel 12, eastern cottontail 15, muskrat 5, raccoon 3, Virginia opossum 4, red fox 2. HERPS: snapping turtle 1, diamondback terrapin 8, painted turtle 6, black rat snake 1, Cope’s gray tree frog 1. BUGS: monarch 5, meadow fritillary 1, cabbage white 2, tiger swallowtail 2, red-spotted purple 1, unIDd sulphur 2, unIDd butterfly 3.
SIKAs. 84 is a lot. In between Bestpitch and Elliott I. Rd. several times c. 3:30 - 4 A.M. back when I did all-nighters a few times I’ve seen > 100 in just one field. Count the # of eye shines and divide by 2. !
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Hooper’s Island: Jeff Effinger.
Blackwater N.W.R., Wildlife Drive & Maple Dam Road: Terry Allen.
Blackwater N.W.R. restricted areas: Matt Whitbeck: McGraws Island and Wolfpit along Maple Dam Road, Key Wallace trail, Hog Range, and Greenbriar Swamp.
Northwest County, Route 16: Bettye Maki & Bobbie Wells.
North County north of Route 50: Jim Green & Ryan Belton.
Bestpitch & Drawbridge and roads to & from there to Cambridge: Liz & Harry Armistead.
Neck District: George Radcliffe.
Elliott Island Road: Suzette Stitely.
East central count, S of Route 50, W of Elliott I. Rd.: Steve Ford.
Best to all: Harry Armistead, Bellevue and Philadelphia.
________________________________
From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 12:42 PM
To: Anne Armistead <annearmistead...>; Charlotte Betancourt <charlottebetancourt...>; Dorothy mallam <mallamdorothy...>; Norah Mallam <norahmallam...>; George Armistead <george...>; Liz Armistead <memarmistead...>; Nicole Compte <nicdiverphoto...>; Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...>; Whitney Mallam <wwmallam...>; Bill Burt <wburt48...>; Bob Lukens <lukensfamily...>; Linda Strawsburg <tom.strawsburg...>; Carl Sheppard <cfsheppard...>; Carroll Sheppard <carrollshe...>; Ann Yonkers <ann...>; John Weske <jsweske...>; Charles Swift <chaetura...>; Colin Mc <colin.vols...>; COLIN MCALLISTER <colinmm1...>; Deborah Kogan <finch359...>; Emilie Harting <echarting...>; Robert Harting <rmharting2...>; mdbirds googlegroup <mdbirding...>; Ginny Raynor-Smith <virgrsmith...>; Gordon Chaplin <gordonchaplin...>; Irene Sacilotto <isacilotto...>; John Friedman <johnfriedman46...>; Kathy Shuman <shumankathleen22...>; Lars Egede-Nissen <larseg...>; Marty 2 Daniels <martymdaniels...>; Nancy Moran <nancy...>; Rob Pyle <pyleye...>; Sarah Warner <warnerse77...>; Tad de Bordenave <tadpole...>; <Ls.Broker...> <Ls.Broker...>; will russell <wcr100...>; Ben Weems <benfweems...>; Anna Stunkel <appywalker...>; Derek Ayres <wunderlad...>; Annie Laurie Armistead <anilauri...>; Justin Carey <justin.carey...>; Joan Menocal <joanmenocal...>; Joan Sykes <jjsykes...>; Kristin Klein <kklein4000...>; mary armistead <maryarmistead...>; Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...>
Subject: 124th Dorchester County, MD, May bird count, May 10, 2025.
124th DORCHESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND, MAY BIRD COUNT: May 10, 2025.
shorthanded! 134 species.
the KEY. For Canada goose the grand total is 88 with 6 sectors reporting totals ranging from a low of 8 to a high of 26. In cases where just 2 sectors report a species, the sum of its low and high counts may sometimes be less than the grand total, because the grand total may include a few individuals seen in the yard list, not considered a “sector”.
EFFORT: 8 observers in 6 sectors plus 1 yard list. 12 hours on foot; 35 hours by car. 11 miles on foot. 273 miles by car. 4:30 A.M. - 8 P.M.
the GREAT DISPARITIES shown by the widely divergent totals of some species as seen by various sectors are due to a bunch of factors: varying effort, skills, some sectors lacking in salt marsh, some lacking deciduous woodlands, some lacking for the most part pine forests, and so on.
ABBREVIATIONS: BNWR, Blackwater refuge. EIR, Elliot Island Road. HI, Hooper’s Island. other abbrevs. represent observers’ initials.
NON-AVIAN ANIMATE TAXA: (how’s that for a pompous phrase? phew! give me a break). An alternative is to just list these under the category of “critters”. Several sectors reported these. Numbers = actual numbers reported. If there is an X indicated that means someone reported the species but with no number.
MAMMALS: sika deer (elk) 18 + X. white-tailed deer 23 + X. eastern cottontail 27 + X. Virginia opossum 2. raccoon 2. muskrat 1. red fox 2. gray squirrel12 + XX. fox squirrel 1.
HERPS (all of these “X” ’s): green frog. wood frog. bull frog. snapping turtle. painted turtle. red-bellied cooter. red-eared slider. We arrived too late for the evening flight of Gila monsters.
INSECTS (all X): pearl crescent, monarch, Carolina saddlebag, common green darner, common whitetail, eastern pondhawk, Needham’s skimmer.
MISC.: 2 blue crabs.
TOP 10 SPECIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS: dunlin 1,376, red-winged blackbird 470, common grackle 262, least sandpiper 246, turkey vulture 238, purple martin 198, laughing gull 176, barn swallow 159, black-bellied plover 144, common yellowthroat 137. At 136, bald eagle comes in at 11th! Year in year out it is interesting that usually 1/2 or 1/3 of these are “black birds”.
SPECIES RECORDED IN ALL 6 SECTORS (25 species). This gives some idea of the relative abundance and distribution throughout the county.: mourning dove, killdeer, laughing gull, great blue heron, turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, northern flicker, great crested flycatcher, white-eyed vireo, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, purple martin, brown-headed nuthatch, Carolina wren, northern mockingbird, chipping sparrow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, ovenbird, common yellowthroat, pine warbler, northern cardinal, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE: Peter Smithson, Route 336 from Gootee’s on south to Crocheron.
Terry Allen, Blackwater N.W.R. Wildlife Drive and Maple Dam Road.
Ron Ketter Blackwater N.W.R. restricted areas: Kuehnle Tract, Tubman Road Tail, Hog Range
George Armistead & Harry Armistead, Egypt Road, Swan Harbor & Hooper’s Island, Elliott Island Road.
Alicia Bachman, upper Elliott Island Road, Lewis Wharf Road, Kraft Neck Road, and LeCompte Wildlife Management Area.
Steve Ford, east-central county south of Route 50 and west of Elliott Island Road.
Debbie Robbins, yard list.
WEATHER: 49-72, NW 20 changing to W 6 then calm at the end, clear becoming mostly overcast. Low tidal waters all day.
UN-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Due to the poor turn out - several key observers missed today, but for good reasons - George and I worked in a sort of “circuit rider” capacity. We were in key areas otherwise missing coverage: Egypt Road (one field loaded with plovers), Swan Harbor and Hooper’s Island (very poor results, but at least we had a good visit with Neil and Kathleen Birchmeier), and Elliott Island Road (excellent shorebird numbers, most actively feeding right next to the road).
There was no coverage north of Route 50, but a few specialties from that important area were found by others anyway, such as kingfisher and phoebe. There was practically no flight today of warblers and other neotropical migrants, but the shorebirding was good. So were the bald eagles with 136 seen by the 6 sectors today compared to 133 by 9 sectors on May 3.
In the early days of the count, in the 1960s, 1970s, and some of the 1980s, almost all the counts consisted of just one party running a route of 180 miles, and almost always an all-nighter (except when weather mandated otherwise). Back then there really were more birds of most kinds.
The loss of c. 30% of our birds in North America since 1970 has been documented in several seminal articles, especially the one by Kenneth V. Rosenberg et al. (in Science, Sept. 19, 2019, vol. 366, no. 6461, “Decline of North America avifauna”, pp. 120-124 + numerous attachments). So, “back then” in the early days of this count, a day’s total by one party of 145 species or fewer was a source of disappointment. So now we have the May 10 total of 134 species recorded by 6 parties (sectors). The times they are a changin’, have changed already.
MISTAKES: Please let me know of ANY you notice. I’m certain there are … some. Thanks.
Best to all: Harry Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia.
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Discover how a defunct golf course in Rockville, Maryland became an avian oasis and learn about the grassroots campaign that helped preserve the 131-acre site as a public park. I will be joined by Trey Sherard, Riverkeeper at Anacostia Riverkeeper, who will discuss the organization’s mission to protect and restore the Anacostia watershed and describe the numerous bird species that can be found along the Anacostia River on the Riverkeeper’s birding boat tours. Learn more about “Bird Walk” at https://www.birdwalkfilm.com <https://www.birdwalkfilm.com/>.
The Reservoir Center for Water Solutions is located a few blocks from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro on the Green Line. There are Capital Bikeshares nearby and three parking lots.
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Date: 6/8/25 10:03 am From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...> Subject: [MDBirding] Ferry Neck & Dorchester County, May 1-11, 2025.
FERRY NECK & Dorchester county, MAY 1-11, 2025.
MAY 1, THURSDAY. arrive at Rigby’s Folly, 5:30, 78, fair, calm. has dried up a lot. black locusts are blooming, 2-3 weeks early. 1 deer in Field 4. coral bells w/ 12 stalks.
MAY 2, FRIDAY. clear, 68-85, SW 5-10, hot. pair of killdeer in the Big Field, no doubt breeding, several distraction displays but no broken wing act.
wild turkey 1, pine wabler 1, wood duck 2, cattle egret 2, least tern 1, great crested flycatcher 3, hummingbird 1 (seen from bed 9 times), indigo bunting 1, gray catbird 5, eastern bluebird 4, chipping sparrow 1, fish crow 3, chickadee 6, pileated woodpecker 1. 41 bird species today.
non-avian: red-spotted purple 1, spring azure 2, Cope’s gray tree frog 5, gray squirrel 3, 5 deer in Field 6, a red fox in the Big Field (= Field 1), diamondback terrapin 19.
MAY 3, SATURDAY. a segment of the Dorchester County bird count (count in full analyzed ad nauseam previously, q.v). Liz & Harry: Bestpitch, Drawbridge & environs. Maple Dam Rd. Bucktown. 9:45 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. 65 miles by car. 66 species. wild turkey 1, clapper rail 1, king rail 1, laughing gull 725, black vulture 21, bald eagle 16, pileated woodpecker 1, horned lark 1, eastern bluebird 14, marsh wren 1, seaside sparrow 1, prothonotary warbler 1, prairie warbler 3. also: Cope’s gray tree frog 1, sika deer 1, painted turtle 3.
My classmate Lars Egede-Nissen, a close friend since 1954, honored with St. Paul’s School distinguished alumni award today in Concord, NH for his career in hospice work.
MAY 4, SUNDAY. northern parula 1, brown-headed nuthatch 1, blue grosbeak 1 male, house finch singing. overcast becoming fair then overcast, 65-71, SW 5 then E 15-25. 4 gray squirrels at the feed.
MAY 5, MONDAY. 65-73, SE 3-12, overcast sometimes fair. A well-seen fox squirrel out front on the driveway. A diamondback terrapin in the front yard, hauled out and ready to deposit eggs. 5 deer in Field 1. The blackberries are in full, bright white, bloom. 1 red-spotted purple. A large, fat Fowler’s toad by the front porch steps, pudgy. 1 green heron. 1 greater yellowlegs. 3 black vultures. 1 pileated woodpecker. An imm. bald eagle right in the yard at treetop level. 1 Cope’s gray tree frog.
At Bellevue 7:30 P.M. 7 deer, 2 Forster’s terns.
MAY 6, TUESDAY. fair, 64-73, SW 10-20, windy. a male hummer at the coral bells. 5 gray squirrels at the feed simultaneously. tiger swallowtail 2. pine warbler sings just once in the yard. We go to the Blackwater N.W.R. dinner celebrating volunteers, beautifully organized. During the dinner a red-tailed hawk can be seen nearby.
MAY 7, WEDNESDAY. clear, N-NW 15, 60-73, cool. yellow warbler 1, Baltimore oriole 1. 3 American goldfinches at the feed. 1 red-spotted purple. 1 cattle egret, 1 ad. bald eagle, 3 black vultures. black locust blossoms are luxuriant, and early. 1 buckeye. a cedar waxwing.
At Bellevue, 6:30 P.M., a lovely, breeding plumage Bonaparte’s gull at real close range, 1 eastern cottontail, 3 gray squirrels, an eastern kingbird.
MAY 8, THURSDAY. 59-76, clear then mostly overcast, light winds 0-7. 1 snowy egret, 4 mourning doves, an ad. white-crowned sparrow, seldom seen here in spring. Liz sees a 9” male skink. 3 killdeer. cedar waxwing 1. 1 Swainson’s thrush. 4 brown thrashers. 1 Cope’s gray tree frog. 10 deer in Field 1. 1 tiger swallowtail.
MAY 9, FRIDAY. overcast, 15-25, cold, windy, 55-67. Mary leaves at 8:45 A.M. George arrives c. 6 P.M. 1 wild turkey. mostly rested today, and compiled the results of the May 3 Dorchester bird count. George hears a Swainson’s thrush singing by the garage.
MAY 10, SATURDAY. a segment of the Dorchester County bird count today, described in great detail previously. George & Harry Armistead, 8 A.M. - 7:30 P.M. Egypt Rd., Hooper’s I. & Elliott I. Rd. 131 miles by car. 88 species. Of some note:
clapper rail 12, common gallinule 3, black-necked stilt 3, black-bellied plover 138, American golden-plover 1 (photographed; Egypt Rd.). short-billed dowitcher 38 (incl. 1 hendersoni, photographed), dunlin 869, willet 1 (incredibly low), least tern 17, red-throated loon 1, brown pelican 1, bald eagle 58, marsh wren 43, seaside sparrow 19.
MAY 11, SUNDAY. MAY 11, 2025, SUNDAY, RIGBY’S FOLLY, a segment of the Talbot Bird Club statewide May bird count.
Canada goose 4. wild turkey 1. mourning dove 3. yellow-billed cuckoo 1. chimney swift 1. killdeer 3. least tern 1. Forster’s tern 3. cattle egret 1. green heron 1. osprey 3. bald eagle 1 imm. belted kingfisher 1. red-headed woodpecker 1. red-bellied woodpecker 1. northern flicker 1. pileated woodpecker 2. great crested flycatcher 1. eastern kingbird 1. red-eyed vireo 1. blue jay 1. American crow 1. fish crow 2. Carolina chickadee 2. tufted titmouse 2. tree swallow 1. purple martin 5. barn swallow 1. cedar waxwing 1. Carolina wren 3. gray catbird 3. brown thrasher 2. northern mockingbird 1. European starling 2. eastern bluebird 2. American robin 4. house finch 2. American goldfinch 2. chipping sparrow 2. Baltimore oriole 1. red-winged blackbird 2. brown-headed cowbird 2. common grackle 7. ovenbird 1. northern parula 1. magnolia warbler 1. yellow warbler 1. pine warbler 2. northern cardinal 4. blue grosbeak 1.
50 species. 7 - 11:30 A.M. foot hours 7. car hours 0.25. foot miles 2. car miles 1 (very slow, with stops). regular parties 1-2. George Armistead. Harry Armistead. calm or winds light & variable from the East. clear. 59-73.
George spent several hours planting and servicing various native plants, but with his ears and eyes open for birds. I sat out by the dock for a while. We worked separately part of the time. 2 red foxes. Leave for PA at 11:30.
Best to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia.
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Date: 6/6/25 7:25 pm From: 'SUE RICCIARDI' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbirding...> Subject: [MDBirding] Fort Smallwood Park (06 Jun 2025) 1 Raptors
Fort Smallwood Park Pasadena, Maryland, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Jun 06, 2025
Species
Day's Count
Month Total
Season Total
Black Vulture
0
8
325
Turkey Vulture
1
37
9208
Osprey
0
5
390
Bald Eagle
0
8
141
Northern Harrier
0
0
110
Sharp-shinned Hawk
0
0
1068
Cooper's Hawk
0
0
323
American Goshawk
0
0
0
Red-shouldered Hawk
0
0
258
Broad-winged Hawk
0
27
540
Red-tailed Hawk
0
0
124
Rough-legged Hawk
0
0
0
Golden Eagle
0
0
0
American Kestrel
0
0
145
Merlin
0
0
52
Peregrine Falcon
0
0
2
Unknown Accipitrine
0
0
10
Unknown Buteo
0
0
24
Unknown Falcon
0
0
10
Unknown Eagle
0
0
0
Unknown Raptor
0
0
23
Mississippi Kite
0
0
9
Swallow-tailed Kite
0
0
2
Total:
1
85
12764
Observation start time:
9:00 am
Observation end time:
2:30 pm Daylight Time
Total observation time:
5.5 hours
Official Counter
Chris Reed
Observers:
Cindy Godwin, Steve Steimel, Sue Ricciardi
Weather: Partly cloudy with some persistent fog; 76-86 degrees; poor to fair visibility; winds light and variable, sometimes with a southerly component.
Raptor Observations: One Turkey Vulture on likely the last day of the count.
Non-raptor Observations: The biggest sighting of the day was a Roseate Spoonbill! A new species for the Park. Seen by a group on a bird walk as well as by one of our observers, it circled the pond, briefly sat in a tree and then flew north.
Site Description Fort Smallwood Park is located on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Patapsco River, 11 miles south of Baltimore, MD. Best winds are from the southwest.
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