Quarantine chronicles, part 3, Ferry Neck, Blackwater, Elliott Island Road, March 30-April 5, 2020.
Harry Armistead
QUARANTINE CHRONICLES, part 3, RIGBY’S FOLLY, BLACKWATER N.W.R. & ELLIOTT ISLAND ROAD, March 30 - April 5, 2020. April 5 is our 24th straight day of self-quarantine here. This has been one of our best sojourns ever, but tempered by our anxiety, dread, and stress.
I expect someone to criticize me for my excursions. Fair enough. As a diabetic 79.5-year-old with 3 children and their loved ones in Philadelphia, you have no idea of the precautions I’ve taken for myself and out-of-consideration for others. But I guess I should end any more meanderings. I can’t imagine they have done any harm, but they are, apparently, illegal. I can’t tell you how circumspect we were. No apologies.
But note that Lucy Point and the various numbered fields and woods are all on our property, which is way back from the main road. Our activities on them are therefore beyond any reproach.
This business of getting exercise I question. Jogging in places where there are others, as you pant and exhale voluminously. ?? I’d heard recently that the state parks are open. Are they? I guess not.
Boldfaced and underscored records are those of most interest and are not necessarily always that unusual. Birds indicated as photographed are done so by George.
MARCH 30, MONDAY, overcast becoming crystal clear most of the day, partly overcast at the end, 54-70, SW5 becoming NW15 at the end. In general an absolute gem, even though I expected much more of a flight. Delicious dinner last night: shad roe, bacon, baked potato. De gustibus.
common loon 4, great blue heron 2, Canada goose 6, mallard 4, wood duck 4 (2 pairs in Field 1), bufflehead 70, ruddy duck 320, common goldeneye 1, red-breasted merganser 17 (1 male; he’s got a good thing going), surf scoter 30, northern gannet 6, double-crested cormorant 9, turkey vulture 12, black vulture 4, bald eagle 2, osprey 10, red-tailed hawk 2, herring gull 4, ring-billed gull 3, laughing gull 4, Bonaparte’s gull 1, Forster’s tern 3, mourning dove 4, tree swallow 1. A pair of Carolina wrens may be nesting in the boxwood.
Early in the morning a nice, for here, foraging guild right out in front on the start of the driveway sorting through a small area of grass: sparrows: white-throated 6, field 1, song 1, and chipping 2 plus 2 northern flickers, 2 northern cardinals, and 4 American robins. The 1st 2 brown-headed cowbirds and 2 mourning doves at the feed. In Woods 4 four painted turtles. A diamondback terrapin off Lucy Point.
What other day ever in March do we find 7 butterfly species? One more sign of an early spring. Question mark 2, cabbage white 3, spring azure 4, duskywing 2, an unIDd small skipper, snout 1, clouded sulphur 3. gray squirrel 5 (all of them fussy).
RUDDY DUCK, an appreciation. Most of the time they just sit there, floating like rubber duckies. By now the males have finally achieved full breeding plumage, the last of our ducks to do so, and are now in full fig. The males are bright ruddy, with cheek patches a brighter white than in the winter, and those bright light blue bills. If I were a female ruddy duck I’d … never mind. The males cut loose with their utterly ridiculous, squeaky call. THAT is supposed to turn her on? Well, it seems to work. Anna Stunkel has that call on her mobile phone so whenever she gets a call it’s announced by a ruddy.
FISH-EATERS. Let there be fish. This visit see these species capture fish: osprey, bald eagle, horned grebe, double-crested cormorant, Forster’s tern, northern gannet, common loon, great blue heron, ring-billed gull, belted kingfisher. None of the fish are citation-sized, but such will FEED citation-sized fish, eh?
MARCH 31, TUESDAY. ruddy duck 190, bufflehead 41, horned grebe 6, red-breasted merganser 2, bald eagle 1, GREEN HERON 1 (seen by Liz, close, flushed off of the rip rap by the dock; previous earliest date April 8), wood duck 8 (6 at The Pond, 2 in Field 1), green-winged teal 1 male (Field 1). Nine deer in Field 4.
BELLEVUE, 7 northern gannets (1 sub-adult) in close from the ferry slip, one of them “upstream” even, at 6:21 P.M, a long way from Cape St. Mary’s, Newfoundland, eh?. 4 wild turkeys. Overcast with a raw east wind 10-15+ m.p.h., high 40s, mostly just read and did some writing and e-mail this uninviting day.
APRIL 1, WEDNESDAY. mostly overcast becoming fair, NW15-20, 45-55. Separate groups of 5, 6 and 10 deer, all does. 4 painted turtles in Woods 4. A wild turkey near Bellevue. No gannets today in spite of much looking.
16 horned grebes, high of the year so far, but compare with their numbers before their great crash: 360 on March 28, 1987, 225 on March 30, 1995, 130 on March 27, 1986, or, later in the spring when larger numbers are expected: 383 on April 19, 1980, 350 on April 17, 1966, 185 on April 13, 1980. You get the picture. Wondering if they will EVER recover.
CANVASBACK situation. For the 1st winter in many years a big group on the northwest side of Irish Creek is not seen. I think they’re just elsewhere, not in decline. In the past we’ve had as many as 1,730 on January 26, 1999, or 1,050 on February 9, 1980, or 1,000 on March 17, 1984. I miss’ em.
APRIL 2, THURSDAY. Clear, 46-57, NW25, breezy! Sit out on the lawn by Field 1, 10:45-1, watch the grasses grow, an example of how depauperate this place can be: turkey vulture 11, osprey 1, bald eagle 3 (2 immatures, 1 adult), eastern bluebird 2, Carolina chickadee 1, Carolina wren 1, chipping sparrow 2, red-winged blackbird 1, but, also, these butterflies: snout 1 (excellent views), clouded sulphur 2, cabbage white 2, spring azure 1, duskywing 1.
George arrives. We go out to Lucy Point. 6:30-7:45 P.M. 32 species, including: American black duck 2, black scoter 23, bufflehead 110, red-breasted merganser 46, Bonaparte’s gull 8, Forster’s tern 5, ROYAL TERN 1 (previous early date April 10), northern gannet 48, double-crested cormorant 17.
A perfect sunset. Green-winged teal 1 female in the same place the male was on March 31. Today’s birds found with intense use of the scope. Good results considering the very windy conditions. Right in front of us, and close, an adult bald eagle causes an osprey to drop a fish
APRIL 3, FRIDAY. George, Liz & I go to DORCHESTER COUNTY. EGYPT ROAD, 7:45-8:30, NW 25, fair, 32 species, including wild turkey 44 (with several strutting, pompous toms), killdeer 1, bald eagle 7, osprey 7, red-tailed hawk 2, pileated woodpecker 1, horned lark 3, tree swallow 22, ruby-crowned kinglet 1, chipping sparrow 6, field sparrow 9 (singing males, on territory), rusty blackbird 5 (at the Prothonotary Place), and pine warbler 6. What with this early spring I’d expect we might hear or see white-eyed vireo, ovenbird, prairie warbler, orchard oriole, or quail, but … no.
BLACKWATER N.W.R. 8:30-11, 57 species, incl. snow goose 8, blue goose 1 adult, Canada goose 3, northern shoveler 60, gadwall 13, American black duck 3, green-winged teal 120, ring-necked duck 10, killdeer 5, dunlin 55, least sandpiper 0, pectoral sandpiper 1, greater yellowlegs 52 (widespread; seen at 10 locations), lesser yellowlegs 9, laughing gull 1, Forster’s tern 38, double-crested cormorant 15,
American white pelican c. 30, great blue heron 32 (most near their colony by Marsh Edge Trail), osprey 10, bald eagle 25, pileated woodpecker 1, American kestrel 1, eastern phoebe 2, tree swallow 65, barn swallow 1, ruby-crowned kinglet 2 (singing), brown-headed nuthatch 6 (3 locations), blue-gray gnatcatcher 1, eastern bluebird 12, chipping sparrow 6, Savannah sparrow 8, swamp sparrow 8, palm warbler 2, pine warbler 10.
NON-AVIAN TAXA: painted turtle 4, New Jersey chorus frog 1, fox squirrel 2 (one well photographed), and sika deer 1. There has been a notable influx of migrants, including dabbling ducks, some shorebirds, and passerines. What a difference having 2 companions with much better hearing than mine makes. The strong winds continue, “March” winds in April.
Back at the Rigby’s Folly ranch. 1 gannet from Lucy Point & George sees 2 at Bellevue. 10 deer in Field 4, 7 in Field 1. 4 wood ducks flush from the Field 7 low area. Big, fat raccoon out in Field 4 fussing around in the wet area there. Watch out froggies!
APRIL 4, SATURDAY. Liz hears the little screech-owl calling repeatedly at 8:32 A.M. George and I see an adult eagle on our nest c. 2 P.M.; a sub-adult flushes nearby at close range right in front of the car from the Woods 2 vernal pool and then perches in Woods 6.
DORCHESTER COUNTY, George and I work the greater ELLIOTT ISLAND ROAD area from Vienna all the way to the end at McCready’s Creek, but also including, very briefly, Drawbridge, Drawbridge Road, Henrys Crossroads, and Lewis Wharf Road,
7:45-1, NW5-10 then NE 10+, mostly overcast becoming completely overcast with occasional light rain at the end, visibility excellent, tide high getting higher still until c. 1’ > normal. 1 sika deer, 1 muskrat. complete bird list, 69 species:
Canada goose 13, wood duck 6, American black duck 22, mallard 4, blue-winged teal 4, green-winged teal 217, lesser scaup 7, ruddy duck 1,900, common loon 7, northern gannet 2, double-crested cormorant 19, great blue heron 14 (small numbers breeding along EIR), snowy egret 8, turkey vulture 54, bald eagle 53 (48 along EIR), northern harrier 8, sharp-shinned hawk 1, osprey 21, red-tailed hawk 1, clapper rail 1, Virginia rail 8 (1 photographed),
killdeer 2, greater yellowlegs 12, dunlin 115 (on the jetty at McCready’s Creek, a high tide roost), laughing gull 45, Bonaparte’s gull 40, ring-billed gull 565 (545 plus the Bonies & laughers all in a disked field on the S side of Lewis Wharf Road), great black-backed gull 1, herring gull 4, Caspian tern 1 (seen twice), Forster’s tern 46, mourning dove 7, belted kingfisher 2, downy woodpecker 5, red-bellied woodpecker 2,
northern flicker 6, pileated woodpecker 2, blue jay 3, American crow 8, blue-gray gnatcatcher 1, horned lark 2, tree swallow 65, Carolina chickadee 6, tufted titmouse 1, brown-headed nuthatch 8, Carolina wren 4, marsh wren 3 (singing), ruby-crowned kinglet 3 (some song), eastern bluebird 10, American robin 24, hermit thrush 2, brown thrasher 4 (singing), northern mockingbird 6, European starling 15,
myrtle warbler 25, pine warbler 14 (some photographed), common yellowthroat 3 (singers), eastern towhee 4, chipping sparrow 15, Savannah sparrow 2, slate-colored junco 1, swamp sparrow 28 (some song), song sparrow 2, white-throated sparrow 8, northern cardinal 11, red-winged blackbird 195, eastern meadowlark 4, common grackle 225, boat-tailed grackle 4, brown-headed cowbird 65, American goldfinch 3.
Considering the early spring we are surprised not to have seen seaside sparrow, willet, or ovenbird. Several small groups of people fishing from the shorelines.
Back at RIGBY’S FOLLY, George & I go out to Lucy Point, 5:45-7:30, excellent visibility enabling good counts with the 32X scope. 35 species including:
northern gannet 53 (whole lotta of plunge-divin’ goin’ on), surf scoter 1,460, black scoter 25, common loon 16, red-throated loon 2, horned grebe 23, Bonaparte’s gull 12, laughing gull 10, herring gull 4, ring-billed gull 1, great-black-backed gull 1, osprey 7, bald eagle 2, double-crested cormorant 24, great blue heron 9, bufflehead 90, Forster’s tern 8, wood duck 3, ruddy duck 90, purple martin 1, common goldeneye 1.
APRIL 5, SUNDAY. 51-70, fair, winds SW 5-10, visibility good. Cabbage white 1, snout 1. George and I hear the screech-owl call at 1:54 P.M. in broad daylight. Raging hormones? Across Irish Creek at the place called Loblolly spot a bald eagle nest practically in their yard, with an adult going through the motions of what looks like tending youngsters.
In the cove see 5 horned grebes in the space of a few minutes with captured small fishes. 2 eastern cottontails, 5 gray squirrels. At 7:14 P.M. an osprey catches a nice white perch out from the end of the dock, diving from c. 75’ up, flies around with it, calling, for minutes on end; enough with your miles gloriosus act already. Big winter jellyfish seen from the end of the dock. George leaves late in the day.
57 species: complete list: Canada goose 13, wood duck 6, mallard 3, surf scoter 500, black scoter 7, unIDd scoter 300, bufflehead 42, common goldeneye 1, hooded merganser 4, red-breasted merganser 8, ruddy duck 45, red-throated loon 1, common loon 15 (10 in migration), horned grebe 16, northern gannet 32, double-crested cormorant 6, great blue heron 4,
black vulture 6, turkey vulture14, bald eagle 8, osprey 12, Cooper’s hawk 1, red-tailed hawk 2, greater yellowlegs 2 (Field 4), laughing gull 4, Bonaparte’s gull 13, ring-billed gull 4, herring gull 2, great black-backed gull 1, Forster’s tern 8, mourning dove 2, eastern screech-owl 1, downy woodpecker 2,
northern flicker 3, eastern phoebe 1, blue jay 3, American crow 4, fish crow 9, purple martin 4, tree swallow 2, Carolina chickadee 1, tufted titmouse 1, Carolina wren 3, ruby-crowned kinglet 1, eastern bluebird 4,
northern mockingbird 2, brown thrasher 1, European starling 3, myrtle warbler 2, pine warbler 2, chipping sparrow 1, white-throated sparrow 18, northern cardinal 4, red-winged blackbird 140, common grackle 165, brown-headed cowbird (the sputtering pyrofax bird) 16, house finch 1, American goldfinch 1.
TOM LEHRER, c. 1963: “pollution, pollution, wear a gas mask and a veil. Then you can breather long as you don’t inhale … step outside for a breath of air, and you’ll be ready for Medicare.”
Best wishes, stay healthy. - Harry Armistead, of Philadelphia, and will be in Philadelphia again, eventually, the Good Lord willing.