Dorchester County May 6 count.

[Harry Armistead]

111th MAY BIRD COUNT, DORCHESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND, MAY 6, 2023.

157 species.  18 observers in 11 sectors + 2 yard lists.

WATERFOWL: tundra swan 1.  Canada goose 244 (11, 3-48; incl. 5 downy goslings at Elliott).  wood duck 31 (8, 2-8).  blue-winged teal 1.  gadwall 1 (Earps; Cambridge).  mallard 136 (8, 3-37).  American black duck 32 (5, 1-12).  green-winged teal 9 (3, 2-4).  hooded merganser 2 (2, 1-1).  ruddy duck 21 (2, 7-14).  duck unIDd 1.

northern bobwhite 6 (4, 1-2; still precariously hanging in there).  wild turkey 16 (5, 1-5).  rock pigeon 16 (5, 1-7).  mourning dove 171 (11, 4-28).  yellow-billed cuckoo 2.  chuck-will’s-widow 43 (5, 1-26).  chimney swift 11 (4, 2-3).  ruby-throated hummingbird 16 (6, 1-4).  

RALLIDS: king rail 5 (3, 1-2).  clapper rail 38 (5, 2-16).  Virginia rail 5 (3, 1-3; extremely low).  common gallinule 3 (EIR).  

SHOREBIRDS: black-necked stilt 5 (EIR).  black-bellied plover 2 (2, 1-1).  killdeer 23 (9, 1-6).  semipalmated plover 5 (3, 1-3; low).  ruddy turnstone 2 (JE; Tar Bay).  sanderling 2 (2, 1-1).  dunlin 565 (4, 22-367).  least sandpiper 159 (6, 2-96).  semipalmated sandpiper 13 (3, 1-10).  short-billed dowitcher 2.  Wilson’s snipe 1.  American woodcock 1 (JE).  spotted sandpiper 12 (4, 1-8).  solitary sandpiper 6 (3, 2-2).  lesser yellowlegs 26 (8, 1-9; low).  willet 17 (3, 2-8).  greater yellowlegs 44 (9, 1-11).  whimbrel 2.  stilt sandpiper 3 (BNWR).   

LARIDS: laughing gull 983 (11, 1-614).  ring-billed gull 57 (3, 3-42).  herring gull 105 (5, 2-97).  great black-backed gull 3 (HI).  least tern 14 (2, 2-12).  Forster’s tern 27 (4, 1-12).  royal tern 5 (JE; HI).  

the PRIMITIVES: common loon 4, (2, 2-2).  double-crested cormorant 219 (8, 1-136).  brown pelican 43 (2, 12-31).  

HERON TYPES: least bittern 1 (EIR).  great blue heron 72 (8, 3-20).  great egret 48 (7, 1-25).  snowy egret 18 (6, 1-7).  green heron 9 (6, 1-2)  glossy ibis 22 (3, 2-12).  

RAPTORS: black vulture 18 (7, 1-4).  turkey vulture 225 (11, 5-40).  osprey 117 (11, 2-31).  sharp-shinned hawk 1.  Cooper’s hawk 1.  bald eagle 88 (10, 2-22).  red-shouldered hawk 6 (5, 1-2).  red-tailed hawk 9 (4, 1-5).  American kestrel 5 (3, 1-2 + 2 from yard lists).  peregrine falcon 1.        

OWLS.  barn owl 1.  eastern screech-owl 9 (4, 1-6).  great horned owl 4 (4, 1-1).  barred owl 1.

belted kingfisher 2 (2, 1-1).  WOODPECKERS: red-headed woodpecker 37 (7, 1-11; seem to be on the increase, the beneficiary of the countless thousands of pines killed by saltwater intrusion).  red-bellied woodpecker 36 (9, 1-6).  downy woodpecker 30 (8, 1-7).  hairy woodpecker 3 (3, 1-1).  northern flicker 24 (9, 1-7).  pileated woodpecker 18 (7, 1-4).  woodpecker unIDd 1.  

FLYCATCHERS: great crested flycatcher 126 (9, 1-33).  eastern kingbird 69 (8, 1-15).  eastern wood-pewee 8 (5, 1-2).  Acadian flycatcher 2.  eastern phoebe 1.  

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 1 (PS; Asquith Road off of Route 336; an extreme rarity, anymore; photographed; at close range; good details; all black bill).  white-eyed vireo 49 (11, 1-14).  blue-headed vireo 1.  red-eyed vireo 53 (9, 1-10).  blue jay 58 (10, 2-15).  American crow 130 (11, 3, 28).  fish crow 16 (7, 1-4).  crow unIDd 28 (4, 5-9).  

LI’L SPRITES (sort of): Carolina chickadee 119 (10, 1-29).  tufted titmouse 108 (11, 3-27).  horned lark 10 (2, 2-8).  bank swallow 15.  tree swallow 167 (10, 2-48).  purple martin 180 (9, 2-40).  barn swallow 235 (10, 5-67).  ruby-crowned kinglet 2 (2, 1-1).  cedar waxwing 7.  red-breasted nuthatch 1.  white-breasted nuthatch 3 (2, 1-2).  brown-headed nuthatch 72 (10, 1-17).  blue-gray gnatcatcher 64 (9, 1-25).  Carolina wren 122 (10, 3-24).  house wren 56 (8, 1-29).  marsh wren 23 (3, 3-12).  

THRUSH TYPES + starling: gray catbird 93 (8, 1-34).  brown thrasher 29 (8, 1-7).  northern mockingbird 104 (10, 1-24).  European starling 365 (10, 2-98).  eastern bluebird 98 (11, 2-25).  wood thrush 14 (4, 2-6).  American robin 234 (10, 1-89).  

SPARROW TYPES + chat.  house sparrow 87 (8, 1-37).  house finch 33 (7, 2-8).  American goldfinch 74 (10, 1-22).  grasshopper sparrow 6 (3, 1-3).  chipping sparrow 148 (11, 5-47).  field sparrow 21 (5, 1-8).  white-throated sparrow 42 (6, 1-13).  seaside sparrow 37 (low; 4, 2-18).  Savannah sparrow 12 (4, 1-6).  song sparrow 15 (5, 1-8).  swamp sparrow 3.  eastern towhee 32 (7, 1-16).  yellow-breasted chat 12 (4, 1-9).

BLACKBIRDS: bobolink 10 (2, 1-9).  eastern meadowlark 27 (8, 1-9; for a grassland species we know to be in decline, this is a pretty good showing).  orchard oriole 35 (9, 1-7).  Baltimore oriole 14 (4, 1-10).  red-winged blackbird 917 (11, 6-275).  brown-headed cowbird 237 (10, 1-102).  common grackle 633 (10, 31-125).  boat-tailed grackle 2 (2, 1-1).  

WARBLERS: ovenbird 68 (8, 2-29).  worm-eating warbler 30 (6, 1-18).  blue-winged warbler 1.  black-and-white warbler 47 (7, 1-23).  prothonotary warbler 2 (2, 1-1).  common yellowthroat 198 (10, 1-43).  American redstart 3 (2, 1-2).  northern parula 31 (7, 1-9).  magnolia warbler 2 (2, 1-1).  yellow warbler 18 (7, 1-4).  chestnut-sided warbler 1.  black-throated blue warbler 4 (4, 1-1).  palm warbler 1.  pine warbler 131 (11, 2-34).  myrtle warbler 45 (7, 1-14).  yellow-throated warbler 6 (2, 1-5).  prairie warbler 15 (6, 1-5).  black-throated green warbler 2.

the PRETTIES: summer tanager 19 (7, 1-5).  scarlet tanager 5 (4, 1-2).  northern cardinal 203 (11, 7-38).  rose-breasted grosbeak 2.  blue grosbeak 57 (10, 1-15).  indigo bunting 37 (9, 1-8).       

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.  Route 336, extreme south county: Peter Smithson.  Blackwater N.W.R., Wildlife Drive & environs Terry Allen.

Blackwater refuge restricted areas, Hayes Farm, Greenbriar Tract, and Hog Range plus Shorter’s Wharf & Maple Dam Road, Matt Whitbeck.  Taylor’s Island: Jim Green.  Elliott I. Rd., incl. Griffith, Steele & Kraft Necks, Lewis Wharf & Drawbridge roads, Harry Armistead.  Northwest County, roads adjacent to Choptank River: Bettye Maki & Bobbie Wells.  Neck District: George & Jackie Radcliffe.  Hooper’s I. area: Jeff Effinger, Susan Henyon & Elizabeth Thomas.  central county, Route 16 and adjacent roads: Wes & Sue Earp. north county, north of Route 50, Hurlock, et al., Suzette Stitley.  Ron Ketter, Blackwater restricted areas - Tubman Road Trail, Lewis Tract, and Church Creek.  And also 2 yard lists from Debbie Robbins & Eddie Wozny. 

SYMBOLISM:  wood duck 25 (7, 2-8) means a grand total of 25 was seen in 7 sectors whose totals ranged from 2 to 8.  If there is no numerical parenthetical information that means the species was only found in just one sector.  The yard lists totals are not factored in to the above details.  Unusual or interesting totals/species are boldfaced and underscored.  87 bald eagles is not THAT unusual, but it is certainly interesting, n’est-ce pas?!  

ABBREVI little old ATIONS:  BNWR, Blackwater refuge; EIR, Elliott I. Rd.; HI, Hooper’s I.  Others reflect observers’ names, q.v., Dramatis Personae.

UN-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.  Essentially there was no flight of neotrops or passerines today, as is so often the case here.  Such flights are much more often encountered on the extreme northern Eastern Shore, or in the Piedmont or the mountains on the other side of the Bay.  For instance, no one reported any thrushes other than resident breeding Wood Thrushes.

There certainly seems to be an alarming decline of some marsh species.  Coverage with 11 sectors was a record and excellent.  All sectors had experienced, careful participants who reported their results soon after the fact and with neat reports.  One was not fully recovered from back surgery.  All skill levels are welcome with the exception of stringers, firsters, and other hot dogs.   

In the “Old Days” here almost every year there would be Black Rails, Sedge Wrens, Common Nighthawks, Henslow’s Sparrows, and some other “dependable” species reported.  This is also largely true of American Woodcock; one year I counted 32 timberdoodles.  The good news is that coverage has increased and that bluebirds and Bald Eagles have, too.  

Also in the Old Days, in most years, when there was but a single party covering most all of the southern part of the county, a 180-mile route, a total of 157 species was not unusual.  Another sign of the decline of our avifauna.  There IS a lot that is left.  Counts such as this are an important mechanism for documenting that.  

I’ve become rather lame, have poor balance and stamina, as well as hearing loss (even with good hearing aids (that cost > 3 times what my 1st car did).  As a result I do most of my birding from a car.  It is a quiet car and cruising at 2-3 m.p.h with all the windows down and the sun roof open is almost as good as walking outside of the car.  On May 6 in this manner I found 87 species, 5:50 A.M. - 7:20 P.M., driving 107 miles just in the greater Elliott Island Road sector.

As with every year, the 2nd May count sees an increase in late-arriving species such as Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, and their ilk.

Also, as every year, the counts are late enough in the spring so that wintering middle distance migrants are scarce or lacking, such as Myrtle Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, creeper, Savannah Sparrow, Common Loon, Hermit Thrush, and so on. 

A lot of this commentary applies equally to the May 13 count.  Therefore, that summary will be less verbose, shorter, characterized by an economy of expression, more terse, and with fewer diversions.  It will also be more concise.  Tightened up, as it were.

WEATHER.  fog, viz often < 100 yards until 9 A.M., 45-72 degrees F., 71 at 4:25, 72 at 3:30, 63 at finish, calm but SW breeze comes c. 10:50 but calm again and partly overcast at the end, clear or fair most of the day, low tide c. 9:34 A.M., surface of all waters absolutely calm and glassy most of the day  

EFFORT.  18 participants in 11 sectors.  3:55 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.  479 mi., 57 hrs. by car.  33 hrs. and 30 mi. by foot.  4 hrs. and 31 mi. owling.

10 SPECIES WITH HIGHEST NUMBERS.  laughing gull 983, red-winged blackbird 917, common grackle 633, dunlin 565, European starling 365, Canada goose 244, brown-headed cowbird 240, barn swallow 235, American robin 234, turkey vulture 225.

MISSED SPECIES (selected): tricolored heron, black-crowned night heron, northern harrier, brown backed thrushes other than Wood Thrush, saltmarsh sparrow, Kentucky warbler, and others of varying significance.

SPECIES (35) FOUND IN THE MOST SECTORS (9, 10 or 11 sectors; if 10, the 10 not indicated): Canada goose 11, mourning dove 11, turkey vulture 11, osprey 11, laughing gull 11, bald eagle, northern flicker 9, great crested flycatcher 9, white-eyed vireo 11, red-eyed vireo 9, blue jay, American crow 11, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, tree swallow, barn swallow 9, purple martin 9, brown-headed nuthatch, blue-gray gnatcatcher 9, Carolina wren, northern mockingbird, European starling, eastern bluebird 11, American robin, American goldfinch, chipping sparrow 11, orchard oriole 9, red-winged blackbird 11, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, common yellowthroat, pine warbler 11, northern cardinal 11, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting 9.  12 species found in all 11 sectors. 

FAMILY SPECIES TOTALS:  waterfowl 9, rallids 4, shorebirds 18 (good), heron types 6, larids 7, owls 4, swallows 4, woodpeckers the expected 6, raptors 10 (good), sparrow types 9, warblers 18, flycatchers the expected 5.

NON-AVIAN TAXA reported by a few sectors, not always reporting numbers: MAMMALS: sika deer (elk) 11, eastern cottontailed bunny wabbit 3, red fox 3, muskrat 1, white-tailed deer 2, fox squirrel 1, gray squirrel 2.  TURTLES: painted turtle 12, red-bellied turtle 8, 43 diamondback terrapin at the McCready’s Creek marina.  FROGGIES: green frog, bullfrog 3, southern leopard frog, cricket frog 3, New Jersey chorus frog, spring peeper, Cope’s gray tree frog.  BUTTERFLIES: mourning cloak 1, tiger swallowtail 1, questionmark 1, monarch 4. black swallowtail 3.  FISH, a batch of carp, esp. in a gut emptying into Savanna Lake.  FLOWERS, nice to see the blue and yellow “flags” holding forth at several places.  The evening flight of Gila monsters never materialized.  

MISTAKES:  Please let me know of any, even if they are as inconsequential as punctuation and spacing.

THANKS:  Many, many thanks to the participants.

FALL COUNT:  The 27th county fall count will be Saturday, September 16, on which day I will, the good Lord willing, turn 83.  I’m rather lame with significant hearing loss and poor stamina, so I will need your good help once more.  

Henry (“Harry”) T. Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia.