107th Dorchester May bird count, May 1, 2021.

[Harry Armistead]

107th DORCHESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND, May bird count, MAY 1, 2021.  10 observers in 8 sectors.  149 species.

ABBREVIATIONS:  BNWR, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.  EIR, Elliott Island Road.  HI, Hooper’s Island.  ph, photographed.

HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF ALL THIS, if that is even possible.  For example … take wood duck 29 (6, 2-7).  That means the grand total is 29, they were found in 6 sectors whose numbers ranged from 2 to 7.  If there is only 1 number for a species, that means it was found in just one sector.  For those found by 3 sectors by subtracting the low count from the high count, that’ll get you the total found by the 3rd party.  Totals of interest are in bold face & underscored, a feature here used sparingly, since few are remarkable.  The eagle total, of interest always, but is actually rather low.  

WATERFOWL: Canada goose 251 (8, 7-96).  wood duck 29 (6, 2-7).  blue-winged teal 8 (EIR).  mallard 80 (7, 3-37).  American black duck 34 (3, 4-27).  green-winged teal 8 (EIR).  surf scoter 6 (HI).  bufflehead 1 (HI).  ruddy duck 90 (2, 45-45).  

NORTHERN BOBWHITE 0.  wild turkey 2 (2, 1-1).  rock pigeon 2 (2, 1-1).  mourning dove 76 (7, 4-18).  yellow-billed cuckoo 2 (1-1).  chuck-will’s-widow 7 (Neck District).  chimney swift 10 (2, 5-5).  ruby-throated hummingbird 10 (5, 1-4).

RALLIDS: clapper rail 16 (3, 4-6).  king rail 4 (2, 1-3).  Virginia rail 9 (3, 1-5).  common gallinule 1 (EIR).  American coot 1 (EIR).

SHOREBIRDS: black-necked stilt 5 (EIR).  American oystercatcher 6 (HI).  killdeer 7 (5, 1-2).  semipalmated plover 5 (2, 1-4).  ruddy turnstone 12 (HI).  sanderling 8 (HI).  dunlin 423 (4 (3-250).  least sandpiper 203 (2, 63-140).  semipalmated sandpiper 4 (EIR).  short-billed dowitcher 1 (EIR).  Wilson’s snipe 1 (BNWR).  spotted sandpiper 3 (2, 1-2).  solitary sandpiper 1 (ph, MB).  lesser yellowlegs 142 (5, 1-55).  willet 21 (2, 5-16).  greater yellowlegs 53 (6, 1-16).  

LARIDS: laughing gull 1,456 (8, 2-747).  ring-billed gull 18 (3, 4-9).  herring gull 66 (4, 1-61).  great black-backed gull 4 (HI).  Caspian tern 7 (EIR).  Forster’s tern 66 (7, 1-32).

the PRIMITIVES:  common loon 8 (2, 1-7).  double-crested cormorant 253 (6, 1-162).  brown pelican 6 (HI).  American bittern 1 (EIR).  least bittern 1 (EIR).  great blue heron 67 (7, 1-18).  great egret 35 (3, 6-23).  snowy egret 13 (3, 1-9).  green heron 6 (3, 1-3).  glossy ibis 4 (2, 1-3).  

RAPTORS: black vulture 29 (6, 2-8).  turkey vulture 192 (8, 7-60).  osprey 74 (8, 3-22).  northern harrier 6 (2, 1-5).  sharp-shinned hawk 3 (2, 1-2).  Cooper’s hawk 3 (2, 1-2).  sharp-shinned or Cooper’s hawk 1.  bald eagle 107 (8, 5-37).  red-shouldered hawk 4 (2, 1-3).  red-tailed hawk 9 (6, 1-2).  American kestrel 2 (2, 1-1).  peregrine falcon 1 ( NE county; recognizable ph).

OWLS:  eastern screech-owl 6 (2, 1-5).  great horned owl 3 (2, 1-2).  barred owl 5 (3, 1-2).  

belted kingfisher 1 (HI).  red-headed woodpecker 13 (3, 2-6).  red-bellied woodpecker 25 (8, 1-6).  downy woodpecker 11 (6, 1-4).  hairy woodpecker 3 (2, 1-2).  northern flicker 5 (4, 1-2).  pileated woodpecker 4 (3, 1-2).  

great crested flycatcher 59 (8, 2-19).  eastern kingbird 17 (8, 1-6).  eastern wood-pewee 4.  eastern phoebe 2 (2, 1-1).  white-eyed vireo 37 (5, 2-20).  red-eyed vireo 41 (7, 1-15).  blue jay 45 (6, 2-11).  American crow 116 (8, 2-35).  fish crow 25 (6, 1-8).  crow unIDd 21 (3, 3-12).  horned lark 13 (2, 1-12),  

bank swallow 8 (N. county, east).  tree swallow 207 (4-51).  northern rough-winged swallow 1 (N. county, west).  purple martin 94 (6, 2-30).  barn swallow 264 (8, 4-59).  

LI’L SPRITES: Carolina chickadee 61 (8, 1-16).  tufted titmouse 63 (8, 1-22).  red-breasted nuthatch 1 (Neck District).  brown-headed nuthatch 29 (6, 1-12).  house wren 28 (7, 1-8).  marsh wren 12 (EIR).  Carolina wren 112 (7, 9-37).  blue-gray gnatcatcher 41 (6, 3-23).  ruby-crowned kinglet 2 (Neck District).

THRUSH TYPES:  eastern bluebird 49 (7, 1-11).  wood thrush 9 (5, 1-4).  American robin 163 (7, 3-94).  gray catbird 22 (7, 1-7).  brown thrasher 17 (6, 1-5).  northern mockingbird 49 (7, 1-13).  

European starling 419 (8, 4-140).  house sparrow 44 (6, 1-17).  house finch 19 (6, 1-4).  pine siskin 4 (possibly 1st ever for the count; MB; north county NE part; ph at nyger seed feeder, Wesley Church Road).  American goldfinch 49 (7, 2-28).  

SPARROWS:  grasshopper sparrow 6 (2, 1-5; 1 ph by MB).  chipping sparrow 160 (8, 1-54).  field sparrow 6 (2, 2-4).  white-throated sparrow 71 (7, 1-23).  seaside sparrow 21 (2, 5-16).  saltmarsh sparrow 1 (EIR).  Savannah sparrow 9 (2, 1-8).  song sparrow 10 (4, 1-4).  swamp sparrow 2 (2, 1-1).  eastern towhee 23 (5, 1-11).  

yellow-breasted chat 5 (2, 1-4).  eastern meadowlark 7 (4, 1-3).  orchard oriole 10 (4, 1-4).  red-winged blackbird 707 (8, 18-225).  brown-headed cowbird 89 (7, 1-38).  common grackle 488 (8, 11-156).  boat-tailed grackle 6 (3, 1-3).  

WARBLERS: ovenbird 46 (3-33).  worm-eating warbler 24 (4, 1-18).  Louisiana waterthrush 3 (north county, NE).  blue-winged warbler 1.  black-and-white warbler 11 (3, 3-8).  prothonotary warbler 5 (4, 1-2).  common yellowthroat 93 (8, 4-35).  American redstart 2 (2, 1-1).  Cape May warbler 1.  northern parula 9 (5, 1-3).  yellow warbler 3 (2, 1-2).  palm warbler 1 (Neck District).  pine warbler 54 (7, 1-16).  myrtle warbler 19 (5, 1-6).  yellow-throated warbler 7 (3, 1-5).  prairie warbler 8 (3, 1-6).  Canada warbler 1 (Neck District).  

the PRETTY ONES: summer tanager 24 (6, 1-13).  scarlet tanager 2 (2, 1-1).  northern cardinal 92 (7, 3-38).  blue grosbeak 21 (5, 1-8).  indigo bunting 13 (5, 1-4). 

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:  greater Hooper’s I. area: Jeff Effinger.  Neck District: George Radcliffe.  Route 336 down to Crocheron: Anna Urciolo.  county north of Route 50 from Hurlock west: Suzette Stitely.  county north of Route 50 east of Hurlock; Marcia Balestri.  greater central Blackwater N.W.R. and incl. Egypt and Maple Dam Rd. down to Shorter’s Wharf: Terry Allen.  greater Elliott I. Rd. incl. Drawbridge, Lewis Wharf, Kraft Neck, and a few other adjacent roads: Joanne Howl (EIR, late afternoon), Bettye Maki (8:30-10 Drawbridge & 10-5 with Harry) & Harry Armistead (5:45 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.).  restricted areas of Blackwater N.W.R. (Kuehnle Tract, Greenbriar Swamp, Tubman Road Trail, Goose Dam, Hog Range): Matt Whitbeck.

UN-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.  Adverse winds and temperatures and the early date combined to make this a challenging day, but with the good coverage - 8 areas is excellent - we did O.K. with 149 species.  My impression is that the trees are out early, the birds somewhat late.  It is strange to miss least tern, royal tern, and cedar waxwing.  It was very gratifying to receive all the sectors’ lists in less than 48 hours after the fact - even if they were in 8 different modalities.  A big thanks to the participants.  Future commentary, some of it, regarding the May 8 count will have some relevancy for May 1 also.     

11 SPECIES W/ HIGHEST NOS. REPORTED: and the lucky winners are: laughing gull 1,456.  red-winged blackbird 707.  common grackle 488.  dunlin 423.  European starling 419.  barn swallow 264.  double-crested cormorant 253.  Canada goose 251.  tree swallow 207.  least sandpiper 203.  turkey vulture 192.  You wouldn’t know it for here, but sometimes NO laughing gulls breed in Maryland, and they are in precipitous decline as a breeder in Virginia.    

SPECIES FOUND IN 7 OR 8* SECTORS: a surprising 31, or just > 1 of every 5 species: Canada goose*, mallard, mourning dove, laughing gull*, great blue heron, turkey vulture*, osprey*, bald eagle*, red-bellied woodpecker*, great crested flycatcher*, eastern kingbird*, American crow*, barn swallow*, Carolina chickadee*, tufted titmouse*, house wren, Carolina wren, eastern bluebird, American robin, gray catbird, northern mockingbird, European starling*, American goldfinch, chipping sparrow*, white-throated sparrow, red-winged blackbird*, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle*, common yellowthroat*, pine warbler, northern cardinal.   

EFFORT: miles by car 446, miles by foot 30.  hours by car 42, hours on foot 37.  miles owling 26, hours owling 4.5.  10 observers in 8 sectors, 7 of the sectors covered by one individual.  3:10 A.M. - 8.30 P.M.

WEATHER.  too windy, too cold.  46 - 68 - 53 degrees F.  winds NW 20-30, NW 15, becoming late in the day SW 15 - 10, then, finally, calm.  clear.  tides low - high - low, the low tide most of the day the lowest I’ve ever seen it.  early in the day I had 4 layers on, and need them.

GROUP REPRESENTATION:  waterfowl 9 species.  shorebirds 16.  owls 3.  heron types 7.  woodpeckers 6.  flycatchers 4.  swallows 5.  raptors 11 (good).  sparrows 10.  warblers 17 (considering the weather and the early date … real good.  larids 6(poor).

NON-AVIAN TAXA (reported by 4 sectors).  Thanks to Matt for the odonata.  MAMMALS: red fox 6, sika deer 13 white-tailed deer 6, gray squirrel 6, fox squirrel 2, raccoon 2, bat unIDd 1, muskrat 1, bottle-nosed dolphin 2 (possibly 3, Hooper’s I.)    

BUTTERFLIES:  monarch 2, cabbage white 4, alfalfa 3 (are these last 2 the same sp.?), American lady 2, tiger swallowtail 1, pearl crescent #?, red-banded hairstreak #?, eastern tailed blue #?, variegated fritillary #?.

HERPS: painted turtle 7, black rat snake 1, souther leopard frog #?, Fowler’s toad #?.  snapping turtle 1.  red-bellied slider 8.  northern watersnake 1.  

ODONATA: fragile forktail, Rambur’s forktail, painted skimmer, blue corporal.  I saw a dozen or more dragonflies along both Kraft Neck and Lewis Wharf roads - bright amber-colored ones. ?

MISTAKES?  please let me know if you see any.  Thanks. 

Best to all. Harry Armistead.