Ferry Neck, Blackwater N.W.R. & environs, March 25-28, 2022.
Harry Armistead
FERRY NECK, BLACKWATER N.W.R. & environs, MARCH 25 - 28, 2022. Cold March winds dominate.
MARCH 25, FRIDAY. ROUTE 481 c. 1/3 mile north of its juncture with Route 309, a partially worked field with 1,000+ ring-billed gulls and 125 Bonaparte’s gulls, the most bonies I’ve ever seen in a field. On March 28 there are NO gulls in this field. Both guesstimates may be somewhat low. 2 American kestrels seen along 481.
RIGBY’S FOLLY, arrive at 3:45, SW 10-15, mostly overcast with some sunny breaks, occasional light sprinkles, since March 21 0.5” in the rain gauge, place is now even more of a swamp than it was last visit, some current in the ditches (but no marmalade, jelly, or preserves).
A sloppy, muddy drive to Lucy Point over Field 1. No gannets yet in spite of an extended look. In other years I’ve seen them as early as March 5. A lot of this probably depends on the availability of fish prey, to a lesser extent the weather. deer: 6 does in Field 2, 1 in Field 4. 3 gray squirrels. At Bellevue 36 ring-billed gulls at rest far out on the Tred Avon.
First wood ducks of the year, a pair in the wet area on the south side of Field 4. Four Canada geese lurking next to our osprey platform, probably will displace the ospreys soon. ? A pair of bald eagles at Frog Hollow, where they are often seen. 8 buffleheads in the cove, plus an incongruous turkey vulture there resting on top of a wood duck box. A spotted turtle in the vernal pool of Woods 4. Mary, Lucas, and David arrive.
MARCH 26, SATURDAY. overcast becoming fair, NW 20-25, 50 - 51 - 41 after the cold front comes through c. 4:30 P.M., bringing a little rain, with scary winds up to c. 40 m.p.h. and abundant virga. Out on Choptank River a mass of seething whitecaps There are so many petals on the driveway fallen from the crab apples it looks as if there has been a small snowfall.
At Bellevue a horned grebe coming into breeding plumage somewhat plus 5 buffleheads, a fish crow, and a common loon. Back on the place 2 bald eagles, and in Field 6 120 red-winged blackbirds, 95% females and a few cowbirds. In Field 4 seventy starlings and a few red-winged blackbirds. 3 gray squirrels.
In the afternoon cruise very slowly down to Benoni Point, Anderby Hall Road, and Deep Neck, but with very little to show for this. I look for bald eagle nests with no luck.
MARCH 27, SUNDAY. Mary and her boys leave early. BLACKWATER N.W.R., fair becoming overcast, 37-44, NW 20-25, 7-1:30 (birdwalk 8 - 12:15), fresh waters very high, tidal waters somewhat low, cold, windy. 45 species, a few seen before or after the official birdwalk, and/or along Egypt Road or in Cambridge. Liz hears a New Jersey chorus frog.
7 participants: Peter Smithson, Julie Schoch, Anne Canon, Kate Murphy & Arnold Simon, Harry & Liz Armistead.
wild turkey 1, osprey 10, greater yellowlegs 30, lesser yellowlegs 1, dunlin 8, killdeer 1, pied-billed grebe 1 (Pool 1), great blue heron 10, great egret 10, American black duck 4, mallard 8, northern shoveler (Pool 2), American white pelican 100, bufflehead 2 (with the shovelers), green-winged teal 12, turkey vulture 20, red-tailed hawk 1, northern harrier 1,
bald eagle 12 (1 carrying nesting material), Canada goose 12, snow goose 2 (1 white adult cowering under shoreline bushes, obviously sick; 1 adult apparent blue-snow intergrade, photographed by Peter), ring-billed gull 20, Forster’s tern 4, mourning dove 8, northern flicker 2, downy woodpecker 1, red-bellied woodpecker 1,
brown-headed nuthatch 3, Carolina wren 2, northern mockingbird 2, American robin 8, eastern bluebird 6, European starling 80, myrtle warbler 2, pine warbler 1, red-winged blackbird 1,000, common grackle 80, song sparrow 2, blue jay 1, fish crow 1, American crow 6, tree swallow 30, horned lark 1 (Egypt Road), house sparrow 6, eastern meadowlark 1.
WHITE PELICAN EXTRAVAGANZA; A highpoint is seeing, simultaneously, 4 kettles soaring majestically overhead with another small batch at rest on the water on the south side of the Blackwater River. There may very well have been more than 100. I think the record number here on the refuge was 145. In the Stewart & Robbins book on birds of MD & DC (1958) there are only 3 records ever for white pelicans. There are also only 3 records in Murray’s book (1952) summarizing Virginia bird records. The breeding range of this species has recently expanded east to include Wisconsin, and, I think also Michigan.
Back at RIGBY’S Folly a dusk drive revealed deer: 14 in Field 6, 1 in Field 4 in company with a red fox, 1 in Woods 2, 10 at Ferry Neck Rd. X Bellevue Road, 5 at John Swaine’s, and 4 at the big Plaindealing Farm field plus a bald eagle at Bellevue.
MARCH 28, MONDAY. Cold 33 degrees F. with some ice in the wet area of the south side of Field 1 and in the ditches. fair, NW 15. An adult bald eagle over Lucy Point. Leave at 10:15 for Pennsylvania. An American kestrel along ROUTE 481.
Best to all. - Harry Armistead, Bellevue & Philadelphia.