QAS Blackwater NWR weekend - Part 2

After a breakfast Saturday, March 25 at the Comfort Inn, we began our day at 8:10am..making our way to the Cambridge Lighthouse parking area (see view of Choptank River & Rt 50 Bridge)

Looking out over the Choptank River from the parking area

As we scanned the area, we observed Horned Grebe, Lesser and greater Scaup, and Surf Scoter. We had some of the best views of the Surf Scoter's that most everyone in the group had ever had in the calm waters.

Surf Scoter

Looking toward the RT 50 Bridge from the parking area

Our next stop was again along the Choptank River at Great Marsh Park..where we again observed rafts of Lesser/Greater Scaup, many Canvasbacks and American Wigeon - when we left the Choptank River area about 10:30am - our trip species count was hovering in the mid-60's. Our next destination was the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

We arrived at the Blackwater NWR visitors center shortly before 11:30am (we stopped for snacks and drinks on the way down). After touring the visitors center and surrounding area for about 1 hour, we began the drive around the wildlife loop road.

Entrance to Visitors Center

Display in Visitors Center

 Upon entering the wildlife loop, we proceeded no more than 1/2 mile to the first pond, to make our first stop. At this stop, there is a fresh water pond, as opposed to most of the of the water in the area being brackish. Because of the fresh water, there where over 20 species of waterfowl on this one pond alone including: Green winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, Bufflehaed, Gadwall, Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler, and Pied Billed Grebe to name a few we observed. Our species trip list was now over 70 (link to wildlife drive brochure is shown below).

Blackwater WildlifeDrive brochure

As we where moving thru the pine tree wooded area of the drive, we heard Pine Warblers calling..stopping the car we got out and began searching for them. After about 15 minutes of hearing and not seeing (siniliar to what happened with the Brown Headed Nuthatches yesterday), we finally did get some very good looks a several Pine warblers -another target species off the list and life bird for four members of the group. Coincidentally, these where the first Pine Warblers I have seen in about 3 years...so it was a treat to see several of them at once and to hear many others signing in the background as we walked the trails.

Pine Warbler - stock photo

As we proceeded around the wildlife loop, we came upon a group from the Cecil County Bird Club (whom we had also met at our first stop - the freshwater pond)....who pointed out another of our target species for the trip - the White Pelicans. Unfortunately, the they where very, very far away and in a resting (head tucked) position. Given the we had time, and this was a life bird for several members in the group, we decided to stay and wait for a better look. We began observing some other species in the immediate area, and after a few minutes one of the Pelicans, did lift it's head giving everyone in the group a distant but much better look (see photo's below). The White Pelican was also a life bird for 4 members of the group.

White Pelican's

White Pelican's

Along the wildlife drive

After watching the White Pelicans, we continued along the tour road to it's completion. We then returned to the visitors center to make a few purchases in the gift shop. It was now almost 2:30pm, and we decided to make a short stop at one of the observation platforms we had misse , before starting for home.

From Observation platform - last stop of day.

At 3:30pm, we left the Blackwater refuge area and started for home, arriving back in Cornwall at 8:05 pm. Our species count for the trip that I have was 76 species. with many life bird and first of year birds for many in the group.

Until Next time - Good Birding

QAS Blackwater NWR weekend - Part 1

On March 24 & 25, a group from the Quittapahilla Audubon society made a seasonal trip to the Blackwater National Wildlife Area in Cambridge. Md. - this is a summary of that trip.

Blackwater NWF  

On Friday, March 24, all 8 members attending the trip, met in Cornwall - set up the car pooling and driving directions and left for our first stop - the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) in Grasonville, Maryland.We decided to stay off the Interstate roadway system for the trip down, and to instead take a more scenic route thru the country in hope of observing more bird species (and less traffic) on the way down to our first stop in Grasonsville.

Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center link 

 Location:

600 Discovery Lane
Grasonville, MD 21638
PH 410-827-6694

Traffic, as it turned out, was rather light, and we arrived at the CBEC around 11:15am, to somewhat overcast skies, but with the temps rising to the upper 60's - it was going to be a rather nice day. Our first destination was the visitors center, where we met with some very friendly employee's and volunteers - who reviewed with us what was being seen recently and where we may be able to observe a nesting Great Horned Owl and  a Cackling Goose on the grounds.

As started walking the blue trail from the parking lot, our species count was at 14...adding a FOY (first of year) Eastern Phoebe to the list and several other common species including Carolina Chickadee & Turkey Vulture. 

Our target species for this area was the Brown Headed Nuthatch. And as we walked along the beginning wooded section of the blue trail, we could hear many of Brown Headed Nuthatches calling...but could not any see them. After some frustrating minutes trying to observe them, in the very tops of the pines and not having very much luck (other than a few quick glances) - we decided to move along to another area along the trail and to an observation platform overlooking the Hog Bay area. The observation platform gave us just enough height, to see the nuthatches, and as luck would have it, several flew into the pines almost directly in front of us, giving everyone good looks at in the now almost prefect sunlight that was beginning to peek thru the clouds - for five members of the group the Brown Headed Nuthatch was a life bird!! Target species #1 was in the books.

View looking to Kent Narrows  - there are thousands of waterfowl sitting on the water

Brown Headed nuthatch - stock photo

View from Platform - there are rafts of waterfowl on the pond.

As we began scanning the water from the platform overlooking Hog Bay (see map), we where observed several hundred Canvasbacks, many Lesser & Greater Scaups, Red Throated Mergansers, Buffleheads and several thousand of Ruddy Ducks. - our trip total now was at 28 species. I can say that for everyone in the group we have never seen so many Ruddy Ducks concentrated in one area - there were just rafts and rafts of them as far as we could see along the entire length of the Hog Bay- a truly amazing site. After departing from the platform, we continue along the trail to the area where we had been informed you could observe the nesting Great Horned Owl, and sure enough the after taking a few minutes to locate the nest - we did in fact see the Great Horned Owl, sitting on the nest...a nice unexpected addition to the trip species listing.

Great Horned Owl - stock photo

 After several minutes and picture taking at the owl nest, we continued or trek along the loop trail. As we walked, was began to see movement on the Bayberry bushes along the trail  - and that could only mean one thing - Yellow Rumped warblers at this time of the year - and sure enough we observed several moving in and out of the Bayberry bushes feeding on the seeds. Another FOY bird for many in the group.

Yellow Rumped Warbler - Id chart

We continued along the trail observing several more species including: Song Sparrows, Cardinals, Tree Swallows, Osprey, and another FOY species - a  Brown Thrasher. We did additionally, see the Cackling Goose mixed in with the Canada Geese..another life bird for 4 members of the group.

Cackling Goose at left behind Canada Geese

We ended our walk near the visitors center with a total of 37 species - and hitting our target species and the Great Horned Owl and the Cackling Goose as a surprise added bonus.After a quick snack, we returned to our vehicles to continue our journey to Cambridge and Blackwater NWR - the time was 3pm we had spent 3 hours completing the blue loop trail.

We decided to have dinner when we arrived in Cambridge and then drive to the Blackwater NWR Maple Dam Road area, in hopes of seeing the Short Eared Owls that had been recently reported in the area.
We arrived at the Maple Dam Road area around 6:30 pm and for the next 1-1/2 hours looked for the Owls, but had no luck..I think maybe the recent controlled burn (see photo below) in the area may have caused them to move to a different  area. A bonus was the observation of the Gary Ghost - a male Northern Harrier - that was in the area giving us several good views the entire time we waited for the owls.

At 8:15pm, we checked into the hotel, at 8:45pm we met in the hotel lobby and reviewed our checklists for the day and at 10:00pm, almost everyone was retired for the evening after a long day of birding.

 We ended the day with a total of 63 species.

Controlled burn area. near Short Eared Owl site

Jim & Fritz watching for the Owls as the sun set

Part 2 of this post - will be on the Blackwater NWR portion of the trip. 

Until Next time - Good Birding.

 

Snow Brings New Yard Birds to Feeders

With the recent snow (over 14 inches in my back yard) our weekend trip to Middle Creek wildlife Area was cancelled, as the tour road was closed - so I decided to spent some time watching my feeders.

Yard Feeder Area

At first the usually suspects showed up: Junco's, Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees and Red Bellied woodpeckers.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

After about 20 minutes, I noticed a different sparrow species other than the Song Sparrows I have been seeing, but it remained hidden under the pine trees (see photo of feeder area above)showing itself only briefly. Determined to see what species this was, I set up my scope and waited...after a few rounds of hide and go seek - I finally got a good look and was surprises to see a Fox Sparrow - a first for my yard..needless to say I was delighted. After watching the Fox Sparrow 'scratch' for food - it  confirmed the species.   

Fox Sparrow

What happened next, surprised me even more, I saw another sparrow species that was somewhat different from the Songs and Fox, it was much smaller and different colored...and after careful looks and checking my guide to confirm...it turned out to be a Lincoln's Sparrow - another yard first and rare bird for this time of year and area.

Add caption

I was quite excited, two (2) new yard and year birds in one day and one of the them a rare species....I had high hopes of seeing even more of the them..when the resident Cooper's Hawk decided to visit the feeder area looking for breakfast and everything scattered...that was after 1-1/2 hours and 20 species..not a bad day.

Until Next time

Rusty Blackbird at Middle Creek

 A Rusty Blackbird was reported at Middle Creek the last few days - it's another rather rare species for our area - so with forecast calling for heavy snow the next 2 days, I thought it was a good day to go birding and look for this species.

 

As I entered Middle Creek Wildlife Area, I noticed that most of the ponds had a thin layer of ice on them...limiting the waterfowl species that I would be seeing - which was ok, sincew I was looking for a land species that likes wetter habitat - the Rusty Blackbird.

A started at stop one - observing Coots, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, and Hooded Mergansers..plus a few other species...my count was at 16 when I left stop 1.

Hood mergansers

Hooded Merganser Pair

 

Lesser Scaup

After leaving stop 1 I drove around the tour road, adding Meadowlark, Bluebirds and Northern Harrier  plus a few other species..bringing my count to 28.

As it would turn out, 28 is where my count stopped..I did not see the Rusty Blackbird, or for that matter any Grackles either. A little disappointed I headed for home, after about 2 1/2 hours of looking to no avail and making another loop on the tour road.

On the home, I spotted a huge flock of 'blackbird species' foraging along the road in a wet area...one of few not frozen. I immediately stopped and began glassing the birds...spotting Red Winged Blackbird, Brown Headed Cowbird, Starling, Common Grackle. and finally a Rusty Blackbird...and then another...I kept scanning the large group....but a car drive past and they all scatters....but I did have my Rusty Blackbird for the year at a most unlikely spot...just goes to so you...always check the flocks...just don't drive past..it may pay off,  as it did for me (the photo below was taken at Middle Creek on March 11 by Zack Millen).

Rusty Blackbird at Middle Creek

Until next time - good birding.