MARYLAND BIRDLIFE ISSN 0147 9725 S u [Ut in of tfiE cWa.iLjta.nd. GxnitfioioqicaC Society , On DECEMBER 1984 VOLUME 40 NUMBER 4 MARYLAND ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. Cylburn Mansion, 4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, Maryland 21209 STATE OFFICERS FOR MAY 1984 TO JUNE 1985 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL President: Martha Chestem, 10850 Faulkner Rdg Cr, Columbia MD 21044 739-1527 Vice President: CDR Anthony White, 5872 Marbury Road, Bethesda MD 20817 229-1641 Treasurer: Richard Cleveland, 19108 N. Pike Cr. PI, Gaithersburg MD 926-7109 Secretary: Helen Ford, 408 Beach Drive, Annapolis MD 21403 267-8417 Executive Secy: Mary Love, 10735 Cordage Walk, Columbia, MD 21044 596-3148 Past President: John Cullom. 437 Paradise Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21228 747-5870 STATE DIRECTORS Allegany •Mark Weatherholt Robert Hiegel Howard •David Pardoe Jane H. Farrell Roy Trudel Anne Arundel •Dorothy Mumford Emily Joyce Paul Zucker Baltimore Sue VanVelsir •Robert F. Ringler Jug Bay •John Gregoire Richard Dolesh John Cullom John Eckard Edwin Gosnell Kent •Stephen A. Hitchner Margaret Duncan Benjamin Kaestner Mac Donough Plant Steve Simon Jean Worthley Montgomery •Paul O’Brien Margaret Donnald Philip A. DuMont Lola Oberman Caroline •Steve Westre Mariana Nuttle Patuxent •William L. Murphy Chandler S. Robbins Carroll Frederick •Robert Rasa William D. Ellis •Michael Welch Talbot •Terry Allen Jeff Effinger Robert Trever David H. Wallace Washington •Cameron Lewis Norma Lewis Harford •Kermit Updegrove Joyce Sherman Alberta Thurmond Sarah Standiford Wicomico •Maureen McAllister Lee Meinersmann •Denotes Chapter President Active Membership (adults) Student Membership (full-time students) Junior Membership (under 18 years) Family Membership (Mr. & Mrs.) Sustaining Membership Life Membership Member-at-Large $5.00 plus local chapter dues 2.00 plus local chapter dues 1.00 plus local chapter dues 6.00 plus local chapter dues 10.00 plus local chapter dues 200.00 (4 annual installments) 5.00 Cover: Purple Sandpiper at Hart-Miller Impoundment. Baltimore Co., Md. Apr. 1. 1984. Photo by Robert F. Rinpler MARYLAND BIRDLIFE I-;. mull VOLUME 40 DECEMBER 1984 NUMBER4 MARYLAND/DC ATLAS PROJECT MAKES GREAT HEADWAY ElRIK A. T. Blow At the end of the second year of field work the Maryland/DC Breeding Bird Atlas Project had accumulated approximately 60,000 records toward our goal of 90,000. This represents an average of 48 species for every one of the 1250 blocks in the State. This required an enormous cooperative effort, and everyone is to be congratulated on helping the project get off to such an auspicious start. The data, which were collected by more than 600 volunteers under the direction of local coordinators, are being stored on computers by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources under the direction of Gary Taylor and Glenn Therres. Coverage throughout the State has been well distributed. However, in a few remote areas without Maryland Ornithological Society or local Audubon chapters we shall need some blockbusting trips and a concerted effort from atlasers who are KEY : ■ Confirmed ♦ Probable * Possible Figure 1. Atlasers have found Prothonotary Warblers ( Protonotaria citrea ) in every county except Garrett. The main concentration areas are along the Potomac River, the tidal Patuxent, Tuckahoe Creek, the upper Choptank, and the Pocomoke River and its tributaries. 92 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 willing to travel. We also find that most areas are not yet achieving representa- tive coverage for nocturnal species; so we are going to make a concerted effort to increase our understanding of the distribution of owls, rails, nightjars, and wood- cock. Through the second year of field work we had not confirmed any new species breeding in Maryland. A pair of Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) at Deal Island in Somerset County was suggestive, however, and we anticipate proving that this long awaited species breeds in Maryland before the project is over. Most of the discoveries were of local significance. A random and incomplete sampling of breeding range extensions would include Nashville Warblers ( Vermivora ruficapilla ) and a Sora ( Porzana Carolina) in Allegany County, Golden- crowned Kinglet {Regulus satrapa ) in northern Carroll County, American Bitterns ( Botaurus lentiginosus) on the tidal Patuxent River, and Northern Harriers ( Circus cyaneus) in Worcester County. Financially we enter the third year in good shape. The major cash outlay, the coordinator’s salary, has been assumed by the State of Maryland. Housing for the coordinator is provided by MOS at turn Suden Sanctuary. Fund raising, principally through contributions from MOS members and chapters, and activities at the annual conference, leaves us comfortably able to handle our operating expenses. The Atlas Newsletter is funded through a grant from the Baltimore Chapter of MOS. 1618 Somerville Rd., Bel Air, MD 21014 NAME CHANGES FOR MARYLAND BIRDS FOUND IN THE SIXTH EDITION OF THE A.O.U. CHECKLIST Tony White The sixth edition (1983) of The A.O.U. Check list of North American Birds contains many changes affecting Maryland birds. Readers are urged to read the Check-list (especially the Preface thereto) for a detailed discussion of the changes and the policies governing them. The alterations that will have the most immediate effect on MOS members are the changes in sequence (that are discussed in Chan Robbins’ review in the March 1983 issue of Maryland Birdlife) and the changes in English names (that were adopted by Maryland Birdlife starting with the same issue). This article lists those Maryland birds whose English names have been changed. With each major taxonomic revision of North American birds a few species are ‘split’ into two separate species, and some other species are determined to be so December 1984 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 93 closely related that they are ‘lumped’ into a single species. A few years ago, for example, our State bird, the Baltimore Oriole, was lumped with the western Bullock’s Oriole into a single species that we call the Northern Oriole. Similarly, our Whistling Swan has now been lumped with the Old World Bewick’s Swan; hence the necessity of a new name, Tundra Swan. Three Maryland species have just been split, which also requires some new names. The Common Screech Owl has been split into Eastern and Western Screech-Owls; only the Eastern Screech-Owl is found in Maryland. The Skua has been split into two species (Great Skua and South Polar Skua), both of which are found occasionally in Maryland offshore waters. And one of the western subspecies of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is now considered a separate species. Red breasted Sapsucker; our bird retains its original name. The principal policies governing selection of names are summarized from the Preface to the sixth edition: “Retain well established names for well known and widely distributed species. ..use English names that are generally accepted in a world-wide basis [for species with extensive distribution outside North America], and use modifiers for all single-word or group names that are applied to more than one species.’’ Another change involves hyphenization of all English family names composed of two nouns (e.g., Storm-Petrel. Night-Heron, Turtle-Dove, Ground- Dove, Barn-Owl, Screech-Owl, Wood-Pewee, and even Golden-Plover). The following species found in Maryland have had their English names changed; the old English names are those used in Field List of the Birds of Maryland by Robbins and Bystrak, second edition, 1977. Old English Name American Anhinga Louisiana Heron Green Heron Fulvous Tree Duck Whistling Swan Common Pintail Swallow-tailed Kite Common Bobwhite Common Gallinule Northern Phalarope Skua Black-headed Gull Thin-billed Murre Barn Owl Common Screech Owl Saw-whet Owl Common Flicker Eastern Pewee Western Pewee Rough-winged Swallow Northern Parula Warbler Northern Junco New English Name Anhinga Tricolored Heron Green-backed Heron Fulvous Whistling-Duck Tundra Swan Northern Pintail American Swallow-tailed Kite Northern Bobwhite Common Moorhen Red-necked Phalarope Great Skua/South Polar Skua Common Black-headed Gull Common Murre Common Barn-Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Western Wood-Pewee Northern Rough-winged Swallow' Northern Parula Dark-eyed Junco 5872 Marbury Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817 94 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 THE SEASON BREEDING SEASON, JUNE 1— JULY 31, 1984 Robert F. Ringler The second year of the statewide breeding bird atlas project again provided many of the notes for the summer season as new breeding records were established. This was also the first time the MOS convention was held in June and it has been many years since it was held in the western part of the state. The convention as always also provided some interesting notes to this season. The weather seemed to have little effect on nesting this year. June was slightly warmer and drier than normal while July was just the opposite, slightly cooler and wetter. Abbreviations in this report are WMA for Wildlife Management Area and a “ + ” sign after an observer’s name to indicate that there were at least 2 other observers. OBSERVERS — Roger Anderson, Henry Armistead, Bryan Blazie, Rick Blom, Jon Boone, David Czaplak, Bob Dixon, Sam Dyke, Jeff Effinger, Ethel Engle, Roberta Fletcher, Inez Glime, John Gregoire, Jim and Pat Gruber, Marvin Hewitt, Mark Hoffman, David Holmes, Dennis Kirkwood, Wayne Klockner, Alicia Knotts, Paul Nistico, Mariana Nuttle, John, Michael and Paul O’Brien, Francis and Jacqueline Reeb, Bob Schutsky, Teresa Simons, Jo Solem, Paul Spitzer, Wally Sumner, Sallie Thayer, Charlie Vaughn, David Wallace, Mark Wallace, Robert Warfield, Ed Weigel, Hal Wierenga, Erika Wilson. Loons . Grebes, Pelagics. Non-breeding Common Loons seen this summer were single birds at Masonville on June 9 (Ringler), near Port Deposit on June 12 (Schutsky), Barren Island on June 15 and Bloodsworth Island on June 16 (Armistead), Hambleton Island on July 10 (Spitzer), and in the Washington Channel on July 31 (James Nelson). All were in partial or complete non-breeding plumage. Gregoire found Pied-billed Grebes with young in Western Branch in Prince Georges County this summer. A Horned Grebe was seen off Scientist Cliffs in Calvert County on June 11 (Anderson). A boat trip out of Ocean City on June 16 produced the following tally: 7 Cory’s Shearwaters, 17 Greater Shearwaters, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 160 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, and 3 Leach’s Storm- Petrels (Wierenga + ). Pelicans , Cormorants. Brown Pelicans again invaded the Middle Atlantic Coast and there were a few sightings in Maryland. There were 12 at Ocean City on June 17 (O’Briens), 5 at Assateague on June 18 (Charles Gambill), and 1 immature at Assateague on July 2 (Holmes, Dixon). Also, offshore from Ocean City, Warfield saw 6 on July 17 and 3 on the 19th. As usual there were many mid-summer sightings of Double-crested Cormorants with perhaps the most interesting being the one that Dave Holmes saw flying over Cecil County on his June 10 Breeding Bird Survey route. Others were 75 at Bloodsworth Island on June 16 (Armistead), 4 immatures at Cape Isle of Wight on June 17 (Ringler), 13 at Conowingo on June December 1984 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 95 18 (Schutsky), 4 at Sandy Point on June 22 (Klockner), 8 in DC on June 29 (Czaplak), and 3 at Tanyard on July 30 (Engle). Herons, Ibises. Wilson heard an American Bittern on June 17 at Elliott where it is probably a rare breeder. A Least Bittern was in Pinto Marsh on June 3 (Simons + ). Effinger found a Least Bittern nest on Tarr Island in Knapps Narrows, Talbot County, on June 4 and Gregoire heard Least Bitterns calling in Henson Creek and Temple Hills in Prince Georges County this summer. In Newport Marsh in Charles County 2 Least Bitterns were seen and another heard on June 23 (Ringler, Blazie). Others were seen at Hughes Hollow near Seneca on July 4 (Weigel) and July 29 (Reeb), and 2 at Lilypons on July 29 (O’Briens). Armistead counted 156 Great Blue Heron nests on Bloodsworth Island this summer. Schutsky found 2 Great Blue nests on Octoraro Creek in Cecil County. Both were successful though one of the nests was blown down later in the season. His count of Great Blues feeding at Conowingo totaled 112 on July 18. Most of these birds probably come from the large colonies on Aberdeen Proving Ground. Post-breeding Great Egrets were 2 at Greensboro on July 16 (Hewitt), 1 at Conowingo on July 18 (Schutsky), and 1 at Lake Elkhorn in Columbia on July 24 (Maud Banks). A Snowy Egret was at Whitehaven in Wicomico County on July 9 (Ringler). Effinger found 2 adult Little Blue Herons feeding a fledgling at Amys Marsh in Talbot County on July 7. Other Little Blues were 5 at Huriock on July 27 (Effinger + ), 1 immature at Piney Run on July 29 (Ringler), and 12 immatures at Conowingo on July 31 (Schutsky). Dyke estimated 30 Tricolored Herons at Deal Island WMA on July 1. Engle counted 12 Cattle Egrets at Hog Island in Caroline County on June 24, Wilson found flocks of 4 and 16 at Scotland in St. Marys County on July 10, and Hewitt saw 6 at Goldsboro on July 16. At the National Zoo 7 nests produced about 15 young Black-crowned Night-Herons (Czaplak). Post-breeding birds were 2 at Tanyard on June 29 (Wilber Engle) and 2 immatures at Lilypons on July 22 (Ringler, Blom). An adult Yellow- crowned Night-Heron was at the Chain Bridge in DC on June 21 (Czaplak), perhaps wandering from the nest sites upriver in Montgomery County, and an immature was at the north end of Liberty Lake in Carroll County on July 21 and 29 (Ringler). There were a few more immature White Ibis sightings this year, beginning with 2 flying south past Sandy Point on July 20 (M. O’Brien + ), followed by 1 at Lilypons first seen on July 26 by Linda Friedland and present at least through the 28th, 1 at Hughes Hollow on the 29th (F. Reeb), and 1 along the Middle Patuxent River in Howard County on July 30 (M. Wallace). James Henry found 12 Glossy Ibis at Denton on June 7, there was 1 at Remington Farms on July 20 (Gruber), and 22 were at Huriock on July 22 (Effinger + ). Waterfowl A Tundra Swan that summered at Blackwater was first reported on July 15 (Paul DuMont + ). A pair of Canada Geese with downy young was on a pond at Pleasant Valley in Carroll County on June 30 (Ringler). Later in the season the birds had begun to congregate and 5 were at Sandy Point on July 9 (Klockner), 13 at Lilypons on July 22, and 31 at Piney Run on July 29 (Ringler). Wood Ducks were also congregating with 30 at Liberty Lake on July 21 (Ringler) and 75 at Huriock on the next day (Effinger + ). Armistead reports that the population of Gadwalls in the bay is down, but he did see 1 at Adam Island on June 16. Summering non- breeding divers were 2 drake Canvasbacks, a drake Redhead, and a drake Lesser Scaup at Hart-Miller on June 9 (Ringler + ), 4 drake Lesser Scaup at Masonville the same day (Ringler), 2 drake Lesser Scaup at Piney Run from July 14 into the fall (Ringler), an immature female King Eider at Poplar Island on June 29 (Spitzer), an 96 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 Oldsquaw at Crocheron on June 16 (Armistead) and another near Sandy Point on July 14 (Paul DuMont), a drake Surf Scoter at Nelson’s Island on July 15 (Armistead + ), a drake White-winged Scoter at Scientist Cliffs on June 16 (Anderson), a pair of Common Goldeneyes at Denton on July 9 (Ringler), a female Hooded Merganser at North Branch on June 13 (Simons), a drake Common Merganser at Conowingo from June 12 to July 3 (Schutsky), a drake Red-breasted Merganser in DC from May 24 through June 22 (Czaplak), a female Red-breasted Merganser at Assateague on July 2 (Holmes, Dixon), a drake Ruddy Duck at Scientist Cliffs on June 12 (Anderson), and 11 at Hurlock on July 6 and 9 (Ringler + ). Diurnal Raptors. Schutsky estimated 80 Black Vultures at Conowingo on July 18. A pair of Ospreys raised young at a nest on Conn Island in the Potomac River in Montgomery County (Jack Abbott). This is the first Piedmont nesting of Ospreys in Maryland and documents the increase of this species in the Bay region. Perhaps other inland sites such as the larger reservoirs will be used in the future. Dave Holmes recorded an adult Bald Eagle at Freeland in northern Baltimore County on his June 12 BBS route. Other interesting reports of Bald Eagles were single immatures on Newton Neck on June 19 and near Lexington Park on July 10 in St. Marys County (Wilson), and an adult over Holiday Hills in Howard County on July 13 (Jim Hill). Sam Dyke saw a Northern Harrier at Popes Bay on Assateague Island on June 9 and there were 3 at Bloodsworth Island on June 16 (Armistead). A Cooper’s Hawk soaring over Whaleysville on June 17 (Ringler, Hoffman) was probably a local breeding bird in Worcester County. A juvenile Cooper’s Hawk was seen calling persistently as if begging to be fed in Carroll County near Taneytown on July 14 (Ringler). American Kestrels are rare breeders on the lower Eastern Shore but Wilson saw 1 near the Isle of Wight on June 15 and another was seen near Whaleysville on June 17 (Ringler, Hoffman). A Peregrine Falcon nest with young was on the Bay Bridge this summer and another pair attempted to nest at Clay Island. Another Peregrine was observed perched on a wire along Route 213 on July 2 about 2 miles south of Chestertown in Queen Annes County (Gruber). Pheasants, Moorhens , Coot. A hen Ring-necked Pheasant with 4 downy young was at Masonville on June 9 (Ringler). Effinger found a Common Moorhen with downy young on Tilghman Island on June 11. An American Coot was still at Lake Haven near Berlin on June 17 (Ringler, Hoffman). Shorebirds. The 2 Black-bellied Plovers at Ocean City on June 17 were in non- breeding plumage (Ringler) and were probably present through the summer. The 3 seen at Big Bay Marsh on July 7 (Ringler +) were either migrants or summer vagrants. A Lesser Golden-Plover in breeding plumage was seen on Assateague on July 2 (Holmes, Dixon), which is about 3 weeks earlier than the previous fall record. They also found several Wilson’s Plovers at the north end of the island, including one doing a distraction display. This is the only known nesting location for the species in Maryland and there are probably no more than 2 or 3 pairs present. A Semipalmated Plover at Hart-Miller on June 9 and 2 more at Big Bay Marsh on July 7 (Ringler + ) are the latest spring and earliest fall birds that were reported for their respective migrations. A flooded field near Hurlock provided some interesting records of shorebirds (Table 1). A downy young American Oyster- catcher was on a small island at the northern end of Assawoman Bay on May 27 (Ringler). The nesting area is on the Maryland portion of the unnamed island that December 1984 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 97 Table 1. Waterbirds at Hurlock, Dorchester County Shiloh Camp Road Species July 22 July 27 August 3 August 10 Great Blue Heron 6 2 Great Egret 2 2 _ — Snowy Egret — 1 3 3 Little Blue Heron _ 5 3 Glossy Ibis 22 12 12 8 Wood Duck 75 1 4 15 Green-winged Teal _ 1 1 Black Duck 30 23 10 1 Blue-winged Teal — 2 2 _ Semipalmated Plover - — 6 12 Killdeer 53 6 4 15 Greater Yellowlegs 65 125 50 35 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 12 75 125 Solitary Sandpiper - 1 1 — Semipalmated Sandpiper — 3 — Least Sandpiper 46 50 20 20 Pectoral Sandpiper 1 18 75 50 Stilt Sandpiper — 4 _ - Short-billed Dowitcher 8 25 _ Common Snipe _ 1 _ 1 Wilson’s Phalarope - 1 - 2 Observers — Jan Reese, Jeff Effinger, Alice Jones, Carolyn Mills, Kate Trever Bob Trever, Julian Mills. straddles the state line near Cape Windsor, Delaware. A female American Avocet in breeding plumage was on Assateague on July 8 (Blom, Ringler). A late spring Greater Yellowlegs was at Lilypons on June 4 (D. Wallace), 1 was at Deal Island WMA on July 1 (Dyke), and 30 on Assateague on July 7 (Blom +) as the fall movement was getting underway. Lesser Yellowlegs that probably represent fall migrants were 1 at Sandy Point on June 22 (Klockner), 1 at Lilypons on July 4 (Weigel), and 100 at Assateague on July 7 (Blom + ). An oddity in western Maryland was a Willet at North Branch on June 13 (Simons). On June 19 Wilson observed 4 Willets at Cornfield Harbor in St. Marys County where they may be nesting. At Hart-Miller on July 4 were about 20 Spotted Sandpipers including downy young (Ringler + ). John O’Brien estimated 75 Whimbrels at Fox Hill Levels on Assateague on July 24. There were 2 Ruddy Turnstones at Ocean City on June 17 (Ringler). Wierenga and Klockner observed 5 Sanderlings at Sandy Point on July 18. Late spring migrants were 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers in DC on June 6 (Czaplak), 21 at Hart-Miller and 13 at Black Marsh on June 9 (Blom, Ringler), and 1 at Adam Island on June 16 (Armistead). Very early fall migrants were 10 Western Sandpipers at Big Bay Marsh on July 7 (Blom + ). There were 24 Semipalmated and 34 Least Sandpipers at Remington Farms in Kent County on July 16 (Gruber). A White-rumped Sandpiper and 5 Dunlins remained at Hart-Miller on June 9, and 3 Dunlins were at Big Bay Marsh on July 7 (Blom + ). Also on July 7 there were 50 Short-billed Dowitcherson Big Bay Marsh and another 20 on Assateague. Another 22 Short-bills were at Sandy Point on July 18 (Wierenga, Klockner). Rounding out the shorebirds on Assateague on July 7 was a female Wilson’s Phalarope in breeding plumage. 98 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 Gulls, Terns, Skimmers. An adult Laughing Gull was in DC, June 8-12 (Czaplak). The post-breeding dispersal of Laughing Gulls was noted at Sandy Point when 10 juveniles were present on July 25 (Wierenga, Klockner). Franklin’s Gulls again appeared at Sandy Point this summer with an adult first seen on July 8 (Wierenga, Klockner) and present at least through the 25th. Another in first-summer plumage had been found on June 20, 3 were there on July 25 and the last was on the 30th. All original sightings were by Wierenga and Klockner with many other people participating in later observations. Despite these continuing summer records, the species has never been found in August in Maryland. The cause of all this summer gull-watching was the Black-tailed Gull found by John O’Brien and present July 4- 9. This largely non-migratory species of east Asia, which has been found twice before in North America, in California and Alaska, was seen by several other observers. Its origin in Chesapeake Bay is cause for great speculation. The first juvenile Ring-billed Gull was seen at Sandy Point on July 9 (Klockner). The nearest nesting location of this species is the Great Lakes. Schutsky counted 110 Ring-bills at Conowingo on July 25, increasing to 300 on the 31st. Notes on a California Gull at Sandy Point July 11-12 (Wierenga) will be produced separately. Armistead counted 522 Herring Gulls at Bloodsworth Island on June 16. John O’Brien saw 2 Gull-billed Terns at Fox Hill Levels on June 7 and several pairs with eggs or young were found on Big Bay Marsh on July 7 (Ringler + ). Summering Caspian Terns were 15 at Hart-Miller on June 9, 70 there on July 4, and the first juvenile on July 15 (Ringler + ), 1 at Conowingo on June 18 and 29 (Schutsky), 2 adults to June 27 in DC (Czaplak), 2 at Sandy Point on July 9 (Klockner), and 1 at Lilypons on July 28 (D. Wallace). Armistead saw 6 Royal Terns at Pone Island on June 16, and 18 were at Point Lookout on June 19 (Wilson), and 1 at Sandy Point on July 18 (Wierenga, Klockner). There were 18 Common Tern nests with eggs and a Black Skimmer nest with 1 egg on the island in Assawoman Bay near Cape Windsor on May 27 (Ringler). A Common Tern was unusual near Port Deposit on July 27 (Schutsky). Post-breeding dispersal of Forster’s Terns was noted with 35 at Hart-Miller and 45 at Cuckold Point on July 4 (Ringler + ) and 2 at Kent Narrows on the 6th (Ringler). Approximately 75 Least Tern nests contained eggs in Ocean City at the 120th Street fill location on May 27 (Ringler). Over 100 Least Terns were at Hart-Miller on June 9 but nesting success was poor (Ringler + ). A Least Tern on the Potomac River below National Airport on June 27 (Czaplak) was rare for the District. The only Black Tern reported was flying past Mills Island in Chincoteague Bay on July 7 (Holmes + ). It was in breeding plumage. Armistead found 25 Black Skimmer nests at Barren Island on June 15, and a single bird was at Sandy Point on July 18 (Wierenga, Klockner). Doves , Cuckoos, Owls. Armistead found 2 out-of-place Rock Doves on Holland Island on June 16. A few Black-billed Cuckoos were found on the Coastal Plain of the state, including an adult male found dead at Upper Marlboro (Gregoire), 1 at Hickman in Caroline County on June 22 and 29 (Nuttle), and 1 heard at Irish Grove on July 9 (Holmes, Ringler). A nest with 4 young Common Barn-Owls was found in a duck blind on Assateague on July 7 (Blom + ). Hummingbird, Flycatchers. Kirkwood observed a Ruby-throated Hummingbird on a nest near Deer Creek in Harford County on July 26. In DC Czaplak found a Willow Flycatcher near Chain Bridge on June 21 and 28. Jo Solem reported a Willow Flycatcher nest with 4 young on July 4 near Scaggsville. A well-described Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen on July 3 near the intersection of Sycamore December 1984 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 99 Landing and River Roads in Montgomery County (Reebs). There are only sight records for the state. Swallows, Jays, Creeper. The Purple Martin roost in Salisbury began early with about 125 birds there on June 11, up to 350 on June 25, then 1200 on July 8 and 5000 by July 31 (Vaughn). The wanderings of Tree Swallows are often difficult to interpret. For instance, Armistead found 6 at Bloodsworth Island on June 16 where they are more likely to be migrants. The one at Cuckold Point in Baltimore County on July 4 (Ringler, Wierenga) was certainly a migrant as were single birds at Easton and Hurlock on July 6 (Ringler, Blom). Also at Easton that day were 15 Rough-winged Swallows, while at Hurlock were 1 Rough-wing and 50 Bank Swallow's, all early migrants. However, at Bloodsworth Island Armistead saw a Bank Swallow flying north on June 16. There were 62 Bank Swallows at Marsh Point in St. Marys County on July 20 (Runkles). Also on June 16 Armistead found a freshly killed Blue Jay on Pone Island and saw another live bird on Holland Island. These birds are not known to nest on these bay islands. A Brown Creeper at Federalsburgon August 1 (Glime) probably nested locally. Wrens, Veery, Waxwings. Sue Dorney found 4 Sedge Wrens in Prince Georges County this summer. A Veery on upper Deer Creek (Kirkwood) is a rare breeding bird for Harford County. Cedar Waxwings were plentiful as breeding birds on the Coastal Plain. A pair was at a nest on Bayside Drive in St. Marys County on June 19 (Wilson). Others were in Federalsburg on June 30 (Glime) and Dyke found a nest with young at Sharptown on July 12 and fledgling waxwings at Salisbury on Julv 19. Vireos. Warblers. Another unusual bird for Bloodsworth Island on June 16 w f as a White-eyed Vireo found by Armistead. who also discovered a Warbling Yireo at Bellevue on June 15. A Blue-winged Warbler was once again singing near Nassawango Creek on June 3 (Dyke). An exceptionally early migrant Tennessee Warbler was at Jarrettsville on July 26 (J. O’Brien). A female Northern Parula w-as feeding a fledgling that had recently left the nest in Cedarville on June 24 (Ringler). Jon Boone found a Yellow Warbler nest in June in Howard County with 5 eggs + 1 Brown-headed Cowbird egg. Czaplak noted his first fall migrant Yellow' Warbler in DC on July 22. A female Yellow-throated Warbler was feeding a fledgling in Pocomoke Swamp on June 17 and a male was observed singing in western Carroll County near Taneytown on June 30 and July 14 (Ringler). The latter is unusual in the Piedmont aw p ay from the major rivers. Effinger spotted 3 adult male American Redstarts at Blackwalnut Point on July 12, indicating that these birds are leaving the nesting areas very early in the summer to begin the fall migration. Joe Schreiber reported that an immature female Canada Warbler that he banded in Parkville on Sept. 5, 1982 was found dead at Beauport, Quebec on May 28, 1984. Tanager, Dickcissels, Sparrows, Icterines. A male Summer Tanager seen in Rockville on June 25 (P. O’Brien) was unusual there. Dickcissel reports were 5 at Middletown on July 1-3 and 2 near Poolesville on July 8 (P. O’Brien) and 3 near Walkersville in July (Linda and Dick Finn). A singing Savannah Sparrow with 1 juvenile in tow was seen in Frederick County near Fourpoints on July 21 (Ringler). At least 4 Seaside Sparrows were seen in Newport Marsh on June 23 (Ringler, Blazie) a first for Charles County. This is a significant range extension of 100 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 the species not only up the Potomac but up the Wicomico River too. Near there the same day was 1 singing Swamp Sparrow at Allen’s Fresh. Other Swamp Sparrows were 3 heard singing at Grasonville and Kent Narrows on June 17 (Ringler, Hoffman), 1 heard along Muddy Hole Road in Wicomico County on July 9 (Ringler, Holmes), and 1 collected on Miller Island on July 15 which proved to be darker than any known specimens of the species (John Barber + ). A Dark-eyed Junco nest was found this summer by Tom Thayer at Woodville in Garrett County. The Bobolink migration is another that is difficult to separate into spring and fall movements. Armistead saw 2 flying north over Bloodsworth Island on June 16 for the last spring birds and Schutsky saw 6 at Conowingo on July 18 for the first fall birds. Paul O’Brien noted that Common Crackles had begun flocking at Rockville on June 20 as many birds had finished nesting by then. 3501 Melody Lane, Baltimore, MD 21707 AN EXTRAORDINARY CONCENTRATION OF BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS James L. Ruos On May 21, 1984, a large number of Bay-breasted Warblers was observed near Highland, Howard County, Maryland. The immediate area was represented by a half acre of mowed grass surrounded by woodland of mid-aged Virginia pine, red maple and tulip trees. During a 90-minute period, thousands of small flying insects (believed to be winged ants) emerged from the grass. Their swarming flight attracted migrant warblers who fed on them as they alighted on nearby shrubs and trees. Few insects were taken in the air. At any one time, more than 30 Bay- breasted Warblers could be observed within 100 feet and most certainly represented a population of more than a hundred individuals. American Red- starts, Magnolia Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also attracted to these insects, but in fewer numbers. 7145 Deer Valley Rd., Highland, MD 20777 BOOK REVIEWS BIRDS IN THE GARDEN Mike Mockler. Blandford Press, Poole, Dorset, U.K. 1982. 160p. $19.95 This is a well organized book with good color photographs for the person who doesn’t go beyond the garden to watch birds. Of course, the garden has to be in England and well planted to attract many species. There is all you need to know about the activity of birdwatching, from identification of birds that are possibly found in gardens to identification of the various behaviors they exhibit throughout the year. December 1984 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 101 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF MARYLAND Arnold W. Norden, Donald C. Forester and George H. Fenwick, Editors, Maryland Natural Heritage Program, Special Publication 84-1. 1984. Maps, charts, 475pp. $13. A publication of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Even if I had not heard a number of these papers presented at the 1981 Symposium at Towson State University I could still feel as strongly as I do about the value of this book. With the chapter titles "Threatened Breeding Birds of Maryland,” "Status of the Bald Eagle,” "Maryland’s Vanished Birds and Mammals,” “Nassawango Creek-A Case Study in Habitat Preservation” by such authors as Daniel Boone, Chandler Robbins and David Lee, to name a few, it is a book you’ll want to read. It should provide a 1980’s baseline of the status of Maryland’s rare plants and animals, a baseline from which to measure our progress or lack of same in the coming decades. Surely with such competent people in the field as these writers we should expect no more threats, no more endangerments. Read all 30 papers if you can, but at least numbers 24 and 29. Arnold Norden’s Introduction places in perspective the entire study. The maps are valuable, but the Generalized Geologic Map of Maryland, unattached to the book as it is, may be of less value because it is unattached. Black and white line drawings of fish will be valuable to Maryland’s concerned fishers. But everyone should be interested in the subject of flora and fauna. Irish Grove Sanctuary has a copy. It is priced reasonably enough, $13, for you all to have it in your libraries. It can be purchased from Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fiscal and Supportive Services, Tawes Office Building, Annapolis, 21401-9974. —Joy Wheeler VULTURE BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Edited by Sanford R. Wilbur and Jerome A. Jackson University of California Press, Berkeley, 94720. 1984. 552 pp. $35. When is the last time you’ve read a book about Vultures, those birds with voracious appetites for meat most of us consider too rotten to be eaten? This well organized book discloses the history of vultures from ancient to modern times, with a look to the future. This is not a book to read through, perhaps, but to use as a reference as the need arises. Vultures don’t enjoy the focus of much of our bird- watching enthusiasm for more reasons than their unpleasant eating habits. Their slow flight and their ease in identification may not be as stimulating as other birds. However, they are worthy of more of our attention, as has been discovered in the last 15 years. By 1979 there were enough people interested in the field to call an International Symposium on the Vultures, sponsored by the Santa Barbara, California Museum of Natural History. This book develops the exchange of information begun there by the 200 “vulture enthusiasts” in attendance. The status of vultures in many parts of the world demands more study. Reports of declining numbers come from India, Israel, Mongolia, as well as parts of the Western Hemisphere, the numbers of vultures being as uncertain as their habitats are vulnerable. In some Old World species a limiting factor in their success is the 102 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 disappearance of large-boned carrion (hyenas, etc.), reducing intake of enough calcium to ensure normal formation of the bones of young vultures. “Vulture Restaurants”, where large dead animals are placed, have been established in France and South Africa to provide a better diet for local vultures. Whether this will have the desired effect or whether it can be kept up is hard to foresee. The “biology” of vulture study includes discussion of their breeding behavior, growth of the young, social behavior, and migration patterns. Methods for further study by the serious student are suggested. Of particular interest to Maryland readers is the description of raising Andean Condors in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel. Most interesting to me was the chapter on interaction of Vultures in the lives of humans. I was surprised to learn how the American Indians of our Far West used the birds in their rituals. In spite of the sacrifice of the condors the populations did not seem to be harmed in those days. Factors affecting Vultures today are habitat modification, chemical pesticides, persecution and man-related accidents, Vultures being a major cause of bird-strike incidents in the aviation of India, for example. Vulture Biology and Management is at Carey Run Sanctuary. With its excellent organization it seemed to lend itself to mere skimming for review purposes. I found I was reading more closely all the time, amazed by how interesting Vultures are and how they have been accepted in the art and culture of humans through the ages. What is their future in our culture? —Joy Wheeler NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SWAINSON’S WARBLER Brooke Meanley. 1971. 90pp., 26 illustrations, literature cited North American Fauna No. 69. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, U.S. Government Printing Office John Cullom’s Presidential Letter of April 1981 has brought to our attention the tenuous status of Swainson’s Warbler in the Pocomoke Swamp. President Cullom’s request that tapes of the call of Swainson’s Warbler or of a screech-owl not be used is reasonable and sensible. To lose this delicate bird from Maryland would be a sad loss indeed. Brooke Meanley, well known for his books about birds of the Chesapeake Bay, began studying this elusive bird in 1944 in Georgia and followed it to the most northern and western extents of its range. He investigated the history of its mention from early colonial times from paintings by Audubon, and John Abbott and from descriptions by the Rev. John Bachman. Meanley’s thorough observa- tions of the bird make this study particularly valuable in the present light of its scarcity. He describes every aspect: distribution, migration, breeding biology, ecological relations, its voice and its general behavior. If you have not seen Swainson’s Warbler, the best thing you may do between now and next May is read this small book and hope that you have better luck next time you look for it. If all birdwatchers respect the “anti-tape in Pocomoke Swamp request” we all may have an even better chance of seeing it. Until then this book will prepare you to recognize it on first sight. It is on the shelf in the MOS Library at Cylburn. Joy Wheeler December 1984 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 103 WEST VIRGINIA BIRDS George A. Hall. 1983. Special Publication No. 7, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program. 180p. $20. Given a state as large as West Virginia, with its highly touted wild wonderful- ness, it is notable that anyone at all would accept the enormous challenge of dis- cussing the status of all of West Virginia’s birds. George Hall is the perfect person to have done it with an initial 1968 inspiration from Chandler Robbins and assistance reflected by an entire page of acknowledgements. Recognizing that even with “dedicated work” of countless birders a State Bird Book would be an impossibility. Hall outlines what his book will not do (be a field guide, with descriptions of nesting cycles and bird behavior, for example). Instead he “concentrates on general distribution and the ecology of the species” with a heavy dependence on numerical population data. Each bird is treated as a status (common, uncommon), seasonal distribution with early and late dates, breeding populations (where applicable), past distribution, and pertinent remarks. For me the remarks and the listings of the locations of existing specimens are every bit as entertaining as the seasonal accounts are scientific. One of the most delightful features of the book is the history of ornithology in West Virginia. Hall has researched it thoroughly, all the way back to Alexander Wilson and John J. Audubon, and has included a list of earlier catalogues of West Virginia's birds, the first one being compiled in 1872. Bringing the history of ornithology up to date since the 1940’s didn't require the same backward looking research, for the author has been instrumental in creating much of the recent history himself. The book not being a field guide precludes an abundance of pictures of each bird mentioned, though scattered black and white line drawings by Sutton relieve the printed page. There are 21 black and white photographs, some to aid in analyzing West Virginia avifauna, some presenting Hal Harrison’s excellent photographs of nesting birds. Of course, before long, the name of one of West Virginia's most famous birds comes to mind. The index provides the necessary reference to Sutton's Warbler and upon turning to the given page the reader finds that Hall can be no more definitive about the status of the bird today than “this enigmatic form" and “the final answer is not available.” Good! All our questions need not be answered. Many things about birds remain a mystery to us and that is as it should be. George Miksch Sutton’s only color plate in the book refreshes our memory of what this beautiful bird looks like if we ever get lucky enough to find it. “West Virginia Birds” belongs in the library of every Maryland birder for two reasons. One, our Maryland birdwatching often spills over into our neighboring state. And then there’s the hope that this book would serve as a reminder that the inspiration which provided it for West Virginia should spill back over and provide us with a comparable book for Maryland. Joy Wheeler 104 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 40, No. 4 WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE BALD EAGLE Jeffrey L. Lincer, William S. Clark, Maurice N. LeFranc, Jr. 1979. National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC 20036, 219 pp., with appendix, $9.00. This is the second volume published in the NWF Scientific/Technical Series. The first, a bibliography of writings about the owls of the world, was reviewed here in June 1979 and is in the Bird Museum at Cylburn. This volume is organized along the same lines, placing the status of the eagle today in its historical perspective, giving a brief account of its life history, and detailing its status by states and provinces. The Master List includes 2000 citations and a request for notification of any additions that should be made in the future. For researchers, wildlife managers, politicians, and ecologists this book should be of great value. Directions on how to use it are included. The most local information listed in the book is that of Jackson Abbott who has been studying the Bald Eagles of Chesapeake Bay for many years. Most of his articles were published in the Atlantic Naturalist. Of course, William S. Clark is listed not only as a compiler of the book, but also as the author of a number of articles about eagles seen from Cape May. A hopeful note is expressed in Chapter 2: "The future of the bald eagle looks a bit brighter now than it did ten years ago.” Bibliographies on the Golden Eagle and the Peregrine Falcon are planned. The book will be kept in the Bird Museum at Cylburn. CONTENTS, DECEMBER 1984 Maryland/DC Atlas Project Makes Great Headway . . . Eirik A. T. Blom 91 Name Changes for Maryland Birds Tony White 92 Breeding Season, June 1- July 31, 1984 Robert F. Ringler 94 Concentration of Bay-breasted Warblers James L. Ruos 100 Book Reviews Joy Wheeler 100 Birds in the Garden by Mike Mockler 100 Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals of Maryland, edited by Norden, Forester, and Fenwick 101 Vulture Biology and Management, edited by Wilbur and Jackson 101 Natural History of the Swainson’s Warbler by Brooke Meanley 102 West Virginia Birds by George A. Hall 103 Working Bibliography of the Bald Eagle by Lincer, Clark, and LeFranc 104 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Published Quarterly by the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc. to Record and Encourage the Study of Birds in Maryland. Editor: Chandler S. Robbins, 7900 Brooklyn Bridge Rd., Laurel, Md. 20707 (725-1176) Assoc. Editor: Robert F. Ringler, 3501 Melody Lane, Baltimore, Md. 21207 Asst. Editors: Eirik A.T. Blom, 1618 Somerville Rd., Bel Air, Md. 21014 Mark Hoffman, 313 Fernwood Dr., Severna Park, Md. 21146 James Stasz, 14741 Oden Bowie Rd., Upper Marlboro 20772 Mailing: Jane Farrell and Howard County Chapter Headings: Schneider Design Associates, Baltimore