ISSN 0147 9725

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

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MARCH 1986
VOLUME 42
NUMBER 1

MARYLAND ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC.

Cylburn Mansion, 4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, Maryland 21209

STATE OFFICERS FOR JUNE 1985 TO JUNE 1986
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

President: CDR Anthony White, 5872 Marbury Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 229-1641
Vice President: Richard Dolesh, 17800 Croom Road, Brandywine, MD 20613 579-2256

Treasurer: Emily Joyce, 1550 Ellsworth Avenue, Crofton, MD 21114 721-2239

Secretary: Helen Ford, 408 Beach Drive, Annapolis, MD 21403 267-8417

Executive Secy.: Richard Danca, 4414 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, DC 20016

244-5150

Past President: Martha Chestem, 10850 Faulkner Ridge Cr, Columbia, MD 21044

730-1527

STATE DIRECTORS

Allegany

•Mark Weatherholt
Robert Hiegel

Howard

•John Clegg
Jane Farrell
Eva Sunell

Anne Arundel

•James Cheevers
Laddie Flyger

Paul Zucker

Baltimore

Sue Ricciardi
•Robert F. Ringler

Jug Bay

•John Gregoire
Sue Dorney

John Cullom
Graham Egerton
Benjamin Kaestner

Kent

•Stephen A. Hitchner
Margaret Duncan

Mac Donough Plant
Steve Simon
Jean Worthley

Montgomery

•Gary Nelson
Margaret Donnald
Philip A. DuMont
John Malcolm

Caroline

•Steve Westre
Mariana Nuttle

Lola Oberman

Carroll

•Geraldine Newton

Patuxent

•William L. Murphy
Chandler S. Robbins

William D. Ellis

Talbot

•Virginia Graebert
Jeff Effinger

Frederick

•Michael Welch
David H. Wallace

Washington

Steve Goodbred
•Betty & Ray McCoy

Harford

•Kermit Updegrove
William Russell
Joyce Sherman

Wicomico

Norma Lewis
Betty McCoy

•Maureen McAllister

Lee Meinersmann

* Denotes Chapter President

Active Membership (adults) $6.00 plus local chapter dues

Student Membership (full-time students) 2.00 plus local chapter dues

Junior Membership (under 18 years) 1.00 plus local chapter dues

Family Membership (Mr. & Mrs.) 8.00 plus local chapter dues

Sustaining Membership 10.00 plus local chapter dues

Life Membership 200.00 (4 annual installments)

Member-at-Large 5.00

Cover: Limpkin-First Howard County Record, Lake Way Drive in central Howard County. May 29. 1985. Photo by Mike
McClure.

BIRDLIFE

VOLUME 42 MARCH 1986 NUMBER 1

LIMPKIN IN HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND

Joanne K. Solem

Mrs. Gretchen Duchac, of Lake Way Drive, near Benson Branch in central Howard
County, Maryland, reported a Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) in her yard on Tuesday,
May 28, 1985. She realized from range maps in field guides that it was an unusual
bird for this state and was concerned that, because of its tameness, it might have
escaped from a sanctuary and should be captured before neighborhood cats and
dogs injured or killed it. She had seen it Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (May 26-
28,) mostly between mid-afternoon and evening; on Tuesday she also saw it
between 8 and 10 a.m.

On Wednesday morning Martha Chestem, Grazina McClure, and I drove out to
investigate the report, arriving shortly before 9 a.m. The houses on the west side
of the last few hundred yards of Lake Way Drive, are shaded by tall, deciduous
trees with numerous lawn plantings and evergreens. A small stream runs through
some of the properties. A fenced pasture containing several horses occupies a few
acres at the end of the cul de sac. We discovered the bird on the property of
William Winkler, which adjoins the Duchac’s. When we pulled up to the Winkler’s
house, I got out of the car to see if anyone was home besides’ a barking dog. As I
reached the porch, Marty called to me that the bird had been standing to the right
of the driveway perhaps, 25-35 feet away. She and Grazina had seen it fly to
another part of the yard near the road where it began to feed actively, mostly in
the shadow of the trees. We watched it with binoculars for 20 minutes from 75-125
feet when we were outside the car, and as close as 25-30 feet when we were inside
it. The Limpkin seemed to be relatively unconcerned by our presence. Eventually,
it walked closer to the driveway where the light was better.

Our first impression was of a brown wading bird with a heavy, yellowish dark-
tipped bill and a body that was covered, at least in part, with triangular white
markings. It appeared to be almost as tall as a Tricolored Heron {Egretta tricolor)
when it stretched its neck, although it was stockier.

The bill was heavy, slightly decurved and almost twice the length of the head. It
was a deep yellow-orange except for several inches of gray at the tip. The top of
the upper mandible was also gray from base to tip, so when the bird looked
directly at us the bill appeared totally gray. The head was light brown with a dark
eye and the light-brown neck was streaked with white. The upper two-thirds to
three-quarters of the body was covered with isosceles triangle-shaped white spots
which were largest toward the center of the back and across the middle of the
folded wings. The lower one-quarter to one-third of the body was a warm, rich
unspotted sable brown. The legs were long, sturdy and (depending on the light)
seemed to be greenish-gray or slatey-gray. The long-toed feet appeared to be web-
less.

4

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42,No. 1

The Limpkin stalked around the lawn staying mostly under tall trees and eating
earthworms. Mrs. Duchac later mentioned that she and her husband had also seen
it eating grubs. Occasionally, it flipped the rear portion of its body (one can hardly
refer to that stubby appendage as a tail). It walked with an unhurried, though
rather awkward gait. At no time did we hear any vocalizations. Mrs. Duchac had
heard it make a clacking sound which she likened to castanets or bones being
rattled together. The bird appeared to be healthy and had no leg bands.

In addition to the sightings on the residential properties along Lake Way Drive,
the Limpkin was seen by a number of birders during the following week near a
small, partly wooded pond beyond the houses at the end of the cul de sac. It was
also observed infrequently in the horse pasture.

Michael McClure and John Clegg photographed it the evening of May 29. The
Limpkin was last seen the morning of June 10, 1985 by Martha Chestem.

The only previous Limpkin reported in Maryland was present at Lilypons,
Frederick County May 25 to June 8, 1971 {Maryland Birdlife 28(l):3-6).

1061 7 Graeloch RcL, Laurel McL 20707

[This report has been accepted by the Maryland Bird Records Committee — Ed.]

GREAT BLUE HERON TAKES CLAPPER RAIL

Guy W. Willey

On January 23, 1977 I was visiting my property on Shorter’s Wharf Road in
Dorchester County, Maryland with my sons, Guy Jr., and Robbie. At about 4:15
p.m. we observed the following:

A Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias) was standing in open water near the end
of a culvert. We had seen the Great Blue and a Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris )
using the open water in the culvert since about the first of January. A small area,
about 2 by 6 feet was open at each end of the culvert. We saw the Great Blue
capture what we believe was the same Clapper Rail at one end of the culvert, and
fly off with it to a clear area. We made no effort to run the Great Blue away from
the rail, as the victim appeared near death. We watched the heron eating the rail for
about two minutes before we left. I returned the next day and found the remains of
the rail.

Great Blue Herons suffered losses during the severe weather of late December
1976 and January 1977. I found more than ten dead Great Blues during January
and the first half of February. We have also received reports from birders and
trappers of dead or dying Great Blues during this period, as well as reports of
mortality of several rails. It was also reported that for the first time since the mid
1930’s Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus ) were forced to cut through the sides of their
houses, because escape canals froze over in many areas. The severe cold also killed
off many of the Nutria (Myocastor coypus ) in Dorchester County.

BlackwaterN. W.R., Cambridge, Md. 21613

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

5

Fall Migration, Aug. 1-Nov. 30, 1985

Robert F. Ringler

The most notable feature of this season’s weather was the extreme warmth of
the second lialf with record high temperatures in November. The number of
passerines induced to remain beyond their usual migration time was
extraordinary. This can be seen particularly among the warblers. Despite average
or above rainfall, water levels at most reservoirs continued to fall producing more
excellent shorebirding. Waterbirds at Hart-Miller in Baltimore County, Liberty
Reservoir in Carroll County, and North West Creek at Tower Gardens on Kent
Island will be reported in greater detail in separate articles.

Abbreviations: DC = District of Columbia, PWRC = Patuxent Wildlife Research
Center, WMA = Wildlife Management Area, **+”=» other observers. References to
banded birds do not have observers listed but are applicable to the banders noted
below.

Observers : Garrett County — Connie Skipper, Sallie Thayer (banding at Mt.
Nebo); Allegany — Teresa Simons: Washington — Alice Mallonee, Sam Shoemaker:
Frederick — David Wallace; Carroll — Dave Harvey; Baltimore — Hank Kaestner,
Mike Resch, Barbara Ross (banding at St. Timothy’s near Stevenson), Joe
Schreiber (banding at Parkville), Steve Simon, Pete Webb, Jim Wilkinson;
Harford — Dennis Kirkwood, Bob Schutsky; Howard — Bob & Jim Bogdan, Jon E.
and Jon K. Boone, Martha Chestem, Chuck Dupree, Jane Farrell, Linda & Steve
Harsy, Chris Ludwig, Grazina & Mike McClure, Harvey & Marion Mudd, Jim
Orgain, Don & Jan Randle, Jo Solem, Eva Sunell, Mark Wallace, Paul Zucker;
Montgomery — Larry Bonham, Margaret Donnald (banding at Adventure Sanc-
tuary), Greg Gough, Robert Hilton, Michael & Paul O’Brien; District of
Columbia — Dave Czaplak; Prince Georges — Deanna Dawson (banding at PWRC),
Sam Droege, Chan Robbins (banding at Laurel), Wally Sumner; Anne Arundel —
Alex & Helene Hammer, Wayne Kockner, Bob & Pat Melville (banding near Lyons
Creek), Bill Murphy, Sue Ricciardi; Charles — Paul Nistico; Calvert — Roger Ander-
son, Walter Kraus, Jim Stasz; St. Marys — Ron Runkles, Erika Wilson; Kent — Jim
& Patricia Gruber, Dolly & Sam McSorley (banding at Damsite); Queen Annes —
Rick Blom; Caroline — Annabelle & Elsie Billbrough, Ethel Engle, Jerry & Roberta
Fletcher, Inez Glime, Marvin Hewitt, Alicia Knotts, Mariana Nuttle, L.T. Short;
Talbot — Jan Reese; Lower Eastern Shore — George & Henry Armistead, Sam
Dyke, Floyd Hayes, Ron Naveen, Charlie Swift, Dave Walbeck, Robert Warfield.

Loons, Grebes. Red-throated Loons were widely reported in small numbers with
the first at Hart-Miller on Oct. 19 and 4 there on the 26th (Ringler + ) when single
birds were also seen near Bellevue (Armistead) and at Havre de Grace (Kirkwood).
Other Red-throated Loons were 1 on the Potomac off the National Colonial Farm
on Nov. 2 (Hammers, Wilkinson), 1 at Loch Raven on Nov. 8-20 (Simon). 1 at

6

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42 f No. 1

Eastern Neck on Nov. 10 (Hammers + ) ( 4 at Point Lookout on Nov. 16 (M. O’Brien)
and 1 at North Branch in Allegany County also on the 16th (Hammers, Webb); all
of these were topped by the approximately 500 that Warfield saw on Nov. 14
flying past Assateague. Armistead saw 5 Common Loons near Bellevue on Sept. 29
and 45 there on Oct. 26. Other reports were 13 flying south past Ocean City on Oct.
14 (Czaplak), 80 at Hooper Island on Nov. 9 (Armistead + ), 20 at Rocky Gap on
Nov. 11 (Simons) and 254 at Point Lookout on Nov. 16 (M. O’Brien). High counts of
Pied-billed Grebes were 59 at Deal Island WMA on Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien), 33 at
Rocky Gap in Allegany County on Oct. 22 (Simons), 40 off Mockley Point on Oct. 26
(Nistico) and 21 at Loch Raven on Nov. 11 (Simon). Early Horned Grebes were 1 at
Rocky Gap on Oct. 6 (Simons), 8 at Loch Raven on Oct. 17 (Simon) and 1 near
Madonna on Oct. 21 and later (Kirkwood); other reports were 1 at Williston where
it is rare in Caroline County on Nov. 9 (Short), 224 at Eastern Neck on Nov. 12 (J.
Gruber) and 80 in DC on Nov. 21 (Czaplak).

Pelagics, Pelicans. Hayes saw 6 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels from shore at Ocean City
on Aug. 6, 6 were seen on a Sept. 21 pelagic trip (Naveen + ) and an extremely late
individual was seen at Ocean City on Oct. 14 (Czaplak). A single Northern Gannet
was seen from Assateague on Oct. 19 and 7 from there on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien).
Reports of Brown Pelicans on the coast continued into the late summer with 4 at
Ocean City on Aug. 1 (Warfield), 3 there on Aug. 7 (Hayes) and 4 off Asateague on
Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien) while the last report of the season came from Chesapeake Bay
when 2 or 3 were seen sitting on gill nets near Cove Point on Aug. 14 (Ann McVey + ).

Cormorants. An early immature Great Cormorant was at Ocean City on Sept. 22
and another immature was at Point Lookout on Oct. 6 where there were 4 on Nov.
16 (M. O’Brien). Great Cormorants also appeared at a new site in the bay when 1
was at Hart-Miller on Oct. 11-26 with 2 there on the 19th (Kaestner, Blom + ).
Concentrations of Double-crested Cormorants were 52 at Cove Point on Aug. 24
(Ringler), 200 at Hooper Island on Sept. 8 (Armistead), 50 at Riverside on Sept. 15
(Ringler, Hammers), 30 in DC on Sept. 23 where there was a late bird on Nov. 24
(Czaplak), 187 in St. Marys County (32 off Trent Hall Road, 51 at Point Lookout,
104 at Point No Point) on Oct. 8 (Wilson), 130 at Hart-Miller on Oct. 11 (Ringler + ),
hundreds at Ocean City on Oct. 13 (Ringler + ) and an estimated 1000 flying by
Assateague on Nov. 14 (Warfield). Others were 1 in Carroll County at Liberty
Reservoir on Sept. 22 (Mudd), 1 at Pinto on Oct. 5 (Simons), 2 at Tanyard on Oct. 27
(Engle), 3 at Patuxent River Park on Oct. 31 (Bill Portlock), an immature on Broad-
ford Reservoir in Garrett County on Nov. 17 (Hammers, Webb) and 1 in Curtis Bay
on Nov. 23 (Ringler).

Herons. Walbeck noted American Bitterns at Deal Island WMA, where they
certainly breed, from Aug. 27; other reports were probably migrants with 1 at
Assateague on Oct. 12 (M. O'Brien + ), 1 at Tilghman Island from Oct. 20 through
Nov. 9 (Reese), 2 at Lilypons on Oct. 28 (Lola Oberman) and 2 at Irish Grove on
Nov. 16 (Swift). The last reports of Least Bitterns were 1 at Lilypons on Aug. 3
(Hilton), 2 at Hart-Miller on Aug. 15 (Ringler, Therres) and an extremely late 1 at
Deal Island WMA on Oct. 9 (Walbeck). Concentrations of Great Blue Herons were
46 at PWRC on Aug. 6 (Droege), 50 at Tower Gardens on Kent Island on Sept. 8 (M.
O’Brien) and 26 at Masonville on Nov. 23 (Ringler); 7 flew south over Assateague
on Oct. 12 (Czaplak + ). Inland Great Egrets were 3 at Loch Raven on July 20
(Simon), 3 at Lake Elkhorn, Columbia, on July 31 (Orgain), 1 at Centennial Lake,
Columbia, from July 27 (Solem, Farrell) through Aug. 17 (Chestem), 18 at PWRC on
Aug. 6 (Droege) and a late 1 at Piney Run on Oct. 20 (Ringler). Other late birds

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

7

Table 1. Median Fall Arrival and Departure Dates, 1985

Arrivals

Departures

Species

10-Yr.

1985 10-Yr.

1985

Common Loon

10/7

' 10/6

_

_

Pied-billed Grebe

9/23

9/22

-

-

Horned Grebe

11/5

10/24

-

Double-crested Cormorant

8/24

7/17

10/21

11/14

Great Egret

7/30

7/21

10/12

10/26

Snowy Egret

7/29

7/21

10/14

10/14

Little Blue Heron

7/31

7/29

9/13

9/17

Green-backed Heron

-

-

10/7

9/30

Glossy Ibis

-

-

9/13

' 9/29

Tundra Swan

11/10

11/15

-

-

Snow Goose

10/10

10/9

-

-

Canada Goose

9/23

9/28

-

-

Wood Duck

-

-

11/5

11/6

Green-winged Teal

9/17

8/31

-

-

Northern Pintail

9/29

9/9

-

Blue-winged Teal

8/24

8/14

10/12

10/14

Northern Shoveler

10/13

9/18

-

-

Gadwall

10/16

10/2

-

-

American Wigeon

9/28

9/28

-

-

Canvasback

11/3

10/31

-

-

Redhead

11/11

11/3

-

-

Ring-necked Duck

10/25

10/14

-

-

Lesser Scaup

10/22

10/20

-

-

Oldsquaw

11/7

11/14

-

-

Common Goldeneye

11/13

11/9

-

-

Bufflehead

10/31

11/2

-

-

Hooded Merganser

11/12

11/7

-

-

Common Merganser

11/18

11/17

-

-

Red-breasted Merganser

11/12

11/13

-

-

Ruddy Duck

10/12

10/5

-

-

Osprey

8/24

7/27

10/22

11/3

Northern Harrier

9/11

9/11

-

-

Sharp-shinned Hawk

9/21

9/8

-

-

Cooper’s Hawk

9/20

9/22

-

-

Broad-winged Hawk

8/24

8/17

10/4

10/6

Rough-legged Hawk

11/12

11/23

-

-

American Kestrel

8/30

8/17

-

-

American Coot

10/16

10/11

-

-

Black-bellied Plover

8/26

8/6

10/19

10/19

Lesser Golden-Plover

9/12

9/13

10/3

10/8

Semipalmated Plover

7/31

7/25

9/29

10/6

Greater Yeilowlegs

7/26

7/14

11/5

11/7

Lesser Yeilowlegs

7/21

7/14

10/18

10/25

Solitary Sandpiper

7/23

7/15

9/23

9/22

Spotted Sandpiper

7/17

7/16

10/4

10/25

Sanderling

7/30

7/27

-

-

Semipalmated Sandpiper

7/26

7/21

10/3

10/6

Western Sandpiper

8/4

7/27

10/17

10/26

Least Sandpiper

7/15

7/15

10/5

10/30

White-rumped Sandpiper

-

9/27

10/28

10/19

Pectoral Sandpiper

8/1

7/24

10/24

10/30

Dunlin

10/7

10/5

-

11/3

Stilt Sandpiper

8/13

7/30

9/28

10/6

Short-billed Dowitcher

7/27

7/14

9/10

9/27

8

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42,No.l

Table 1. (Cont.) Median Fall Arrival and Departure Dates, 1985

Arrivals Departures
Species 10-Yr. 1985 10-Yr. 1985

Common Snipe
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Least Tern
Black Tern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Short-eared Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
.Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
“Traill’s" Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
N. Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper .

House Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery

Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Water Pipit
CedarWaxwing
White-eyed Vireo
Solitary Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler

9/17

9/20

-

-

11/19

12/7

11/4

1 1/5

-

-

8/6

7/13

10/10

10/20

8/21

8/14

11/5

11/9

-

10/3

10/12

7/27

7/7

11/9

11/10

-

-

8/19

8/20

8/5

7/27

8/30

9/12

-

-

10/1

10/1

11/22

11/6

-

-

8/21

8/20

9/20

9/18

-

-

10/10

10/10

-

-

9/28

9/25

9/29

9/29

-

-

-

-

10/2

10/4

8/24

8/21

9/20

9/28

-

■

9/18

9/14

8/23

8/17

9/12

9/15

8/23

8/18

9/23

9/26

-

-

10/27

10/20

-

-

9/16

9/13

-

-

9/14

9/5

-

-

9/8

8/30

8/5

8/3

10/19

10/24

-

7/21

9/28

11/17

7/23

7/13

9/14

9/12

-

-

9/6

9/3

-

-

9/28

10/13

9/12

8/30

-

-

10/2

9/27

-

-

-

-

10/12

10/11

10/3

10/7

-

-

10/5

10/9

-

-

9/23

9/28

-

-

-

-

9/16

9/8

8/29

8/27

9/27

10/2

9/20

9/23

10/8

10/13

9/4

9/4

10/14

10/17

10/8

10/12

-

-

-

-

10/9

10/7

-

-

10/23

10/25

-

-

10/16

10/10

10/18

10/6

-

-

8/29

8/27

-

-

-

-

10/2

10/2

9/27

9/29

10/16

10/19

-

-

9/14

9/8

-

-

9/14

9/9

9/15

9/16

9/28

10/8

-

-

10/3

10/6

8/21

8/16

9/14

9/14

8/25

8/19

9/9

9/8

8/29

8/31

10/9

10/11

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

9

Table 1. (Cont.) Median Fall Arrival and Departure Dates, 1985

Species

Arrivals

10-Yr.

1985

Departures

10-Yr.

1985

Nashville Warbler

9/4

9/6

10/9

10/11

Northern Parula

-

-

10/4

10/7

Yellow Warbler

-

-

9/15

9/27

Chestnut-sided Warbler

8/24

8/23

9/28

9/17

Magnolia Warbler

8/29

8/24

10/10

10/11

Cape May Warbler

9/6

9/4

10/9

10/7

Black-throated Blue Warbler

9/3

9/1

10/10

10/12

Yellow-rumped Warbler

9/27

9/29

-

-

Black-throated Green Warbler

9/7

9/9

10/11

10/10

Blackburnian Warbler

8/28

8/23

9/26

9/29

Pine Warbler

-

-

10/2

10/8

Prairie Warbler

-

-

9/18

9/24

Palm Warbler

9/23

9/18

10/24

10/28

Bay-breasted Warbler

9/4

9/9

9/30

10/5

Blackpoll Warbler

9/12

9/12

10/9

10/5

Black&white Warbler

8/19

8/16

10/8

10/4

American Redstart

8/18

8/16

10/7

10/11

Worm-eating Warbler

-

-

9/5

9/12

Ovenbird

8/23

8/17

10/7

10/10

Northern Waterthrush

8/24

8/17

9/25

9/24

Louisiana Waterthrush

-

-

8/27

8/19

Kentucky Warbler

-

-

9/4

9/4

Connecticut Warbler

9/12

9/5

9/29

9/30

Mourning Warbler

9/1

8/23

9/24

9/28

Common Yellowthroat

-

-

10/20

10/14

Hooded Warbler

-

-

9/19

9/19

Wilson’s Warbler

9/5

9/3

9/22

9/15

Canada Warbler

8/18

8/18

9/23

9/17

Yellow-breasted Chat

-

-

9/27

9/10

Summer Tanager

-

-

9/22

9/18

Scarlet Tanager

-

-

10/5

10/5

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

9/6

9/11

10/5

10/5

Blue Grosbeak

-

-

9/19

9/30

Indigo Bunting

-

-

10/6

10/12

American Tree Sparrow

11/5

11/23

-

-

Chipping Sparrow

-

-•

11/2

11/4

Savannah Sparrow

9/25

9/22

-

-

Fox Sparrow

10/31

10/31

-

-

Lincoln’s Sparrow

9/24

9/17

10/19

10/17

Swamp Sparrow

10/2

9/29

-

-

White-throated Sparrow

9/29

9/27

-

-

White-crowned Sparrow

10/14

10/12

-

-

Dark-eyed Junco

10/4

10/3

-

-

Snow Bunting

11/13

10/31

-

-

Bobolink

8/22

8/22

9/25

9/25

Rusty Blackbird

10/17

10/26

-

-

Orchard Oriole

-

-

8/20

8/11

Northern Oriole

-

-

9/19

9/8

Purple Finch

10/2

9/14

-

-

Pine Siskin

10/24

10/26

-

-

Evening Grosbeak

11/2

10/25

-

-

10

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42,No.l

were singles at Tanyard on Oct. 26 (Engle) and at Blackwater on Nov. 30, when there
was also a late Snowy Egret (Armistead + ). There were numerous reports of Little
Blue Herons but the only concentration was 26 at West Ocean City on Aug. 13 (M.
O’Brien). Others were 1 at Triadelphia Reservoir on August 10 (Zucker), 3 immatures
at Loch Raven on Aug. 10 with 1 remaining on Sept. 15 (Simon), 1 in DC on Sept. 2
(Czaplak), through Sept. 17 at Deal Island WMA (Walbeck), an immature near Belle-
vue on Oct. 13 (Armistead) and another immature at Blackwater on Nov. 15 (Swift).
Single inland Tricolored Herons were at Loch Raven on Aug. 11 (Wilkinson) and in
Carroll County at Liberty Reservoir on Aug. 22-25 (Blom, Ringler); the last reported
was 1 on Assateague on Oct. 19 (M. O’Brien). Flocks of Cattle Egrets seen were 51 at
Norrisville on Aug. 31 (Kirkwood), 45 flying south in a vee past Chestertown on the
same day (Gruber) and 83 near Golden Hill on Sept. 8 (Armistead) while others of in-
terest were 5 near Madonna on Aug. 9 (Kirkwood), 1 at Piney Run on Sept. 27 (Harvey)
and another near there on Oct. 20 (Ringler, Mudd), and 1 at Assateague on Oct. 19 (M.
O’Brien). Green-backed Heronsgot little mention but Hilton counted a mediocre 16 at
Lilypons on Aug. 3. There were 2 immature Black-crowned Night-Herons at Tanyard
on Aug. 4 (Engle), 1 at Tilghman Island on Oct. 22 (Reese), 50 at Deal Island WMA on
Nov. 15 (Swift) and 28 at Masonville on Nov. 23 (Ringler). The only report of Yellow-
crowned Night-Heron was 1 at Lilypons on Aug. 3 (Hilton).

Ibises, Flamingo. There were 2 immature White Ibis at Loch Raven on Aug. 2
with 1 remaining through the 9th (Resch + ). A Glossy Ibis was at Leading Point in
Baltimore on Aug. 25-30 (Wilkinson), 1 in DC on Sept. 11 (Czaplak), 1 near Bellevue
on Sept. 29 (Armistead), 1 at Lilypons on Oct. 5 (D. Wallace) and the last at Deal
Island WMA on Oct. 6 (Walbeck). Warfield saw a Flamingo at West Ocean City on
Aug. 16. This is about the sixth flamingo reported in Maryland. All are presumed
to be Greater Flamingoes and all are presumed to have escaped from captivity.

Whistling-Ducks. Richard F. Weber reported seeing a flock of 25-30 Fulvous
Whistling-Ducks at Point Lookout on Nov. 11 and photographing 1 on the beach at
close range, the bird apparently being ill. This species occasionally occurs in the
northeast in late fall either in flocks such as this that do no remain long or as
individual birds that may stay for months.

Swans. The 2 Tundra Swans summering at Hurlock were still present on Oct. 14
(Ringler + ). The major flight of this species passed on Nov. 15 with 450 going over
Germantown that day (Warfield) and the fallout in the mountains the next day
being 13 at the Mountain Lake sewage lagoons (Skipper) and 83 at Rocky Gap
(Simons). At Hooper Island the flock of Mute Swans increased from 38 on Sept. 8 to
82 on Sept. 21 (Armistead, Gus Daniels). There were 2 adult Mutes and an
immature at Williston on Nov. 28 (Short). This may be an inland nesting location.

Geese. An immature Snow Goose was in Howard County from Oct. 7 through the
end of the period and a "Blue" Goose was there from Nov. 13 through Dec. 1 (M.
Wallace). Armistead saw 8 Snow Geese near Bellevue on Oct. 12, 2 “Blues” were at
Loch Raven on Oct. 23 (Simon) and at Blackwater there were 300 "Blues" on Nov. 9
and 900 on Nov. 30 (Armistead + ). The first Brant of the season were about 50
flying past Assateague on Oct. 12 (Czaplak + ) while 1 at Pooles Island on Oct. 30
(J. Gruber) was rare in the northern part of the bay. Walbeck observed 2 flightless
Canada Geese at Deal Island WMA on Sept. 17 and later. Warfield noted flocks
totalling 20 on Sept. 28, 70 on Oct. 12 and 138 on Oct. 20 over Germantown.

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

11

Puddle Ducks. There were 75 Wood Ducks at Pinto on Sept. 12 (Simons). Early
Green-winged Teal included 4 at Eastern Neck on Aug. 30 (Gruber) with flocks of 75
at Deal Island WMA on Sept. 21 (Armistead), 40 at Mockley Point on Oct. 26
(Nistico) and 20 on Loch Raven on Nov. 18 (Simon). Simon’s counts of American
Black Ducks on Loch Raven increased from 8 on Oct. 8 to 78 on Oct. 31 and 180 on
Nov. 1 and his high for Mallards there was 245 on Nov. 17. An early migrant group
of 8 Northern Pintails was at Hart-Miller on Aug. 15 (Ringler + ) followed by 1 at
Tower Gardens on Sept. 6 (Klockner), 1 at Blackwater on Sept. 8 (Armistead) and
others at Deal Island WMA beginning Sept. 9 (Walbeck) increasing to 400 there on
Sept. 21 (Armistead) and 1000 on Sept. 29 (Dyke). Nistico added 20 Pintails at
Mockley Point on Nov. 24. Also at Deal, Armistead estimated 450 Blue-winged
Teal on Sept. 29 while Dyke found 500 there on the 29th. Late Blue-wings were 11
at Tanya rd on Oct. 11 (Engle), 1 off Assateague on Nov. 14 flying south with a flock
of scoters (Warfield), the last at Deal on Nov. 14 (Walbeck) and 3 at Loch Raven on
Nov. 18 (Simon). An early Northern Shoveler was at Tower Gardens on Sept. 8 (M.
O’Brien) and high counts were 55 at Hart-Miller on Oct. 11 and 50 at Hurlock on
Oct. 14 (Ringler + ). Early American Wigeons were 6 at Blackwater on Sept. 8
(Armistead) and at Deal Island WMA on the 9th (Walbeck). Inland flocks of
wigeons were 30 at Piney Run on Oct. 6 (Ringler) and 89 at Loch Raven on Nov. 29
(Simon). At Deal the wigeons increased to 550 on Sept. 21 (Armistead) and 1750 on
Oct. 6 (Dyke) while there were 200 at Mockley Point on Oct. 26 (Nistico). Exotic
waterfowl this fall were a pair of Ruddy Shelducks at St. Michaels from Oct. 9
through the end of the period (Reese) and a drake Mandarin Duck flying with a
flock of Wood Ducks on Nov. 17 (M. O’Brien + ).

Diving Ducks. A crippled Canvasback was at Chesapeake Beach on Aug. 24
(Ringler) and a summering drake was at Sandy Point on Aug. 25 (Klockner). Nistico
estimated 200 Canvasbacks off Mockley Point on Nov. 24. A Redhead on Sept. 13
off Damsite (Gruber) is exceptionally early to be a migrant and may have
summered locally; the 13 at Pinto on Nov. 30 (Simons) were definitely migrants.
Good counts of Ring-necked Ducks began with a drake at Piney Run on Oct. 6
increasing to 75 on Nov. 16 (Ringler) and 5 at Georgetown Reservoir on Oct. 7
increasing to 250 on Nov. 9 (Czaplak), 32 at Deep Creek Lake on Nov. 15 (Skipper)
and 95 at Loch Raven on Nov. 29 (Simon). At Rocky Gap there were 9 Lesser Scaup
on Oct. 11 and 35 on Oct. 23 (Simons), in Garrett County 226 (100 on Deep Creek
Lake and 126 on Mountain Lake sewage lagoons) on Nov. 6 (Skipper) and off
Mockley Point there were 500 on Nov. 24 (Nistico). At Hart-Miller there was a
flock of 6000 scaup containing both Lesser and Greater Scaup on Oct. 19 (Ringler
+ ). The first Oldsquaws of the season were 2 at Ocean City on Oct. 14 (Czaplak).
Inland Oldsquaws were 4 at Loch Raven on Oct. 25 with 8 there on Nov. 16 (Simon),
a drake at Beltsville on Nov. 13-14 with a female there Nov. 16-20 (Sumner), 45 at
Deep Creek Lake on Nov. 16 (Hammers, Webb) and 14 at Rocky Gap the same day
(Simons). Also on the latter date there were 250 at Point Lookout (M. O'Brien).

The following Black Scoters were notable: 1 at Hart-Miller on Oct. 19 (Ringler
+ ), 2 on Conowingo Lake on Nov. 1 (Schutsky, Harold Morrin), 1 at Eastern Neck
on Nov. 1 and 125 there on Nov. 14 (Gruber), 2 on Deep Creek Lake on Nov. 15
(Skipper) and a female at Boonsboro on Nov. 16 (Hammers, Webb) being a new bird
for Washington County. Gruber also estimated 75 Surf Scoters and 250 White-
winged Scoters at Eastern Neck on Nov. 14 while 9 White-wings were at Hart-
Miller on Oct. 19 (Ringler + ). Czaplak estimated 3200 scoters flying past Ocean
City on Oct. 12-14 with the birds divided nearly equally between Blacks and Surfs

12

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42,No. 1

while only 2 White-wings seen. On Nov. 14 Warfield estimated .16,000 scoters
passing Assateague in 81 flocks with other species such as Black Ducks, Blue-
winged Teal, Red-breasted Mergansers, Brant and Double-crested Cormorants
mixed in with them. Of the scoters only about 20 were identified as White-wings.
High counts of Common Goldeneyes were 62 in Allegany County (48 at North
Branch and 14 at Rocky Gap) on Nov. 12 (Simons) and 450 at Hodges Bar off Kent
County on Nov. 14 (Gruber). An exceptionally early drake Bufflehead was at Hart-
Miller on Sept. 28 (Ringler + ) while flocks of 70 at Leading Point on Nov. 20
(Wilkinson), 50 in DC on Nov. 21 (Czaplak) and 150 off Mockley Point on Nov. 24
(Nistico) were the best reported. Early Hooded Mergansers were 1 at North Branch
on Sept. 22 (Simons) and 2 at Hart-Miller on Oct. 11 (Blom); at Loch Raven there
were 18 on Oct. 31 and 64 on Nov. 17 (Simon). A summering Common Merganser
was at Hart-Miller on Aug. 11 (Ringler + ) and early migrants were at Piscataway
on Oct. 26 (Nistico) and 17 at Loch Raven on Oct. 29 (Simon). Teresa Simons also
found 5 Red-breasted Mergansers at Rocky Gap on Oct. 11 and an early Ruddy
Duck on Sept. 22 at North Branch. Other early Ruddies included 16 at Hughes
Hollow on Oct. 4 (Bonham) and 7 at Georgetown Reservoir on Oct. 7 (Czaplak).
Nistico estimated 150 off Mockley Point on Nov. 24.

Table 2. Hawk Migration at Monument Knob, Washington Monument

State Park, Fall 1985

Species

First

Last Total

Biggest Days

Osprey

8/17

11/6

115

13 on 9/28, 9 on 9/12 and 9/29

Bald Eagle

8/24

12/3

5

2 on 9/5, also 1 on 9/1

Northern Harrier

8/27

12/3

113

13 on 11/9, 8 on 10/12, 6 on 11/15

Sharp-shinned Hawk

8/17

12/3

2065

217 on 10/8, 199 on 9/26, 152 on 10/9

Cooper’s Hawk

9/12

11/9

74

6 on 10/6 and 10/19, 5 on 9/30

Northern Goshawk

9/30

12/3

4

2 on 12/3, also 1 on 11/8

Red-shouldered Hawk

8/31

11/24

110

21 on 10/25, 20 on 10/26, 9 on 10/29

Broad-winged Hawk

8/17

10/25

1676

899 on 9/18, 300 on 9/12, 86 on 9/19

Red- tailed Hawk

8/22

12/3

1039

131 on 10/25, 94 on 12/3, 91 on 11/15

Rough-legged Hawk

11/19

1

Golden Eagle

10/25

12/3

3

also 1 on 10/29

American Kestrel

8/28

11/24

56

12 on 10/6, 6 on 10/5, 5 on 9/28

Merlin

10/7

10/9

3

also 1 on 10/8

Peregrine Falcon

9/9

10/19

4

2 on 10/19, also 1 on 10/6

Unidentified

277

Total

8/17

12/3

5545

942 on 9/18, 358 on 9/12, 238 on 10/8

Hours, 403

Vultures , Hawks . See Table 2 for the report from the hawk watch at Monument
Knob. Sam Dyke saw 12 Black Vultures at Fairmount WMA on Nov. 27 and Engle
estimated 400 Turkey Vultures drifting south over Dover Bridge on Sept. 30.
Murphy reported 17 Ospreys migrating past Fort Smallwood on Aug. 31. The
following represent late occurrences for Ospreys at each location: 1 near Parkton
in northern Baltimore County on Oct. 23 (Wilkinson), 1 at Denton on Oct. 27
(Short), 1 at Seneca on Oct. 30 (Warfield), 1 in Howard County on Nov. 9 (Solem,
Farrell), 2 at Loch Raven on Nov. 11 (Simon), 1 at Point Lookout on Nov. 16 (M.
O’Brien) and 1 at Little Creek in Somerset County on Nov. 23 (Dyke). Interesting
reports of Bald Eagles were 1 immature at Fort Smallwood on Aug. 31 (Murphy),
an immature at Hart-Miller on Oct. 5 and 3 birds at Whitehaven in Wicomico

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

13

County on Oct. 14 (both Ringler + ), an adult in DC on Oct. 16-19 (Czaplak), an adult
at Loch Raven Nov. 8-29 (Simon + ) and 1 at Williston on Nov. 28 (Short). The first
migrant Northern Harriers were 1 at Damsite on Aug. 23 (Gruber) and 1 at Pinto
Marsh on Sept. 1 where there were 5 on the 7th (Simons). A high count of 23
Harriers was near Bestpitch in Dorchester County on Oct. 27 (M. O’Brien). There
were several reports of early migrant Sharp-shinned Hawks beginning with 1 that
was banded at Mt. Nebo on Aug. 24 and 1 seen in DC on Aug. 26 (Czaplak), followed
by 1 at Pinto Marsh on Sept. 7 (Simons), 2 at Remington Farms on Sept. 8
(Armistead) and 2 at Kent Point on the latter date (Wilkinson). The Bogdans saw
17 Sharp-shins flying over Ilchester on Sept. 15 and Solem and Farrell saw 11
migrating over other parts of Howard County the same day. The only Northern
Goshawks reported were migrants at Monument Knob. The Bogdans also caught
the major flight of Broad-winged Hawks over the Piedmont on Sept. 15 with 1063 at
Ilchester. Simons counted 729 Broad-wings at Town Hill on Sept. 12 (and also saw
an apparent albino at Dickerson Hollow that day). Wilkinson saw 7 Broad-wings at
Kent Point on Sept. 14 and Czaplak reported a very late individual on Nov. 10 at
Montrose Park in Georgetown. The first Rough-legged Hawk report was at Deal
Island WMA on Nov. 6 (Walbeck) followed by 1 in DC on Nov. 22 (Czaplak), a light-
phase bird in southern Frederick County on Nov. 23 (Anderson) being joined by a
dark-phase individual on the 28th (M. O’Brien) through the end of the month, 1 in
Howard County on Nov. 23 and later (M. Wallace), 1 on Quaker Neck in Kent
County on Nov. 26 (Gruber), 1 at Elliott on Nov. 28 (Ben Yokel) and 2 (1 each light
and dark) near Bestpitch on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). In addition to the Golden Eagles
seen at Monument Knob single birds were reported at Loch Raven on Oct. 27
(Simon), Conowingo on Nov. 12 and later (Schutsky + ), an adult in southern
Frederick County on Nov. 23 (Anderson) and an immature at Blackwater on Nov.
23 (Gary Nelson).

Falcons. American Kestrels drew little comment but Engle noted 8 at American
Corner in Caroline County on Aug. 7 attesting to the early migrant status of this
species. Murphy counted 26 Kestrels passing Fort Smallwood on Aug. 31. Merlin
reports were 1 at Rockville on Sept. 23 (M. O’Brien), 1 on Kent Island on Oct. 5)
(Czaplak, Greg Gough), 5 on Assateague on Oct. 12 (M. O’Brien + ), 1 at Hurlock on
Oct. 14 (Hammers, Wilkinson) and 1 near Bellevue on Nov. 8-9 (Armistead + ).
Scot t f Ward conducted the 16th consecutive year of banding of Peregrine Falcons
on Assateague this fall. A total of 552 Peregrines were observed and 147 were
captured during the season. Of these, 8 Peregrines had been previously banded.
This is the second highest total captures for the 16 years. Other Peregrine reports
were 1 at Tower Gardens on Kent Island on Aug. 25 (Ringler, Blom, Ricciardi)
which probably had wandered from the nearby Bay Bridge nest site, an adult at
Hart-Miller on Oct. 5 (Kaestner + ), 1 at Back River on Oct. 6 (Wilkinson, Hammer)
perhaps the same as the previous bird, and 1 at Blackwater from Oct. 27 (M.
O’Brien) through at least Nov. 5 (Runkles, E. Willoughby).

Rails. The only Clapper Rail reported was 1 at Point Lookout on Nov. 16 (M.
O’Brien). A King Rail was seen at North Beach on Sept. 12 (Betty Kraus). Dave
Wallace saw 2 immature Virginia Rails at Lilypons on Oct. 13, a late record for the
Piedmont. At least 1 Sora was at Rockville from Sept. 23 through Oct. 16 with 2
there on Oct. 5 (M. O’Brien). Another Sora was seen at Masonville on Oct. 5
(Ringler). A Common Moorhen was still at Summit Hall on Aug. 6 (M. O’Brien), Armi-
stead found 3 at Deal Island WMA on Sept. 21, 1 was at West Ocean City on Oct. 19
(M. O’Brien) and 1 was at Sparrows Point in Baltimore County on Nov. 2 (Ringler).
O’Brien also saw 1 American Coot on Aug. 13 at Deal Island WMA where the species

14

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol 42,No.l

has bred. Early migrant coots were 1 at Brandon Shores on Sept. 22 (Wilkinson) and
3 at Piney Run on Sept. 29 increasing to 160 on Nov. 23 (Ringler + ). At Loch Raven
Steve Simon counted 21 coots on Oct. 8, 133 on Nov. 10 and 165 on Nov. 22 while Connie
Skipper estimated 300-500 on Deep Creek Lake from Nov. 15-26 and Nistico
estimated 1000 at Mockley Point on Nov. 24.

Plovers, Oystercatchers, Stilts. Inland Black-bellied Plovers were 1 in breeding
plumage at Liberty on Aug. 19 (Ringler), 1 at Rockville on Oct. 4 (M. O’Brien), 1 in
DC on Oct. 19 (Czaplak) and 2 at Fort McHenry on Nov. 2 (Ringler). Other records
were birds at Deal Island WMA from Aug. 6 through Oct. 2 (Walbeck), 52 at Ocean
City on Sept. 22 (M. O’Brien), 1 at North Beach on Sept. 28 (Kraus) and 3 at Black-
water on Nov. 5 (Runkles, E. Willoughby) and 1 there on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien).
Lesser Golden-Plovers were widespread in small numbers this fall, with 10 counties
plus DC being represented beginning with 2 at Green Manor Turf Farm south of
Sykesville on Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 (Mudd + ) being a first for Howard County.
Others were 13 at Summit Hall Turf Farm on Sept. 11 with a maximum of 16 on the
28th (M. O’Brien) and 5 remaining on Oct. 4 (Bonham), 2 at Hart-Miller on Sept. 12
(Ringler, Kaestner), 3 at Liberty on Sept. 13 with 2 remaining on the 22nd (Ringler
+ ), 2 at Blackwater on Sept. 21 (Armistead, Gus Daniels), 17 at Deal Island WMA
on Sept. 21 (Armistead), 8 in DC on Sept. 22 with 1 remaining on Oct. 4 (Czaplak), 1
at Ocean City on Sept. 22 (M. O’Brien) with 5 there on Oct. 5 (Warfield), 4 at Loch
Raven on Sept. 22 (Simon), 2 at North West Creek on Kent Island on Sept. 22
(Ringler, Ricciardi, Carol McCollough) with 2 there on Oct. 28 (Mudd), 10 at Sandy
Point on Oct. 5 (Gough), 1 on Assateague on Oct. 12 (M. O’Brien) and 2 at Lilypons
on Oct. 13 (D. Wallace). Semipalmated Plovers remained at Deal Island WMA
through Oct. 10 (Walbeck) and a very late bird was at New Road Landing in
Wicomico County on Nov. 3 (Mudd). The only reports of Piping Plovers from
Assateague were 13 on Aug. 2 and 4 on Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien). The first Piping
Plover in Maryland away from the coast or the bay was reported at Loch Raven on
Sept. 27, discovered by Steve Simon and seen later by Bob Dixon. High counts of
Killdeer were 117 at Summit Hall on Aug. 4 (Hilton) increasing to 161 on Sept. 11
(M. O’Brien), 62 at Lilypons on Oct. 19 (D. Wallace), 52 at Pinto on Nov. 17 (Simons),
105 at Liberty on Nov. 17 (Ringler) and 100 at Greensboro on Nov. 23-24
(Fletchers). There were 26 American Oystercatchers at Ocean City on Sept. 22 (M.
O’Brien), a typical number there in recent years. The last Black-necked Stilt
reports from Deal Island WMA were 2 on Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien) and 1 on Aug. 17
(Hayes). The only American Avocets seen this fall were 2 at Hart-Miller on Aug. 15
(Ringler + ).

Sandpipers . A late Greater Yellowlegs was at inland Loch Raven on Nov. 29
(Simon). High counts of Lesser Yellowlegs were 36 at North Branch on Aug. 25
(Simons), 60 at Liberty on Aug. 25 (Blom, Ringler) and 300 at North West Creek on
Aug. 25 (Blom + ) with a late bird being at Lake Needwood in Montgomery County
on Nov. 9 (Hammer). Late Solitary Sandpipers were 1 in Howard County on Oct. 6
(Farrell, Solem), 1 on Newton Neck in St. Marys County on Oct. 8 (Wilson) and 2 at
Ashland near Loch Raven on Oct. 25 (Simon). A surprising 11 Willets, all judged to
be the western race by size, plumage and call, were at Liberty on Aug. 25 (Blom,
Ringler) while others were at Hart-Miller and the latest bird for the season was at
Ocean City on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). Late Spotted Sandpipers were single birds at
Piscataway on Oct. 25 (Nistico), Leading Point in Baltimore on Nov. 2 (Ringler,
Blom, Ricciardi) and at New Road Landing on Nov. 3 (Mudd). Upland Sandpipers
were reported sparingly with 7 in southern Frederick County on Aug. 4 (P.
O’Brien), 1 at Sandy Point on Aug. 7 (M. O’Brien), 3 there on the 13th (Jack Schultz)

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

15

and 4 on Tilghman Island on Sept. 15 with 1 remaining on the 22nd (Reese). The
only Whimbrel away from Hart-Miller was 1 on Assateague on Aug. 13 (M.
O’Brien). Czaplak saw 1 Hudsonian Godwit at Anacostia on Sept. 27 and Sumner
saw 14 circling over Beltsville on Oct. 4 but the latter flock decided not to land and
flew off. A Marbled Godwit was at Hart-Miller on Aug. 11 (Blom + ), 1 on
Assateague on Aug. 13 with 1 there on Oct. 12 and 5 on Oct. 19 (M. O’Brien + ) and
4 at Ocean City on Oct. 12-13 (Czaplak + ) perhaps these being the birds that were
later seen at Assateague. Unusual in DC was a Ruddy Turnstone near the Naval
Research Lab on Sept. 27 (Czaplak). The first inland Maryland record of Red Knot
was 1 in breeding plumage at Liberty on Aug. 19 (Ringler) another at an unusual
location was at North West Creek on Sept. 6 (Klockner). At Assateague there were
20 knots on Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien) and 13 on Oct. 12 (Czaplak + ).

Rare inland were 3 Sanderlings at Liberty on Sept. 21 (Ringler). Interesting re-
ports of Semipalmated Sandpipers were 12 at Point Lookout on Aug. 1 (Wilson), 100
at Dover Bridge on Aug. 31 (Engle) and 2 late birds at Blackwater on Nov. 5
(Runkles, E. Willoughby). A Western Sandpiper was at Loch Raven on Aug. 12 and
31 (Simon) and late birds were 3 at North Branch on Nov. 16 (Simons) and 15 at
Blackwater on Nov. 30 (Armistead + ). Walbeck reported Least Sandpipers at Deal
Island WMA through Oct. 17, the high count at Liberty was 30 on Aug. 22 (Ringler)
and 20 late birds were at Blackwater on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). There were 3 White-
rumped Sandpipers at Liberty on Sept. 29 (Ringler) with 2 remaining the next day
(Wilkinson) and very late were 3 at Blackwater on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). Baird’s
Sandpipers were very scarce this year with singles at Liberty on Aug. 25-26 (Blom,
Ringler, Wilkinson) and 1 at North Beach on Sept. 12 and 30 (Kraus). Interesting
reports of Pectoral Sandpipers included 12 at Point Lookout on Aug. 1 (Wilson), 8 in
DC on Sept. 27 (Czaplak), 15 at North Branch on Oct. 4 (Simons), 4 at New Road
Landing on Nov. 3 (Mudd) and 1 at Hooper Island and 6 at Blackwater on Nov. 9
(Armistead + ). An early Dunlin was on Assateague on Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien),
another was in DC on Oct. 20 (Czaplak), 20 at New Road Landing on Nov. 3 (Mudd)
and an estimated 1000 at Blackwater on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). The first confirmed
record of Curlew Sandpiper in Maryland was 1 at Hart-Miller on Oct. 19 (Kaestner
+ ), which will be reported more fully in a separate article.

Approximately 175 Stilt Sandpipers remained at Hart-Miller through Aug. 15
(Ringler), this by far the most reported in the state. Continuing the superb year for
Stilt Sands were 2 at point Lookout on Aug. 1 (Wilson), 29 at Deal Island WMA on
Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien), 22 at Sandy Point on Aug. 25 (Klockner) and a record-high
inland count of 10 at Liberty on the latter date (Blom, Ringler). All the Buff-
breasted Sandpipers this fall were single birds within an 11-day period with 1 at
Hart-Miller on Sept. 12 (Kaestner, Ringler) 1 at Leading Point on Sept. 15-16
(Wilkinson, Hammer) and 1 at Liberty on Sept. 22 (Mudd, Ringler). There were 3
Short-billed Dowitchers at Point Lookout on Aug. 1 (Wilson), 1 at Greenbelt Lake
on Sept. 22 (Jack Wennerstrom) and 1 in DC on Sept. 27 (Czaplak) in addition to the
birds reported at Liberty and Hart -Miller. Long-billed Dowitchers were reported
as follows: 1 at Liberty on Oct. 13 (Mudd), 4 at Blackwater on Oct. 5 (Czaplak,
Gough) increasing to 19 on Oct, 27 (M. O’Brien) and 2 remaining on Nov. 30
(Armistead + ) and 1 in DC on Oct. 23 (Czaplak). Early Common Snipe were 1 at
North Branch on Aug. 25 (Simons) and 1 at Deal Island WMA on Sept. 7
(Walbeck). It was an exceptional year for Wilson’s Phalaropes beginning with 2 at
Deal Island WMA on Aug. 2 (M. O’Brien) and 1 at Martingham in Talbot County on
Aug. 10 (Reese). The prime spots for this species were North West Creek with a
peak of 10 on Aug. 31 (Blom, Ringler, Ricciardi) and Hart-Miller with a high of 6 on

16

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42.No. 1

Oct. 11 (Ringler + ). The latest away from the latter site was 1 at Hurlock on Oct.
14 (Hammer + ). This is the greatest appearance by Wilson’s Phalaropes in
Maryland with record-high counts established. Red-necked Phalaropes, which are
rarely reported from land in Maryland, were also well-represented though only by
single birds at Deal Island WMA on Aug. 13-19 (M. O'Brien, Hammers), North
West Creek on Aug. 28 (Wilkinson, Hammer) and Hart-Miller on Sept. 12
(Kaestner, Ringler).

Jaeger, Gulls. A Parasitic Jaeger roamed the Potomac River in the DC area from
Sept. 7 through Oct. 21 (Czaplak + ). High counts of Laughing Gulls were 140 in DC
on Aug. 31 (Czaplak), 500 on Newton Neck in St. Marys County on Sept. 3 (Wilson),
300 remaining at Back River on Nov. 24 (Ringler) and 225 still at Blackwater on
Nov. 30 (Armisteads). Inland Laughing Gulls were at Loch Raven, Oct. 10-27, with
48 there on the 25th being the most ever seen inland in the state (Simon), 6 at Lake
Kittamaqundi on Oct. 27 (Farrell, Solem) and 2 at Beltsville on Nov. 3 (Ringler). An
adult Franklin’s Gull was reported at Loch Raven on Oct. 27 (Kaestner + ), a first
for the Piedmont. Simon found 3 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Loch Raven on Oct. 26 and 2
there the next day, 1 was at the Mountain Lake sewage lagoons on Nov. 16
(Skipper) and 34 off Love Point on Nov. 26 (Gruber). Czaplak’s high counts in DC
were 1000 Ring-billed Gulls on Sept. 27 and 1300 Herring Gulls on Nov. 9. A
Herring Gull at Oldtown on Oct. 4 (Simons) was rare for western Maryland and an
estimated 8000 Herring Gulls were near Salisbury on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). In
addition to the Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Hart- Miller the DC bird returned for
its sixth winter starting on Sept. 27 when it was seen at Hains Point (Czaplak), and
the Fort McHenry bird returned for its eighth winter from Oct. 5 (Ringler). Other
Lesser Black-backs were an adult at Ocean City on Oct. 12 (Czaplak), an adult at
North Beach on Nov. 1 (Stasz), 2 adults at West Ocean City and 3 (an adult and 2
near-adults) near Salisbury all on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). At the latter site O’Brien
also found an immature Glaucous Gull on Nov. 29. Reports of Great Black-backed
Gulls on Oct. 8 were 1 at Loch Raven (Simon) and 71 at Point Lookout (Wilson). The
surprise gull of the season was an immature Black-legged Kittiwake photographed
at North Beach on Nov. 1 by Stasz.

Terns, Skimmers. The only report of Gull-billed Tern was 1 at Assateague on
Aug. 13 (M. O’Brien). The peak count of Caspian Terns at Hart-Miller was 400 on
Oct. 5 (Ringler + ); other sightings included 15 at Sandy Point on Aug. 25
(Klockner), 30 in DC on Sept. 21 with 1 late bird there on Nov. 7 (Czaplak) and 1 at
Hooper Island on Nov. 9 (Armistead + ). Though Royal Terns are not regular
breeders in the state they have been wandering north in increasing numbers in
recent years and have also been staying later into the early winter. St. Marys
County being the closest to any breeding colonies gets the lion’s share of the Royal
Terns and Wilson counted 86 there (5 at Point Lookout and 81 at Point No Point)
on Sept. 3; other counts at Point Lookout were 45 on Aug. 24 (Ringler), 40 on Oct. 6
and 23 on Nov. 16 (M. O'Brien). In Calvert County there were 35 at Chesapeake
Beach and 2 at Cove Point on Aug. 24 (Ringler) and 33 at Chesapeake Beach on
Nov. 11 (Stasz). Farther north in the bay Royals numbered 2 at Sandy Point on
Aug. 25 (Klockner), and peaked at 8 at Hart-Miller on Oct. 5 (Ringler + ), 10 near
Bellevue on Oct. 13 (Armistead) and 6 at Rock Hall on Nov. 1 (Gruber). Other
sightings were 45 at Ocean City on Oct. 13 (Ringler + ) and 5 at Hooper Island on
Nov. 9 (Armistead + ). On the coast 2 Sandwich Terns were seen at Assateague on
Aug. 2 (M. O’Brien) and 6 at Ocean City on Aug. 10 (Sumner); an extraordinary 7
were at Scotland Beach in St. Marys County on Aug. 24 and later (Ringler + ) and 1
at Tilghman Island on Oct. 6 (Don Meritt).

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

17

The high count of Common Terns was 250 in the Point Lookout- Scotland Beach
area on Aug. 24 (Ringler). Late Common Terns were 2 on an Ocean City pelagic
trip on Sept. 21 {Naveen + ), 1 at Matapeake on Sept. 22 {Ringler), 1 near Bellevue
on Oct. 12 (Armistead), 1 at Ocean City on Oct. 13 (Ringler + ) and 2 at Chesapeake
Beach on Nov. 11 (Stasz). This species typically departs in large numbers in early
September leaving very few stragglers. Large numbers of Forster’s Terns congre-
gate throughout the bay region after the breeding season. Non-
breeders begin arriving at these sites in June and are soon joined by juveniles and
adults from nearby colonies. High counts of Forster’s Terns this fall were 1000 at
Hart- Miller on Aug. 15 (Ringler + ), 310 at Bivalve on Aug. 19 (Hammers), 500 at
Hooper Island on Sept. 8 and 175 still there on Nov. 9 (Armistead + ), 200 at Sandy
Point on Oct. 5 (Czaplak, Gough), 250 in St. Marys County (24 at Point Lookout, 213
at Tanner’s Creek, 13 at Point No Point) on Oct. 8 (Wilson), 461 at Rock Hall on
Nov. 1 (Gruber), 50 near Bellvue on Nov. 10 (Armistead), 222 at Chesapeake Beach
on Nov. 11 (Stasz) and 275 at Point Lookout on Nov. 16 (M. O’Brien). Other reports
of Forster’s Terns were 8 at Hog Island Marsh in Caroline County on Aug. 1
(Engle), 1 at Lilypons on Oct. 5 (D. Wallace) and 9 in DC on Nov. 8 (Czaplak). The
only Black Terns reported away from Hart- Miller were 8 (5 adults and 3
immatures) at Hodges Bar on Aug. 15 (Gruber) and 1 at Piney Run in Carroll
County in September (Mudds). Armistead estimated 40 Black Skimmers at Hooper
Island on Sept. 8 and other reports in the bay region were 1 adult at Sandy Point
on Oct. 13 (Klockner) and Nov. 24 (Hammer + ), 2 immatures in DC on Oct. 24
(Czaplak) and 2 at Point Lookout on Nov. 16 (M. O’Brien). At Ocean City 275
skimmers remained on Oct. 13 (Ringler + ).

Cuckoos, Owls. A Black-billed Cuckoo, rarely reported in fall migration, was
banded on Sept. 13 at St. Timothy’s. Czaplak noted his first migrant Yellow-billed
Cuckoos with 2 in DC on Aug. 17. Short-eared Owl reports began with the first at
Deal Island WMA on Oct. 20 (Walbeck) followed by 1 at Masonville on Nov. 23 24
(Ringler + ) and 2 at Elliott on Nov. 28 (Ben Yokel). A Northern Saw-whet Owl was
banded on Oct. 14 at Damsite and another on Nov. 9 at Laurel.

Goatsuckers. Early migrant Common Nighthawks were 1 at Lyons Creek in
Anne Arundel County on Aug. 10 (Ringler + ) and 1 at Woodlawn in Baltimore
County on Aug. 14 (Wilkinson). High counts of nighthawks were 30-50 near Glenelg
on Aug. 27 (McClures), 153 in DC on Aug. 30 and 50 still present on Sept. 23
(Czaplak), 700 at Beltsville on Aug. 30 and 900 at Lanham on Sept. 2 (Murphy), 1139
at Rockville on Sept. 2 (Bob Augustine), and 60-80 near Mt. Airy in Howard County
on Sept. 3 (Orgain). Single late nighthawks were in Howard County on Sept. 24
(Harvey), near Catonsville on Sept. 28 (Wilkinson) and an extraordinary and
controversial individual was seen by many observers in DC from Oct. 29 through
Nov. 15 (Czaplak + ). The latter was thought at first to be another species, but
color photographs later revealed its true identity as an adult female Common
Nighthawk (see Birding 18 (3): 169-173). A Chuck-will’s-widow, a bird not often
netted, was banded at Damsite on Aug. 13 and single Whip-poor-wills were also
banded there on Sept. 12 and 14.

Swifts, Hummingbirds, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers. The high count of Chimney
Swifts reported was 200 at Lake Needwood on Oct. 7 (M. O’Brien), and the latest
was in Frederick on Oct. 22 (D. Wallace). The first migrant Ruby-throated
Hummingbird noted was 1 in DC on Aug. 17 (Czaplak) and late birds were 1 banded
at Damsite on Oct. 4 and a very late bird in Denton on Oct. 23 (Nuttle). Reese found
10 Belted Kingfishers at Tilghman Island on Aug. 18, an unusually large number

18

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol 42, No. 1

for that date. An immature Red-headed Woodpecker, certainly a migrant, was in
DC on Sept. 28 where 19 was the high count of Common Flickers on Sept. 29
(Czaplak).

Flycatchers, Larks . Olive-sided Flycatcher reports this fall were 1 in DC on Aug.
17 (Czaplak), 1 at Laurel on Aug. 31 (Murphy), 2 at Summit Hall on Sept. 15
(George Jett) and 1 at Seneca on Sept. 20 (M. O’Brien). Late Eastern Wood-Pewees
were 1 at Denton on Oct. 12 (R. Fletcher) and 1 photographed at Patuxent River
Park on Oct. 31 by Bill Portlock (see American Birds, 40 (1): 95). An incredible 33
Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were banded at Damsite between Aug. 23 and Oct. 4
with 12 on Sept. 14, and at Mt. Nebo another 14 were banded from Aug. 21 to Oct.
1. A very early Yellow-belly was banded at PWRC on Aug. 5, and at Adventure 19
were banded from Aug. 16 through Sept. 30. Despite these impressive banding
statistics very few were seen in the field; 1 at Tower Gardens on Aug. 31 (Blom,
Ringler, Ricciardi), 1 at Rockville on Sept. 11 (M. O’Brien) and 2 at Point Lookout
on Sept. 14 (M. O’Brien, Gough) were the only ones reported. An extraordinarily
late Least Flycatcher was banded at Adventure on Oct. 22. A tardy Western
Kingbird was seen at Eastern Neck on Nov. 3 (Droege, Murphy). The only high
count of Eastern Kingbirds noted was 18 at Centennial Lake in Columbia on Aug.
17 (Solem, Farrell); 3 late migrants were at Elliott on Sept. 8 (Armistead) and an
extraordinarily late 1 was at Rockville on Oct. 5 (M. O’Brien). The Horned Lark
flock in southern Frederick County peaked at 300 on Nov. 17 (M. O’Brien).

Swallows . Solem and Farrell estimated 125 Purple Martins at Centennial Park
on Aug. 17 and a late 1 was also in Howard County on Sept. 15 (Chestem). High
counts of Tree Swallows were 2000 at Blackwater on Sept. 8 (Armistead), 100 at
Riverside on Sept. 15 (Ringler, Hammers), 168 in St. Marys County on Oct. 8
(Wilson) and 3543 near Vienna on Oct. 27 (M. O’Brien); late birds were 5 at
Federalsburg on Oct. 29 (Fletchers) and 1 at Eastern Neck on Nov. 10 (Harvey).
Late Northern Rough-winged Swallows were singles at Lilypons on Nov. 11 (D.
Wallace), along New Design Road in southern Frederick County on Nov. 17 (M.
O’Brien) and at Piscataway on Dec. 1 (Nistico). Armistead estimated 140 Bank
Swallows at Blackwater on Sept. 8. Migrant Cliff Swallows, which are rarely seen,
were 1 at Remington Farms on Aug. 10 (Hammers), 11 at Pinto on Aug. 25
(Simons), 1 at Tower Gardens on Aug. 31 (Ringler) and 3 in southern Dorchester
County on Sept. 8 (Armistead). Late Barn Swallows were numerous this fall with
single birds spotted at Sandy Point on Oct. 12 (Nistico), Berlin on Oct. 13 (Ringler
+ ), Easton on Oct. 14 (Ringler + ), Blackwater on Oct. 19 (M. O’Brien), in Howard
County on Oct. 24 (M. Wallace) and near Madonna on Oct. 29 (Kirkwood).

Corvids, Nuthatches . The only report of migrant Blue Jays was 200 at Mt. Nebo
on Sept. 28 (Skipper). Armistead’s estimates of Fish Crows near Bellevue were 500
on Oct. 12 and 26, and 300 on Nov. 10. Red-breasted Nuthatches moved into the
state in late August, and most of the early reports belong to the Hammers and
Wilkinson. Together they found single birds on South Mountain in Frederick
County and along the Potomac in Washington County on Aug. 31, 2 at Wolf Swamp
on Sept. 1 and 1 at Dan’s Rock on Sept. 2. Earlier the Hammers got 3 at Janes
Island State Park on Aug. 23 and Wilkinson saw 1 at Back River on Aug. 25. The
only other August reports were single birds on the 29th at Harford Glen
(Kirkwood) and Denton (Nuttle).

Creeper, Wrens . A Brown Creeper at Summit Hall on Aug. 6 (M. O’Brien) was
probably from a nesting area nearby on the C & O Canal. A probable breeding

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

19

Sedge Wren was at Deal Island WMA on Aug. 8 (P. O’Brien) and 5 were in for the
winter at Irish Grove on Nov. 16 (Swift). Migrant Marsh Wrens were single birds in
DC on Sept. 14-28 (Czaplak), at Rockville on Oct. 23 (M. O’Brien) and at Lilypons on
Nov. 11 (D. Wallace).

Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, Thrushes, Thrashers. An estimated 60 Golden-crowned
Kinglets were at Sandy Point on Oct. 12 (Nistico + ). Late Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
were 4 at Pinto on Sept. 9 (Simons) and 1 in DC on Sept. 15 (Czaplak). An early
Veery was at Damsite on Aug. 19 (Gruber) where the last 1 was banded on Oct. 4,
and another late Veery was in Greensboro on Oct. 2 (Hewitt). Armistead banded 2
Gray-cheeked Thrushes near Bellevue on Sept. 28 and saw 8 there the next day. At
Adventure a previously banded Gray-cheek repeated in the nets on the very late
date of Oct. 26. The first Swainson’s Thrushes of the season were banded at
Adventure on Aug. 17 and 21, and at Mt. Nebo on Aug. 22. Armistead estimated 60
near Bellevue on Sept. 29, and the last of the season was 1 in DC on Oct. 28
(Czaplak). An early migrant Hermit Thrush was banded at Mt. Nebo on Sept. 28
and a very late Wood Thrush was banded at Adventure on Oct. 25. Czaplak
estimated 145 American Robins in DC on Nov. 9 and saw a late Gray Catbird there
on Nov. 10 and a late Brown Thrasher on Nov. 18. Connie Skipper also found a late
Brown Thrasher, but in Garrett County at Turkey Neck on Nov. 15.

Pipits, Waxwings, Shrike. An extraordinarily early Water Pipit in breeding
plumage was at Hart- Miller on Sept. 12 (Kaestner, Ringler) and another was at
Rockville on Sept. 24 (M. O’Brien). Flocks of pipits were 100 near Madonna in
October and later (Kirkwood), 40 at Liberty Reservoir on Oct. 20 (Ringler), 40-50 at
Bray Hill on Oct. 30 (Skipper) and 150 in southern Frederick County on Nov. 28 (M.
O’Brien). A Cedar Waxwing banded at St. Timothy’s on July 29 may have been an
early migrant or a representative post-breeding dispersal bird. Other early
migrants were 1 near Bellevue on Aug. 10 (Armistead) and 2 at Liberty on Aug. 22
(Ringler). Armistead’s waxwing count near Bellevue on Nov. 10 was 200. The only
migrant Loggerhead Shrike reported was at Pinto Marsh on Aug. 30 (Simons).

Vireos. Late Solitary Vireos were 6 at Pinto Marsh on Oct. 19 and 1 at North
Branch on Oct. 24 (Simons), 1 that repeated in the nets at Adventure on Oct. 25,
and 1 at Bray Hill on Nov. 5 (Skipper). A late Warbling Vireo was banded at
Adventure on Sept. 24. The first Philadelphia Vireo report was 1 at Violet’s Lock
on Sept. 7 (Stephen Jones) followed by 1 in DC on Sept. 15 (Czaplak) and another at
Violet’s Lock on Sept. 17 (M. O’Brien). Bandings of Philadelphia Vireos at Mt. Nebo
numbered 7 from Sept. 17 through Oct. 12 and Adventure banded 2 on Sept. 20.
Late bandings of Red-eyed Vireos were on Oct. 12 at Adventure and Lyons Creek,
and Oct. 18 at St. Timothy’s.

Early Warblers. Early migrant warblers were 2 Blue-winged Warblers banded at
Damsite on Aug. 13, a Chestnut-sided Warbler in DC on Aug. 17 (Czaplak) and
another at Granite in Baltimore County the next day (Ringler), 2 Magnolia
Warblers in DC on Aug. 15 (Czaplak), single Cape May Warblers banded at PWRC
on Aug. 24 and Mt. Nebo on the 25th and another seen on Kent Island on the 28th
(Wilkinson, Hammer), a Black-throated Blue Warbler banded at PWRC on Aug. 22,
a Palm Warbler banded at Adventure on Sept. 5 and 3 seen at Pinto Marsh on the
7th (Simons), a Black-and-white Warbler banded at PWRC on Aug. 4 along with an
American Redstart and an Ovenbird, another Black-and-white at Piney Run on Aug.
10 and another Redstart in Carroll County on Aug. 3 (Harvey), a Redstart and an
Ovenbird banded at Damsite on Aug. 12, Wilson’s Warblers banded at Mt. Nebo on

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MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol42,No. 1

Aug. 22 and St. Timothy’s on Aug. 26, and a Canada Warbler banded at Damsite on
Aug. 12.

The only Golden-winged Warblers reported were bandings at PWRC on Aug. 31
and Mt. Nebo on Sept. 8. The Mt. Nebo station also took top honors for Tennessee
Warblers by banding 134 between Aug. 21 and Oct. 9. Orange-crowned Warbler
reports were single bandings at Adventure and PWRC on Oct. 8, 1 at Rockville on
Oct. 22 (M. O’Brien) and 1 at Masonville from Nov. 23 through Dec. 7 (Wilkinson
+ ). High counts of Palm Warblers were 4 on Kent Island on Sept. 14 (Wilkinson,
Hammer) and 8 on Assateague on Oct. 12 (Czaplak + ). The extreme dates for
Connecticut Warbler were both bandings at PWRC — on Aug. 28 and Oct. 14. Other
banded Connecticuts were 10 at Adventure, Sept. 5-29, 3 at Mt. Nebo, Sept. 6-26, 2
at St. Timothy’s on Sept. 22 and Oct. 1 and others at Lyons Creek from Sept. 6
through Oct. 13. Only 3 observations of Connecticuts were made beginning with an
early 1 at Mt. Nebo on Aug. 31 (Skipper), 1 in Hazen Park in DC on Sept. 18
(Czaplak) and 1 at Sandy Point on Oct. 13 (Klockner). The Mt. Nebo station covered
the spread on Mourning Warblers by banding 12 between Aug. 21 and Oct. 9 while
6 were banded at Damsite from Aug. 23 to Sept. 14 (3 on Sept. 12), 2 at Adventure
on Sept. 25 and 28, and others at PWRC, Sept. 7-25. The only sightings of
Mourning Warblers were 1 at Rockville on Sept. 24 (M. O’Brien) and 1 at Lake
Roland on Oct. 5 (Harvey).

Late Warblers. The mild weather during the second half of the season is
probably responsible for the great number of warblers recorded on late dates.
Blue-winged Warblers were banded at Mt. Nebo on Sept. 11, Lyons Creek on Sept.
14 and Damsite on Sept. 23, and an exceptionally late male was seen in DC on Sept.
29 (Czaplak). Late Tennessee Warblers were banded on Oct. 19 at PWRC and Oct.
25 at St. Timothy’s. Late Nashville Warblers were banded on Oct. 23 at Adventure
and Oct. 25 at St. Timothy’s. The last Northern Parulas were seen in Howard
County on Oct. 11 (Harvey) and near Bellevue on Oct. 26 (Armistead). A late Yellow
Warbler was in DC on Sept. 27 (Czaplak). The last Chestnut-sided Warbler was
banded at PWRC on Oct. 11 and the last Magnolia Warbler on Oct. 18 there. Black-
throated Blue Warblers were conspicuously tardy this fall and bandings occurred
on Oct. 17 at Damsite, Oct. 18 at St. Timothy’s, Oct. 23 at Adventure and Oct. 25 at
PWRC. The last Yellow-rumped Warbler in Garrett County this fall was 1 at Bray
Hill on Oct. 29 and 3 Black-throated Green Warblers were seen at Mt. Nebo on Oct.
10 (Skipper). October reports of Blackburnian Warblers were Charles County on
the 1st (Nistico), banded at Lyons Creek on the 5th, 1 in DC on the 6th (Czaplak),
and banded at Mt. Nebo on the 9th. The last Yellow-throated Warbler was seen on
the C & 0 Canal on Sept. 15 (Gus Daniels). Rare any time in Garrett County was a
Pine Warbler banded on Sept. 29 at Mt. Nebo. Other late reports of Pine Warblers
were 7 on Newton Neck in St. Marys County on Oct. 8 (Wilson), 1 banded at PWRC
on Oct. 18, and 1 seen at Back River on Nov. 24 (Ringler). Sept. 20 was very late for
a Prairie Warbler in Garrett County banded at Mt. Nebo. Other late Prairies were
1 in DC on Sept. 29 (Czaplak) and 1 banded on Oct. 9 at PWRC. Late Palm
Warblers were banded at PWRC on Oct. 25, 1 in DC on Nov. 28 (Czaplak) and 1 at
Blackwater on Nov. 29 (M. O’Brien). A Blackpoll Warbler was seen at Oxon Hill on
Oct. 25 (Nistico). A Black-and-white Warbler was banded on Oct. 16 at PWRC. An
American Redstart was in DC on Oct. 20 and another was banded at Adventure on
the 25th. The last Prothonotary Warbler reported was 1 at Federalsburg on Sept. 9
(Glime). Late Worm-eating Warblers were banded on Sept. 15 at PWRC and Sept.
17 at Adventure. Reese saw a late Ovenbird at Easton on Oct. 16. A Northern
Waterthrush was banded on Oct. 7 at PWRC. A Common Yellowthroat was at Piney

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

21

Run on Oct. 20 (Harvey). A Hooded Warbler banded at Mt. Nebo on Sept. 25 was
very late in Garrett County. Yellow-breasted Chats are usually gone by mid-
September but 1 was banded at Lyons Creek on Oct. 5, 1 repeated in the nets at
Adventure on Oct. 23, and 1 was in DC on Nov. 18 (Czaplak).

Tanagers, Emberizines. Summer Tanagers are rarely banded but 1 was caught
at Lyons Creek on Sept. 14, and a late Scarlet Tanager was banded at Adventure
on Oct. 12. The last Blue Grosbeaks were 1 banded at Damsite on Oct. 3 and 1 seen
in Rockville on Oct. 25 (M. O’Brien). Indigo Buntings remained later than usual.
After a high count of 25 at Rockville on Sept. 26 (M. O’Brien) birds were banded at
Mt. Nebo on Oct. 12, Adventure and Damsite on Oct. 13, Lyons Creek on Oct. 17
and St. Timothy's on Oct. 25. The only Dickcissel report was 1 in Rockville on Oct.
4-5 (M. O’Brien).

Sparrows. The first American Tree Sparrow of the season was at Piney Run on
Nov. 9 (Harvey). Simons estimated 50 Chipping Sparrows on Green Ridge on Oct. 4
at the peak of migration and a late individual was at Camp Hashawha in Carroll
County on Nov. 29 (Harvey). Two reports of Clay-colored Sparrows were received,
1 in Rockville on Oct. 1-5 and the other on Assateague on Oct. 12 (both M. O’Brien
+ ). Migrant Vesper Sparrows are rarely reported in the fall but 1 was at Leading
Point on Oct. 20 (Wilkinson). Among the early Savannah Sparrows this year were 2
at Sandy Point on Sept. 8 and 1 in Rockville on Sept. 12 (M. O’Brien), 1 banded at
St. Timothy’s on Sept. 13 and 3 at Tower Gardens on Sept. 22 (Ringler + ). Also
among the migrants that are rarely reported in fall migration were a Grasshopper
Sparrow in Rockville on Sept. 26 and a Sharp-tailed Sparrow there on Oct. 23-28
with 2 on the 25th (M. O’Brien). Early Fox Sparrows were 1 in Ocean City on Oct. 13
(Resch + ) and 1 at Pinto on Oct. 18 (Simons). Lincoln’s Sparrows were banded at
PWRC from Sept. 10 through Oct. 17 and at Mt. Nebo from Sept. 15 through Oct.
10. Observations of Lincoln’s Sparrows included 1 at Mt. Airy in Frederick County
on Sept. 29 (Runkles), 6 at Pinto Marsh on Oct. 25 (Simons), 1 in DC on Oct. 26 and
15 at Rockville over the period of Sept. 17 through Oct. 23 with 4 on the former
date (M. O’Brien). Early migrant Swamp Sparrows were 1 in DC on Sept. 15 and 1
banded at Adventure on Sept. 18; high counts were 15 at Pinto Marsh on Oct. 6
(Simons) and 67 at Rockville on Oct. 22 (M. O’Brien). An early White-throated
Sparrow was seen at Mt. Nebo on Sept. 20 (Skipper) and the first was banded there
two days later. Early White-crowned Sparrows were an adult at Rockville on Sept.
25 (M. O’Brien) and 1 near Bellevue on Sept. 29 (Armistead). An early Dark-eyed
Junco was at Point Lookout on Sept. 14 (M. O'Brien).

Longspurs, Buntings. Lapland Longspurs were seen in southern Frederick
County beginning with 2 on Nov. 17 and were present at least through Nov. 28
with 6 on that date (M. O’Brien + ). The first Snow Buntings were 3 at Hart- Miller
on Oct. 26 (M. O’Brien + ) followed by 5 at Deal Island WMA from Oct. 30 through
Nov. 14 (Walbeck) and 1 at Eastern Neck on Oct. 31 (Gruber). Others in November
were 1 at Sandy Point on the 11th (Klockner), 5 in southern Frederick County on
the 17th with at least 2 through the 24th (M. O’Brien) and 14 at Rock Hall on the
22nd (Gruber).

Icterines. The high count of Bobolinks was 160 in southern Dorchester County
on Sept. 8 (Armistead) and a late 1 was at Rockville on Oct. 14 (M. O’Brien). Yellow-
headed Blackbirds are being reported with increasing frequency in the state and
this fall there were 2 at Blackwater on Oct. 19 (Don Merritt), an adult male at Belts-

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MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42,No. 1

ville on Oct. 28 through Nov. 2 {Sumner + ), and a male at Fulton on Nov. 9 (Ches-
tem) and Nov. 10 {Mudd). The only Rusty Blackbirds reported were an early 3 at
Rockville from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 (M. O’Brien), 4 in DC on Oct. 26 (Czaplak) and
6 were banded at Damsite on Nov. 2 where 3 Orchard Orioles were banded on Aug.

19. Barbara Ross found a Northern Oriole dead in her net at St. Timothy’s on Nov.

20, apparently killed by a hawk.

Finches. Purple Finches moved south early in small numbers with 1 flying over
PWRC on Aug. 28 (Droege) and 5 at Pinto Marsh on Sept. 2 {Simons) being the
first. Other early arrivals of Purple Finches were 1 banded at Mt. Nebo on Sept.
3, 1 in Howard County on Sept. 13 {Harvey), banded at St. Timothy’s on Sept. 14, 1
at Point Lookout on Sept. 14 (M. O’Brien) and 2 at Kent Point on Sept. 14
(Wilkinson, Hammer). Gruber estimated 150 House Finches at Rock Hall on Nov.
19. A few Red Crossbills were reported with 3 {a male and 2 females) at Sandy
Point on Oct. 6 (Nistico + ) and a male on the C & 0 Canal near Glen Echo on Nov.
26 (Bob Russell). Dave Harvey photographed 2 Common Redpolls at his feeder in
Sykesville on Nov. 3 and 6 were in Greenbelt on Nov. 10-15 (Nancy Csider). Teresa
Simons found 3 very early Pine Siskins on Green Ridge on Sept. 12 but the next
report was 2 at Assateauge on Oct. 12 (M. O’Brien). Other October reports of
siskins were DC on the 16th (Czaplak), Sudlersville on the 26th (Sumner) and Bray
Hill, 1 on the 30th (Skipper). High counts of siskins were 35 in DC on Nov. 3
(Czaplak) and 75 at Rock Hall on Nov. 19 with 500 American Goldfinches (Gruber).
Evening Grosbeaks were widely distributed and several early arrivals were noted
beginning with Sept. 27 at St. Timothy’s (Ross), Oct. 13 at Beltsville (Sumner), 4
banded at Adventure on Oct. 17, Howard County on Oct. 25 (M. Wallace), Allegany
County on Oct. 25 with 15 on Green Ridge and 5 at Pinto (Simons), 20 at Bray Hill
on Oct. 26-27 (Skipper), 20 in Baltimore County at Woodstock on Oct. 27
(Wilkinson) and 6 at Blackwalnut Point on Oct. 27 (Hammers). Other reports of
grosbeaks in November showed increasing numbers with 50 at Rockville on the
11th and 47 at Point Lookout on the 16th (M. O’Brien), 12 at Denton on the 19th
(Nuttle) and 250 at Rock Hall on the 19th (Gruber).

3501 Melody Lane, Baltimore, Md. 21207

KING RAILS BANDED AT THE
PATUXENT WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER
Brooke Meanley

During the period 1965-1970, I banded 55 King Rails (Rallus elegans) in the
marshy-shrub swamp sections of several impoundments at the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, located between Laurel and Bowie, Prince George’s County,
Maryland. Frank McGilvrey banded five King Rail chicks in the same area in the
course of banding Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa). Most of the rails that I banded were
local breeding adults and their offspring. From six to eight pairs nested at the
Center during those years.

March 1986

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

23

Birds were captured in two-cell All-Purpose or Cloverleaf Traps, with two off-
set entrances and drift fences leading to the entrances or funnels. Twelve Virginia
Rails ( Rallus limicola) and 17 Soras (Porzana Carolina) were also caught in the
traps, as were an occasional Common Snipe ( Gallinago gaUinago ), Black Duck
(Anas rubripes). Wood Duck, Least Bittern (Ixobjychus exilis), and Red-winged
Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus). An adult King Rail and eight chicks approxi-
mately two weeks of age, caught in a trap on July 8, 1966, was the largest catch at
one time in any of the traps.

Forty-three of the King Rails that I banded were trapped in June and July. Most
of the adults were in various stages of molt. Rails, like ducks and geese, molt their
wing and tail feathers simultaneously and thus are flightless for about a month.
The earliest record of a flightless adult was July 7, 1965.

Several recaptures were of interest. An adult banded July 3, 1965, was
retrapped July 8, 1966, approximately 50 feet from where it was banded the pre-
vious year. An adult banded August 13, 1967, was caught in the same trap on June
24, 1968. A six-week old chick banded July 12, 1968, was recovered in the same
impoundment as late as December 12, 1968. An immature banded at one of the
impoundments on September 23, 1965, was found dead at a Red Fox (Vulpes fulva)
den on May 17, 1968, approximately one mile from where the rail was banded.
King Rails have occurred only rarely at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in
the 1980s.

P.O. Box 87, Fishersville, Vcl 22939

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE IN
NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY
EnuK A. T. Blom and Robert F. Ringler

On October 23, 1983 the authors observed a Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tri-
dactyla) at Hart-Miller, the dredge spoil impoundment about one mile east of
Miller’s Island in the Baltimore County section of the Chesapeake Bay. Also
present was Mr. Kicker, a birdwatcher from Albany, New York who had driven
down in hopes of seeing the Eared Grebe ( Podiceps nigricollis) seen there the
previous week.

We were approaching the crossdike at the center of the impoundment when we
saw the bird flying south over the crossdike. It was raining moderately hard, and
the wind was southeast at 10-20 m.p.h. When first seen the bird was about 50-70
yards away. It was in view for about a minute, and after it had passed in front of us
we were looking straight into the wind and could see almost nothing. Because of
conditions, no attempt was made to take notes on the spot. The following descrip-
tion is taken from descriptions made after returning to shore. The authors made
independent notes, but agreed on the identification at the time of the sighting. Mr.
Kicker left as soon as we landed, and did not provide any documentation.

First impression was of a Ring-billed Gull ( Lams delawarensis) by size. There
was an obvious dark M pattern across the back, formed by dark outer primaries

24

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol.42,No. 1

and a connecting dark bar from the wrist on the leading edge of the wing almost to
the joint of the body and the trailing edge of the wing. The rest of the wing was
clean and pale (gray or white), palest on the trailing edge of the wing. There was no
brown or black color on the trailing edge of the wing. The head was white with a
dark spot behind the eye and a dark half collar on the nape. The collar was thin.
The tail was white, square, with a distinct, thin, dark terminal band. The body
appeared all white. Color of bill, eye, and leg were not seen. The flight was steady
and direct. The wings appeared moderately long.

Size, the pattern of the upperparts and the spot behind the eye eliminated all
but the smaller, hooded gulls. All of those were ruled out by the lack of dark on the
trailing edge of the wing. This is the second report of Black-legged Kittiwake
outside of Worcester County.

1618 Somerville Road, Bel Air, Md. 21014
3501 Melody Lane , Baltimore, Md. 21207
[This record has been accepted by the MOS Bird Records Committee — Ed.]

CONTENTS, MARCH 1986

Limpkin in Howard County, Maryland Joanne K. Solem 3

Great Blue Heron Takes Clapper Rail Guy W. Willey 4

The Season — Fall Migration, Aug. 1 — Nov. 30, 1985 ...Brooke Meanley 22

Black-legged Kittiwake in Northern

Chesapeake Bay Eirik A. T. Blom and Robert F. Ringler 23

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 Fern wood Dr., Severna Park, Md. 21146
James Stasz, 14741 Oden Bowie Rd., Upper Marlboro 20772
Mailing: Montgomery County Chapter

Headings: Schneider Design Associates, Baltimore