H3>ii[[ztui oj' tfiz Armistead MARYLAND BIRDLIFE L, mill ^PuStisfUd cjuaxtexty fay t/ie l. 24 T No 4 ging on their tails but less prominent crests. I called Dick Kleen and Jan Reese about this record, and they both indicated that it was unusual for the Talbot area. I did not look for the birds, but on Oct. 4, I visited Mrs. Camper and she was able to show me a nest in a mature Loblolly Pine almost di- rectly above the spot where she had found the young. This nest was about 20 feet above the ground on a horizontal limb and about six or se- ven feet out from the trunk. At first I thought it was a House Sparrow nest because it was made of grasses and was so bulky, but the location was strange for a nest of this species. Later I checked the literature and found that it fit the descriptions of waxwing*s nests very closely. The nest site was an open, mixed grove of Loblolly Pines, Red Cedar, and scattered deciduous trees surrounded by open fields but adjacent to forested areas. Stewart and Robbins (Birds of Maryland and D.C., Wash., D.C., Dept. Interior, 1958* p* 257) describe the Cedar Waxwing as a rare breeder in the Western Shore and Eastern Shore sections. Other records of interest listed in Maryland Bird life include the following: previous Eastern Shore nesting activity has been recorded in Kent County on July 1, 195® by Daniel Gibson ("young being fed in nest'*, M3 15 :11, March 1959 and in Caroline County on May 8, 1956, by I Bilbrough ("carrying string ... at Greensboro", MB 13:15, March 1957- September nesting has been recorded in Baltimore County on September 28, 1961, by Mrs. Jean Worthley ("nest with three large young**, MB 18:19, Sept. 1962) and in Howard County, Sept 5-20, 1965 , by Miss Gloria Souder (MB 21:115-116, Dec. 1965)* As far as I can determine, the present nesting activity repre- sents the first breeding record for Talbot County and one of the latest as well as most southern for the state. There are few breeding records for the Maryland coastal plain, but a species as irregular as the Cedar Waxwing may turn up anywhere. "Rigby's Folly", Bellevue, Talbot County GULL-BILLED TERNS AT BLACKWATER Henry T. Armistead On Sunday, August 18, 1968, at about 1 p.m. I observed three Gull-billed Terns ( Gelochelidon nilotlca ) feeding and flying around the headquarters pond of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dor- chester County. This is the first record of this species for the county as well as for the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. At first I dismissed the three birds as Common Terns upon my ar- rival at the pond, and I immediately began scoping the more conspicu- ous assemblage of some 75 Common and Snowy Egrets and Little Blue Herons. However, one of the terns uttered the typical, katydid-like call, and I realized my oversight and quickly sighted my scope to the Gull-bills, checking their moderately notched tails, thick black bills. December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFS 95 slow flight, pale coloration, and other distinctive features. One of them dived and caught a minnow although the literature usu- ally stresses that these birds are more apt to hawk for insects over fields and marshes than dive for fish as do most other terns. Three Forster's Terns and one Least Tern were also in the area to afford comparison. Shortly after I arrived the three Gull-bills rose over the loblollies and disappeared in the direction of the refuge observa- tion tower. A later check of the marshes south of the refuge and a- long the Blackwater River failed to turn them up again. I have previously seen these birds in seven states from New Jersey to Texas. I was surprised not to be able to locate any records in the li- terature for the Gull-billed Terns on the Eastern Shore of the Bay. Stew- art and Robbins ( Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia . Wash. , D. C* , U. S. Dept. Interior, 1958, P- 162) describe them as "casual in tidewater areas in the Western Shore" and list five records there. On the other side of the Delmarva Peninsula three were seen as far up the Delaware River as Port Penn, Del. , on the late date of September 30, 1961 (by Seal T. Brooks) and they have also been reported from the Bombay Hook Refuge. Other records recorded in Audubon Field Notes in- dicate they have nested in at least three localities in New Jersey; at Brigantine Refuge (1 nest on Aug. 13, 1961 by C. Hardy and 1 nest on July 19, 1964 by E.D. Bloor) , Atlantic City (2 nests during July 1962 by W. Saveli), and Stone Harbor (l nest on July 7, 1962 by E. D. Kun- kle et al. ). In spite of these more northern records in N. J. and the "inland" Del. records, this species does not appear in large numbers anywhere in the Delmarva region, although the following moderate sized colonies have recently been located* 50 pairs. Fisherman's Island, Va. , June 19, 1961, by C. C. Steirly 55 pairs. Cedar Island, Va. , July 8, 1962, by Fred R. Scott 40 pairs. Fisherman's Island, Va. , July 1, 1966, by Mrs. F. C. Burford Records of Gull-billed Tern nests have been conspicuously absent for the last ten years or so in the nest summaries of Maryland Bird - life . Seven nests were reported from the coast in the 1957 summary, but in 1958 Chandler Robbins reported that "the adult population ap- pears to be decreasing" ( Maryland Birdlife 14:??, Sept. 1958). The last breeding record in the state was of two 1958 nests in Sinepuxent Bay found by Robert E. Stewart During the summer of I960 David 3ridge and John S. Weske saw only one Gull-billed Tern in a series of visits to Maryland coastal areas. It seems likely in view of these many peripheral records that more records of Gull-bills from the Bay side of Maryland's lower Eas- tern Shore may be forthcoming if there is increased birding activity there during the warmer months. Certainly the extensive marshes and low shoreline of Somerset, Wicomico, and Dorchester Counties should prove more attractive to Gull-bills than the more frequently studied Western Shore localities where these terns have been observed. Rigby's Folly', Bellevue, Talbot County 96 MARYLAND BIKDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 BIRD BANDING OPERATION RECOVERY IN MARYLAND, 1968 Mel Garland If you were to stretch mist nets as the crow flies from Ocean City to Oakland and leave them up for one hour you would have approximately the coverage that Maryland handers devoted to Operation Recovery in 1968. Lots of nets and lots of walking resulted in lots of birds. A total of 18,134 individuals of 118 species were "banded during September, October, and the first three days of November. The fall migration banding program was originally planned with. the premise that birds banded at northern stations would be recovered at more southern points on their migration routes. The number of banded birds so recovered is negligible; however, the 1968 O.R. season in Mary- land was highlighted by the capture of four birds that had been banded at other stations. Three birds, a Great Crested Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, and Song Sparrow, were banded north of Maryland. The fourth, another Brown Creeper, traveled north and west from Ocean City to Damsite. Maryland stations have gained the reputation of making the most of the bird in the hand. Again this year, most birds were measured, weighed, checked for fat deposits, and examined for skull ossification, plumage characteristics and/or iris color. Just taking from the nets, banding, weighing, measuring, checking for fat and determining age and sex of 5,171 Myrtle Warblers (the most common species this year) gives one an idea of the tremendous task of operating the O.R. stations. Add to this the picking of leaves from nets; the replacing of nets after originals were destroyed by wind; retying of a net a deer went through; cleaning collecting cages; photographing; bridge building across streams and swamps; meeting and informing the public and slapping mosquitoes and you have a picture of what it is to operate a banding station to study mi- grating birds. Table 1. Summary of O.R. Bandings in Maryland, 1968 Station Net -hours New Birds Commonest Species Total Species Damsite 16,958 77034 Myrtle Warbler 94 Monkton 626 308 Junco 43 Ocean City 20,995 10,390 Myrtle Warbler 107 St. Michaels 1,927 402 Robin 4:1 Totals £2,50(6 iSTiF Myrtle Warbler 118 December 19 68 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 97 The 1968 bandings are summarized in Table 1. In addition, each station leader has contributed a brief report of his or her station and the outstanding nappenings there. Rt. 2, Box 3^5B, Cumberland Damsite On September 9 E,M. and I started erecting our net poles and by Sep- tember 10 had the main area nets set. This territory is along the Chesa- peake Bay bank north of Tolchester, where raspberry, blackberry and bay- berry bushes, cherry, dogwood and locust trees furnish food, while pine and cedar trees supply cover. It was here we discovered a Cedar Waxwing nest in a cherry tree and banded the adult and one fledgling; this was a first for Damsite and perhaps for Kent County. The second section was a line of five nets set between a row of boxwood and the garden asparagus plot. The third line of nets was in the Preserve area where weeds flourish, and pines, cedars, bayberry, wintergreen, dogwood, sumac, sas- safras, cherry, oak and locust trees are entwined with honeysuckle, trumpet -vine and briars. Later we added ten nets in a wooded area along the lake bank, two in the marsh, and finally in October did some "spot" netting along the back entrance road which runs between a corn and lespedeza field, and also around a small man-made pond in that same area. We used NEBEA nets, 30 mm. alternated with the standard 36 mm. (one and one -half inch). And like Fred Scott, we found an increase this year of birds taking sizes 0 and 1 bands and a decrease in those taking the larger LB and 1A bands. We had our usual high rate of net damage by deer, hawks, owls, dogs, racoons, turtles and this year a "twister" caught us and destroyed a line of ten brand new nets, uprooted trees, twisted the aluminum poles, and turned over an outbuilding, but spared both houses and garages. Other than this freak storm and one rainy day, we ran a minimum of 17 nets, maximum of 47, from dawn to dusk. The loyal regular helpers, Kane, Emerine and Delario, were on hand one day a week to help at the nets, while two newcomers, Pat Taylor and Kitty Buckley, came for a few days of record keeping. A special bit of good luck was to have Jack Linehan arrive to observe, but stay for a week end to band; and Lina Whiteside from Scottsville, Va., was my relief for two days in September. October found us with business picking up, but Mel Garland arrived to Share the responsibilities of banding and processing while the Hack- mans set up housekeeping for themselves at Dollsite and shouldered the task of running nets during the day and compiling summaries at night. With this terrific crew added to the "one day a week" regulars and Mar- garet Whithum replacing Pat Taylor and Kitty Buckley, we sailed through every day of October except the 19 th, and on through November 1, 2 and 3» Total for the season, 55 days. On November 3 when the smoke cleared away, we had callouses on our fingers and a total of 7>034 new birds banded of 94 species in 18,958 net -hours. We had 815 repeats and returns and 3 foreign retraps: 98 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 24 , No. 4 Brown Creeper Il6-56l97 from Island Beach, N. J. Brown Creeper 116-53306 from Ocean City, Md. Song Sparrow 102-174700 from Tinicum Marsh, Philadelphia, Pa. Among my own returns I welcomed hack a regular winter guest white - throated Sparrow, 33-130197, handed in 1963 and who has ’’come home’’ every winter since. A Myrtle Warbler, 110-14774, handed on October 25, 1964, returned on November 22, 1966, and again on October 31, 1968. Slate - colored Juncos were frequent returns, and an 8 -year -old Carolina Chicka- dee was the Senior Citizen of 1968. Two new species were added in 1968: Eastern Bluebird and Vesper Sparrow. The species handed in the largest numbers were: Myrtle Warbler 2,105, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 466, Slate - colored Junco 463, White -throated Sparrow 362, Song Sparrow 265, Purple Finch 238, and Swainson’s Thrush 174. And to keep up our record. Saw- whet Owl 10. Detailed weather reports were kept, all birds were "skulled” to determine age, and 97$ were fully processed. A Rose -breasted Grosbeak needing nursing care became quite a pet before his damaged wing healed and he gained his freedom. A homing pigeon also kept us company for ten days before he flew back home to his owner in Wilmington, Delaware. Besides the "twister" mentioned earlier, ws were witnesses to a tragic freighter -barge collision on the Bay directly in front of the house when two men were lost. In spite of busy days— our busiest was October l4 with 581 birds — we did do a little beach combing, a little fishing, and a great deal of good eating. Owing entirely to the supreme effort on the part of all who gave so generously of their time and talents, 1968, our ninth year of banding here, will go down as a banner year. A very special thanks to E.M. , Mel, and the Hackmans, and hurrahs for all the "back-up" crew. D. A. Mendinhall, Damsite, Chestertown Monkton Most of the banding was done on l6 days in October, for nets were operated on only 7 days in September. Anywhere from 1 to 10 nets were used for a total of 626 net -hours. I banded 308 individuals of 43 spe- cies. The best days were October 12, when 55 "birds were banded, and October 27, with 38 birds. Since most of the banding was in October, and there was an influx of large flocks of Slate -colored Juncos, I banded more juncos in October than during any other October since 1955^ which was the second winter of banding at Monkton. The six highest species were Slate -colored Junco 102, White -throated Sparrow 57, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 24, Cardinal 15, Carolina Chickadee 13, and Chipping Sparrow 13. There were 97 repeats and 23 returns. A Chipping Sparrow that was banded on October 9, 1966, returned on October 26, 1968. Of the 7 juncos December 1968 Maryland birdlife 99 that returned to Monkton from previous years , the oldest was one banded in January of 1965. Stephen W. Simon, Monkton Ocean City After some telephoning and a trip to Ocean City, permission was ob- tained from the new owner of the property to set up our Operation Recov- ery banding station for 1968. One -third of our former station was in the process of being leveled and filled in to make building lots, so 13 new net lanes had to be cut through briars and Poison Ivy. The station was opened on September 4 by Messrs. Paul and Danny Bystrak, with the help of Steve Marshall, and by the 5"th, 25 nets had been set up and the station was in full swing. The boys had to leave on September 8 to return to school, and Mrs. M. Donnald, Mrs. Bradley Fisk, Mrs. A. Pepper and Chan Robbins came down to band for the next ten days. September was a warm month but a good month despite the smaller number of nets in operation and the constant noise of the bulldozers all day long for six days a week. Our total for September was 3,831 birds banded of 89 species. Leading species for September were: American Red- start 460, Swainson’s Thrush too. Red -eyed Vireo 258, Northern Water - thrush 175* Yellowthroat Vjb > and Yellow-shafted Flicker 153* We added one new species — Green Heron. An adult Brown Creeper, II6-53306, that we banded on September 28 (weight 8.9 grams) was recaptured at Damsite on October 9 (weight 8.5 grams). We had our first foreign retrap, a Great Crested Flycatcher, 75 “1^0074, banded by Mr. Robert Yunick at the Island Beach, New Jersey, 0,R. Station. Mr. Yunick was too busy on September 1^ to do any more than put a band on this flycatcher. We caught it 13 days later (Septem- ber 27) and recorded a wing measurement of 89 mm., fat class of 3 (ex- ceptionally fat for a flycatcher), and weight of 39. 3 grams. It would have been even more interesting if only Mr. Yunick had fully processed this bird. This shows we should make every effort to process all birds we band. October was a warm month with no hurricanes forcing us to close and with few strong cold fronts. We caught an unusual number of Red- breasted Nuthatches (ill), but had no heavy flight of White -throated Sparrows or Slate -colored Juncos as we have had in previous Octobers . Totals for October were 5,9^2 birds of 89 species. Myrtle Warbler led with 2,604; next were White -throated Sparrow 3^2, Slate -colored Junco 26l, Swainson's Thrush 212, Golden -crowned Kinglet 212, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 20^, Hermit Thrush 198, and Gray-cheeked Thrush 129* We kept the station open through November 3 this year. Our total for the season was 10,390 birds of 107 species banded as compared with 19^7 when we banded 10,817 of 120 species. We had 8 banders and some new helpers this year. This was our lkth year, and as in other recent years we wonder If it will be our last at 100 M&RYIANL BIRDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 this location. Again it is my pleasure to thank all the people who helped band, process, and do the many chores that go "with running a good O.R. station. To the people who could not be with us this year: we missed you. Gladys H. Cole, 625 Valley Lane, Towson Ocean City Operation Recovery 1968. Photos by L. M. Debing St. Michaels A dry fall season permitted the operation of a banding station at St. Michaels (same location as in 19&7) for 57 days between August 2b and November 4. Six to eight 30 mm. mesh mist nets were employed for a total of 1,927 net -hours. Nets were generally operated for a few early morning hours daily prior to October, but the netting schedule was changed to late afternoon thereafter. October 12 and November 2 proved to be the two most productive days. A total of 402 new bandings of 4l species were made in 1968 for an average of 0.20 new birds per net -hour. The most frequently captured species were Robin 77 > Myrtle Warbler 56 , Cardinal 56 , and White -throated Sparrow 56 . Predominance of the Robin was enhanced by an excellent natural supply of berries. Grains, seed plants, and insects were reason- ably plentiful also. Of the new birds captured, 388 were fully processed with the exception of weighing. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the 1968 St. Michaels banding station was the number of returns. Of the 5^ birds recaptured, 13 (24$) were birds returning for the first time since they were banded in the fall of 1967 . Jan Reese, St. Michaels December 1968 101 MARYLAND BIRDLIFa) THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE V. Ddwin Unger In recent weeks I've spent considerable time on our newly- acquired marsh sanctuary studying boundaries and making tentative plans. The prolonged Indian Summer has added immeasurably to the pleasure of the tasks. Here on the sanctuary, I've eaten my lunch in a clearing far removed from the sight and sound of modern civilization. As I leisurely ate my lunch, fleecy clouds drifted across the sky - but not alone. A Sharp-shinned Hawk hovered about and Hack Ducks whirred by in twos and threes. A Cooper's Hawk dashed across the open space and into the pines, klyrtle Warblers darted here and there, dining upon the berries of the Wax Myrtle, with an occasional insect taken on the wing. Deer had been here the night before as evidenced by their footprints. Somewhere, just out of sight, they were dozing — cr chewing their cud in o_uiet contentment. Resuming my scouting of the area, I passed through a stand of timber and came upon a tract of seedling pine, emerging finally upon the tidal marsh, so aptly called the "nursery of the sea." From this particular vantage point, it is possible to view the greater portion of our marsh - a vast panorama interlaced with meandering streams and marked here and there with ponds and wooded hummocks. As my eyes swept the scene, I seemed to sense here something elemental, something almost primordial. Here for generations, life had been generated, had matured and had fulfilled its mission by creating new life. Man had not yet altered to any extent the topography of the area, nor its flora and fauna. In recent years there had been some harvesting of fish, shell- fish and game, but the lower forms of life, including the microscopic and the plant life must have been much the same as now for hundreds of years . back at the lunch site, man had once tried to wrest a living from the soil but had long ago given up. There remains only the dilapidated ruins of the buildings, together with one lone pear tree heavily laden with fruit. While the thought of failure of human endeavor is a sad one, there is, in this case, another side. This attempted enterprise was bound to encroach upon the vital habitat of the adjacent marsh. The failure ended that threat, at least temporarily, and our purchase makes it final. Federalsburg 102 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE THE SEASON Vol. 2k, Mo. b JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 1968 Chandler S. Rollins As fall approaches, we keep a close eye on the progress of cold fronts and the cold temperatures, northerly winds and clear skies that generally follow them. If the fronts reach as far south as Pennsylvania or Maryland we can expect migrants to arrive from the north. A vigorous summer cold front swept through the northeastern States on July 1, dropping temperatures generally into the forties and fifties as far south as Pennsylvania on July 3 _ 5- The first cold front was followed ly another on July 6 and still another on the 10th. Although the cool weather did not penetrate into the Maryland lowlands, Garrett County had cool nights during much of the month, and extremes as low as 34° were recorded in the Pennsylvania mountains. This premature fall- like weather should have triggered the Beginning of the fall migration of songbirds --especially some of the swallows and warblers. But whether it actually did cannot be established from the migration records at hand. It takes observers as well as birds to establish early migration records; and since the observers and banders are not conditioned to respond to early July cold fronts, the beginning of the fall migration phenomenon generally goes undetected. The cold front that crossed the Free State on July 28 was followed by record-breaking cold in the states just north of us; Philipsburg, Pa., hit 37°. Most of the August fronts stalled before reaching us; but two well organized cold fronts did penetrate our area, one on the night of Aug. 10-11, the other on Aug. 25. The latter brought a heavy influx of transient songbirds to the Kent Point Operation Recovery Station, which was the only O.R. station that was active that early in the season. The bulk of the September migration was concentrated in three periods Sept. 8, Sept. 12 -lh , and Sept. 27-30* following passage of powerful cold fronts on Sept, 7* 11 ; and 26. Dolly was the only hurricane to grace our weather maps during the 3 -month period, and she remained far out to sea, shielded from the American shore by a cold front. The absence of coastal storms resulted in a rainfall deficiency, which was especially acute on the Lower Eastern Shore. Table 1 summarizes, by counties, the first arrival dates of fall transients and winter residents. The October species will be summarized December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 103 Table 1. Fall Arrival Dates, 1968 Fred Balt Howd Mont Pr.G Anne Kent Caro Q.An Talb Dorc Wore Double -cr . Cormorant 0 0 0“ ~o“ 0 0 cT 0 0 5730 9729 Common Egret 0 8/10 0 8/12 -- — 8/28 7/19 0 8/18 8/18 -- Broad -winged Hawk 9/21 9/ 8 9/ 7 9/17 9/17 -- 0 -- 0 9/13 0 0 Sparrow Hawk 9/15 — 9/ 5 8/2 6 9/29 -- 9/ 3 8/16 8/25 8/l8 8/l8 -- Semipalmated Plover 9/21 9/ 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8/18 9/ 1 JM Upland Plover -- 8/21 0 0 0 0 0 8/20 0 0 0 S712 Spotted Sandpiper 7/30 7/ 4 8/12 -- — 7/ 5 — 7/23 -- 7/27 8/18 7/ 4 Solitary Sandpiper 7/30 -- 8/16 8/13 -- -- 8/20 0 7/20 0 8/18 Greater Yellowlegs 9/21 8/23 0 0 0 0 0 -- 8/26 -- 8/18 7/13 Lesser Yellowlegs 8/12 8/20 0 0 0 0 8/31 -- 0 9/ 8 9/ 1 8/ 5 Pectoral Sandpiper 1/30 9/ 7 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 7/23 Semipalmated Sandpiper 9/21 8/20 0 0 0 0 9/ 2 0 0 8/31 9/ 1 7/ 4 Sanderling 9/ 2 9/ 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 8/27 9/ 8 9/15 7/24 Yellow-billed Cuckoo — 9/ 8 9/ 6 9/ 7 9/28 — — 9/16 9/14 9/ £ 8/24 8/18 Black -billed Cuckoo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8/10 9/13 8/30 0 9/ 2 Common Nighthawk 0 8/21 8/21 S/TT -- — 0 ^/29 0 — -- ^/2l Yellow-shafted Flicker 9/28 9/21 8/29 8/27 — 9/13 — — 9/22 9/29 9/ 1 Yellow-bel. Sapsucker 9/2 9 9/29 9/22 10/ 1 9/29 9/23 9/20 -- -- 9/29 9/29 9/l3 Eastern Phoebe — 9/29 10/ 1 9/19 9/2 7 9/21 9/27 -- 9/14 9/29 9/29 9M Yellow-bel. Flycatcher 0 8/23 0 0 0 0 0 0 8/26 9/12 0 9/' £ Traill's Flycatcher -- “S725 0 0 0 0 0 0 "872T 0 0 9/ 3 Least Flycatcher 0 0 8/27 9/13 0 0 0 0 8/26 8/31 0 9/ 3 Tree Swallow 7/30 0 0 7/21 0 0 8/ 8 9/ 1 — 7/20 8/18 B/2T Bank Swallow 8/12 0 0 0 -- -- 8/25 7/20 8/18 0 Blue Jay 9/29 -- 9/15 9/17 9/17 — 9/22 -- 9/13 9/22 9/29 9/4 White -breasted Nuthatch -- 10/13 -- — — ■9728" 9/11 9/17 9/13 9/14 ^729 9/14 Red -breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Swainson's Thrush 9/ 5 8/19 10 / X. 9/29 9/ 3 9/28 8/28' 10/13 9 / 8 8/ 9 8/31 9/27 9/29 9 / 4 9/19 9/22 9 / 2 W25" 10/12 9/23 8/12 9/17 9/ 9 9/27 10/ 6 - 10/13 9/28 9/26 9/28 9/29 ~ 9/ 5 9/27 10/ 9 9/27 9/17 9/26 9/26 “972^ 9/29 9/22 9 / 8 8/10 9/13 8/27 1713' 8/25 10/ 5 9/13 8/25 9/29 9. . 9/29 9/i4 9/29 9/1. — i 9/29 5727 9/29 9/13 9/29 9ZIH 9/ 1 9/T 9/29 9/r Gray-cheeked Thrush Veery Golden -crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Cedar Waxwing 0 0 L0/ 9 L0/ 3 9/10 ^719 9/ 5 10/10 9/16 8/ 7 Loggerhead Shrike Solitary Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Black -&-white Warbler Worm-eating Warbler 0 0 10/ 4 0 10 / 2 9/ 3 8/28 8/22 8/28 9/14 0 8722 0 9/7 10/ 59/7 9/28 8/29 ~ ^ 2 £ 9/16 9/ 1 8/30 Blue -winged Warbler Tenessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Parula Warbler Yellow Warbler 0 L0 / 3 Magnolia Warbler 9 /” "5 8/22 9/l4 Cape May Warbler 0 0 10/ 4 Black -thr. Blue Warbler L0/ 3 9/l4 9/ 7 Black -thr -Green Warbler 9/16 8/27 8/31 Blackburnian Warbler — 9/ 1 8/22 O "W 1 0 0 9j 1 9 0 8/26 8/31 0 9 1 0 8/28 0 0 ^13 9/17 -- 9/14 — Til 9/29 9/ 4 0 9/“S Chestnut -sided Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Palm Warbler Ovenbird 9/19 9/25 9/22 0 9715" 8/27 9/21 0 9/29 0 8/27 8/30 9/ 7 - 97 “ 5 " 9/15 9 / 6 0 6 97^ 0 9/30 9/28 9/i4 3,0/ 6 10/ 2 9/21 8/27 0 9/ 5 8/15 9/16 Northern Waterthrush Connecticut Warbler Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler American Redstart Bobolink ~ Baltimore Oriole Rose -breasted Grosbeak Purple Finch Rufous -sided Tcwhee 0 9/22 9/10 0 9/10 0 0 0 0 9/19 8/24 8/21 8/17 8/22 8/17 8/26 <7~ 97I5 - 0 0 9/ 4 8/31 — g— 9/16 9/18 9/15 8/27 9/ 8 io/l4 9 / 2 - 9/15 10/11 - 8/15 9/27 8/27 9/28 10/30 -- 10/14 “ 9725~727 9/29 9/21 0 0 - 9/20 Slate -colored Junco White -thr. Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow 9/19 9/19 9/19 9/19 10/ 9 9/22 9/19 0 0 9/27 10/10 9729" 9/27 0 10/ 6 io4 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 in the next issue, as will the fall departure dates. Many members whose names do not appear heyond the present paragraph contributed heavily to the dates presented in this table. Altogether, well over 100 persons contributed directly or indirectly to the dates given here. As is our custom, we thank each contributor for helping to make this table possible; and we individually acknowledge those members who supplied the largest number of observations: Frede rick County — John W. Richards, William Shire y, Sarah Baker, William Corliss; Balti more City and County — Stephen W. Simon, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Krahe, Mrs. Richard D. Cole, C. Haven Kolb, Mrs. Robert E. Kaestner, C. D. Hackman, Mrs. Joshua Rowe; Howa rd County — Mrs. Harry B. Rauth, Morris Collins, Mrs. G. C. Munro; Montg omery — Mrs. Peg Frankel, Robert W. Warfield, Mrs. Well Cooley; Prince Georges-- Mr. and Mrs. Chandler S. Robbins; Anne Arundel — Paul and Danny Bystrak, Prof, and Mrs. David Howard, Burton Alexander; Kent — Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mendinhall, Mrs. Arline Delario; C arol ine — Marvin W. Hewitt, Mr, and Mrs. A. J. Fletcher, Ethel Engel; Queen Annes — Paul and Danny Bystrak; Talbo t — Jan Reese, Harry Armistead; Dorch ester- -Harry Armistead; Worcester — Samuel H. Dyke, Robert W. Warfield and the following banders at the Ocean City Operation Recovery station: Mrs. Richard D. Cole, Mrs. Bradley Fisk, Danny and Paul Bystrak, Mrs. M. B. Donnald, Chandler S. Robbins, and Mrs. Aldridge Pepper. Underscored dates represent banded birds. Grebes , Shearwaters and Petrels . A high count of 17 Pied -billed Grebes at the Deal Island Wildlife Management Area in Somerset County on Aug. 24 suggests that this species may nest there (Harry Armistead). On a boat trip between 5 and 22 miles east of Ocean, City on Aug. 25, Jan Reese and party counted 13 Cory's Shearwaters and 66 Wilson’s Petrels. H erons and Ibises ♦ All Maryland species except the Wood Ibis were reported during the period, although high counts were limited to the Lower Eastern Shore. Top tallies were as follows: 76 Green Herons, 5 6 Snowy Egrets, 11 Louisiana Herons and 44 Glossy Ibis in Somerset County on _ Aug. 24 (Armistead); l6 irn. Little Blue Herons at Blackwater Refuge on Sept. 29 (Armistead); a flock of 65 Cattle Egrets near Sassafras in Kent County on Sept. 2 (Mr. and Mrs. Armistead); and 56 Common Egrets in the Blackwater area on Aug. l8 (Armistead). A Least Bittern, the first for Caroline County, was seen in the Choptank River marsh at Tanyard on July 21 by W. and E. Engle and V. Edwin Unger. A late inland Glossy Ibis was seen at Denton on Sept. 5 by Mrs, A. J. Fletcher. An immature White Ibis observed at Loch Raven Dam in Baltimore County on Aug. 10, 17, and 22 by James Emerson is only the fourth of this species to be identified in Maryland. There were more fall flocks of Cattle Egrets in Maryland than ever before, with flocks of several dozen noted in August and Sep- tember in Somerset, Wicomico and Kent Counties, and a flock of 6 in Tal- bot County (Armisteads, Frank Megargee, Paul Bystrak, Robbins). A late Yellow -crowned Wight Heron was at Lake Roland on Sept. 26 (Mrs. Raymond Geddes ) . Swans and Geese . The pair of Mute Swans on Linchester Pond in Caroline County raised 4 cygnets this simmer; all 4 were still present on Sept. 5 (Marvin Hewitt). Canada Geese began returning unusually early, with the first floek of 12 sighted in Kent County on Aug. 29 (Col. and December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 105 Mrs. Mulford Brandt) and with 25 in Talbot County on Sept. 3 (Don Meritt). The main flight, however, was late, as Armistead found only about 250 at Blackwater and Hoopers Island on Sept. 29. Ducks . There were several early arrivals of ducks. Six Pintails at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area and 1 at Fairmount Wildlife Management Area, both in Somerset County on Aug . 24, were two days ahead of the earliest State arrival record (Armistead), 2 American Widgeon in Talbot County on Aug . 24 (Reese) broke the State record for that species by four days, and 2 Green-winged Teal in Talbot County on July 27 knocked eleven days off the record for that species (Reese). Wot record-breaking, but nevertheless noteworthy, were 12 Green-winged Teal at Blackwater on Aug. l8, an American Widgeon there on Sept. 1 and a flying female Surf Scoter near Cooks Point in Dorchester County on Sept. 15 (all by Armistead), and the following species at Ocean City (by Robert W. Warfield): American Widgeon on Sept. and Common Scoter on Aug. 22. A Lesser Scaup Duck identified at Ocean City on Sept . 22 (Warfield) broke the State arrival record by two days. Hawks . Only five ob servers reported Bald Eagles, with a maximum count ~of 4 at Blackwater Refuge on Sept. 29 (Armistead); ages were spec- ified on 7 birds, 3 In adult plumage and 4 in immature plumage. Robert Warfield saw an early Pigeon Hawk at West Ocean City on Sept. 2, and Jan Reese watched a migrating Cooper's Hawk as it flew due west across the Chesapeake from Talbot County on the same day. The best flight of Broad- winged Hawks was Douglas Hackman's count of 820 over White Marsh in 80 minutes on the afternoon of Sept. l4. Quail, Cranes . Sam Dyke noted several late broods on Bobwhite on the Lower Eastern Shore, including a female with downy young as late as Sept. 28. The origin of the Paradise Crane has not yet been traced, but this handsome bird remained at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge throughout the period and was still present in November. Gallinules . The highest one -day count of Common Gallinules on record at the time Birds of Maryland was published (1958) was 13 birds. On Aug. 24, Harry Armistead counted 49 In Somerset County (40 at the Deal Island Wildlife Management Area, 9 at Fairmount W.M.A.). S horebirds . The southward migration of shorebirds began on June 30, when Robert Warfield detected the first movement of Willets at Ocean City. On July 4 he found the following additional species migrating there: Whimbrel, Spotted Sandpiper, Short -billed Dowitcher, and Semipalmated Sandpiper; and on July 26 he smashed by 19 days the early fall record of the American Golden Plover when he spied an adult that was just starting to molt into winter plumage. American Golden Plovers were regular again this fall at the Summit Hall turf farm five miles west of Seneca; Mr. and Mrs. Edwin T. McKnight first counted 11 there on Aug. 31, and from 3 to 11 were seen each week end through the end of the month. With the plovers on Aug. 31 was an early Buff -breasted Sandpiper (second earliest for Maryland) which the Mcknights identified as an immature on the basis of the decided grayish buff color of the breast. Two Buff -breasts were seen io6 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 at the same turf farm on Sept. 8 by Robert L. Smith. Harold Wierenga had Baird's Sandpipers at Sandy Point State Park, Sept. 5> 26 and 27 (2). Hell Cooley and Mary Porter found 3 Short -billed Dowitchers at Lilypons in Frederick County on Aug. 12, and Sarah Baker observed a Northern Phala- ropte there on Aug. 30; any inland observations of these species are of interest. At the Fairmount Wildlife Management Area on Aug. 24, Harry Armistead established three new Somerset County records : the earliest Common Snipe, the first Wilson's Phalarope, and the most Stilt Sandpipers (13). Jaegers, Gulls , Terns and Skimmers . Jan Reese identified a Pomarine Jaeger as well as the more common Parasitic Jaeger between 5 and 12 miles off Ocean City on Aug. 25. On the same trip he saw 2 Black Terns; although this is typically an inland nesting tern, it appears quite regu- larly in our offshore waters. Just south of Hills Point in Dorchester County (at the mouth of the Choptank River) lies a wishbone -shaped sand bar that Harry Armistead recommends to anyone interested in seeing shore - birds, gulls and terns; on Sept. 15, in addition to six species of shore - birds he counted 75 Great Black -backed Gulls, 425 Herring Gulls, 205 Forster's Terns, 3 Common Terns, 5 Royal Terns, 3 Caspian Terns, and 5 Black Terns. Where in the Bay can you do better than that.' Just for the record, we should add in the other Forster's Terns he found nearby and show the entire record-breaking total of 245- In Talbot, the next county to the north, Don Meritt found 2 Black Skimmers on Sept. 3* D oves , Cuckoos . The Ringed Turtle Dove may, eventually become es- tablished in Maryland, as it is commonly held as a cage bird, and escaped or released individuals have been known to survive the winter here. Burton Alexander caught and banded one at Ivy Neck on the West River in Anne Arundel County on Sept. 23- An early Black -billed Cuckoo was found near Denton on Aug. 10 by Mrs. A. J. Fletcher, and 2 at Bellevue on Aug. 30 boosted the Armisteads ' property list to 199 species. Woodpeckers . A new high ratio of 5 out of 158 Yellow -shafted Flickers banded at Ocean City during September showed slight evidence of hybridization with the western Red-shafted Flicker; the "hybrids" had either a few salmon-colored feathers in the wings or tail, or a few red feathers in the moustache. The great flight of Sept. 13 brought 3 early Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers to the Ocean City banding station, nearly break- ing the State fall arrival date (Mrs. M. B. Donnald, Mrs. Bradley Fisk, C. S. Robbins and others). Col. and Mrs. Brandt found a Red-headed Wood- pecker in Kent County on Aug. 19; this species, which formerly nested on the Eastern Shore, is now most unusual there in summer. Very little migration of Downy Woodpeckers was detected at the Operation Recovery stations this fall. Nuthatches . This was definitely a nuthatch year. Our first evi- dence of this was the observation of a Red-breasted Nuthatch at Kent Point on Aug . 10 (Paul and Danny Bystrak). Nine days later Mr. and Mrs. Richard Krahe found one at Loch Raven. On Aug. 27 Roy Ruhnka saw another in Kent County, and before the end of the month they were also sighted in Harford, Talbot and Howard Counties. They were noted commonly in all parts of the December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 107 State for the first time since the winter of 1963 - 6 ^. The arrival of mi- grating White -breasted Nuthatches is hard to detect west of the Bay, where some individuals are permanent residents; accordingly, all the earliest arrival dates reported this fall were from the Eastern Shore. There the handing stations detected arrivals around mid -September, which is the normal time for migrants from the north to reach our State. Curi- ously, the White -breasted outnumbered the Red -breasted by 23 to 20 at the Mendinhalls ' O.R. station at Damsite (Tolchester) on the east shore of the Chesapeake in September, while at Ocean City the Red-breasted far outnumbered the White -breasted, 57 to 3- Wrens . Winter Wrens appeared early, with one in Talbot County on Sept. 22 (Robert Sharp) and one banded at Ocean City on Sept. 23 (Mrs. Cole); the earliest Maryland record is Sept. 19, 1953 in Washington County. Kinglets , Waxwings . An unusually heavy flight of Golden -crowned Kinglets was presaged by their appearance in six Maryland counties before the close of September. Also unusually early was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet identified in Baltimore County on Sept. 8 by the Krahes; there is just one earlier Maryland record, on the Ij-th. Cedar Waxwings staged an early fall invasion. The first 2 birds were seen at Highland on Aug . 7 (Dorothy Rauth), followed almost immediately by reports from northwestern Balti- more County on the 9 th (Haven Kolb), Talbot County on the 10th (Reese), Chincoteague, Va. on the 11th (Gale Monson), and Montgomery County on the 12th (Warfield). Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mendinhall found the first Kent County nest of this species, and on Sept. 13 banded a young bird just out of the nest. Be sure to read Harry Armistead’s account (elsewhere in this issue) of Cedar Waxwings nesting in Talbot County late this summer. Then perhaps you will join me in wondering whether some of the south- bound nomads found conditions so attractive in Kent and Talbot Counties that they settled down long enough to raise families l That there was something peculiar about this year's migration is suggested by the Ocean City bandings; the 1968 total for this species was the lowest in ten years (barely one -fourth of normal). Vi re os . Red -eyed Vireos showed up unusually well in the banding totals this fall. The seasonal total of 310 at Ocean City was second only to that of 1967 , and the l4-year total for that station stands at 2,006. Only the American Redstart and the Swainson's Thrush were more common than the Red-eye in the September totals from Ocean City; and at Damsite only the Swainson's Thrush, Ovenbird and Wood Thrush surpassed the Red-eye. The Warbling Vireo was missed at both stations this year. Warblers . There was an excellent warbler migration along the coast. More than half of Maryland’s warbler species were captured at Ocean City either in larger numbers than ever before, or in numbers second only to one previous year. These species reached new seasonal highs at Ocean City: Tennessee Warbler, 26 (lA on the early date of Sept. 13--Mrs. M.B. Donnald ) ; Magnolia, 173; Gape May, 108; Blackburnian, 9; Prairie, 15 J Northern Waterthrush, 189 (^9 on Sept. 13 )j and Canada Warbler, 29- The high count for Orange -crowned ( 5 ) and Mourning Warblers (8) was tied. And the following species had their second highest Ocean City banding 108 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 2k, No. 4 total: Black-and-white, Nashville, Parula, Black -throated Blue, Chestnut- sided, Bay -Breasted, Pine, Palm, Ovehbird, Yellowthroat, and American Redstart. Most warbler species normally common at Ocean City were present in at least their usual numbers this season, but three of the scarcer species (Worm-eating, Kentucky, and Hooded) were missed for the first time in six years. An average of only 1 or 2 birds of each of these species are banded per year, so failure to catch any has no particular significance. Three species arrived on record -early dates; a Nashville banded at Kent Point on Aug . 28 (Bystraks) and a Palm banded in Baltimore on Aug. 27 (Mrs. R. D. Cole) broke State arrival dates jand a Tennessee banded at Kent Point on Aug . 26 is the earliest ever noted for the Eastern Shore (Bystraks ). Orioles . Orchard Orioles normally depart during July and August, so are seldom captured at the Operation Recovery stations. In l4 years this species has never been banded at Ocean City, although it is a common breeding bird on the nearby mainland. There were two September reports this year, 1 at Denton on Sept. 7 (Mrs. A. J. Fletcher), and 1 in Baltimore County on Sept . 30 (Mr. and Mrs. Richard Krahe). Finches . The source of the Brazilian Cardinals seen at Maryland feeders from time to time has not been determined; they may have escaped from captivity, or they may have been brought from Hawaii, where they have become well established, and deliberately released in Maryland. The latest report of this striking red -headed bird was from Towson where Mrs. Richard D. Cole saw one on July 10. A pair of House Finches brought their young to Margaret Thompson's feeder in Wiltondale on July 13. Re- turning now to native Maryland birds, Jim Emerson viewed a pair of Blue Grosbeaks on July 1^ on Poplar Hill Road in Baltimore County, at the very edge of their breeding range. Purple Finches staged an unprecedented August appearance at two locations far removed from their limited Mary- land nesting habitat at the west tip of the State. The first was dis- covered at Glen Artney in Baltimore County on Aug . 19 by the Krahes, and the next at Kent Point in Queen Annes County on Aug. 27 by Paul and Danny Bystrak. Such early arrivals of the vanguard of the "northern 11 finch group, coupled with the scarcity of the cone crop up North, have alerted us to expect a heavy Invasion of Canadian species this winter. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Sanctuary Committee; Dr. Harvey Hall and Mr. Robert Heatwole (Wicomico) WILSON* S PHALAROPE AT FAIRMONT WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Harry T. Arm! stead On Saturday, August 2 *f, 1968, I spent three hours walking around the dike areas of the Fairmount Wildlife Management Area, which com- prises an attractive edge habitat mixture of fields, hedgerows, lob- December 196 S MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 109 lolly pine forest, fresh water marsh, small artificial ponds and salt or brackish marsh. This refuge is on the south side of Maryland route 361, which is the road leading out to Chesapeake Bay at Rumbley. Not to be confused with Rumbley Point. ..Ed. It lies south of the Deal Island area in Somerset County. Among the waterbirds feeding in the large impounded fresh water area was a Wilson’s Phalarope ( Steganopus tricolor ). I had a good leisurely study as it fed and was able to check out features such as the thin, long, straight bill and white eye stripe as well as the gene- ral coloration and pattern. The trace of a reddish wash running down the bird’s neck indicated that it may have been a female retaining rem- nants of breeding plumage. The phalarope was feeding directly next to several Lesser Yellowlegs and Stilt Sandpipers, affording a convenient and helpful comparison as I scoped the birds in the 95+ degree heat of the mid afternoon The bird was about one hundred feet away. The water level of this marsh was quite low, providing an attrac- tive site for waders. Among the other birds of interest seen there were 14 Green Herons, 5 Cattle Egrets, 24 Common Egrets, 29 Snowy E- grets, 7 Louisiana Herons, 1 Least Bittern, 26 Glossy Ibis, 1 Pintail 25 Green-winged Teal, 16 Blue-winged Teal, 1 Black Vulture, 1 Virginia Rail, 9 Common Gallinules, 15 Semipalmated Plover, 2 Common Snipe, 18 Pectoral Sandpipers, 40 Least Sandpipers, 9 Short-billed Dowitchers 13 Stilt Sandpipers, 1 Caspian Tern, and 1 Loggerhead Shrike. The composition of the birds grouped at this impoundment as well as the vegetation and habitat seem similar to such sites as are in De- laware, particularly the Little Creek refuge. I am sure that if there were a couple of additional shallow, low growth, fresh water marsh im- poundments on Maryland’s Eastern Shore which were visited regularly by birders they would soon augment the low number of records for birds such as Baird's Sandpiper, Ruff, and the phalaropes for this region. But to my knowledge they do not exist. I am not certain just how welcome birders are at Fairmount since the refuge manager was not present there at the time of my visit. The big dike around the fresh water marsh is not suitable for automobiles since mary parts of it have collapsed, due to muskrat tunneling perhaps. If this marsh impoundment is maintained in its present condition (and if it is visited by birders!) it should prove productive. This is the first Wilson's Phalarope record for Somerset County and the sixth for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The other records for the Eastern Shore are as follows: 1, Assateague Island, Worcester Co., August 3, 1949, John H. Buckalew 1, Kent Narrows, Queen Annes Co., June 6, 1957, Martha Dubois 1, between Greensboro and Ridgely, Caroline Co., May 1-4, 1961, Hewitt 1, Schumaker Pond, Wicomico Co., August 26, 1962, Samuel H. Dyke 1, Kent Island, Queen Annes Co., August 1? & 21, 19&3, Terry Moore "Rigby's Folly", Bellevue, Talbot County 110 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 SOMERSET SANCTUARY INFORMATION M.O.S. members are urged to visit and explore our 1,400 acre Sanc- tuary. Our tenants have left, and -we would like to have the house used for as much of the year as possible. We hope to find a retired couple who would like to make the Sanctuary their home. In the meantime, members who wish to go down for a day, a week, or a month or more are most wel- come. The following information, plus the map on the next page, will prove helpful to visiting members. Keys to the gates and the Sanctuary House may be obtained from Dr, and Mrs. Harvey Hall as you go through Salisbury. Driving south on US 13 from the center of Salisbury, turn right on Pine Bluff Road which is the second or third right after Salisbury State College; the Halls live at 627 Pine Bluff Road (telephone 742-2373). Location : The Sanctuary is about 30 miles south of Salisbury, or about 100 miles from the Bay Bridge. The address is Irish Grove, Rt. 1, Box 70, Marion Station, Md. 21838. Take US 50 to Salisbury, US 13 south to Westover, Md 4-13 to Marlon, then follow the arrows on the map. Telephone : The Sanctuary phone number Is (Marion) 623-4391* Heat and Light : Yes, we have both. There is both a bottle -gas and a wood cook stove. An electric water heater provides hot water for the bathroom and a gas heater supplies hot water for the kitchen sink. But because the pump cannot be safely protected from freezing until the house is permanently occupied, there will be no water until warm weather re- turns in the spring. Beds and Bedding : Beds, cots and couches will accommodate a dozen people. Bring your own sleeping bag or linens. Trails : Quite a few miles of trails were mowed late in the summer to make it easy for members to explore portions of the Sanctuary. One series of trails follows the boundaries of the fields throughout the headquarters area. An excellent trail leads beyond the house to the marsh, where it continues along a dike for another quarter-mile. Half way between the house and the dike, a trail branches to the left, leading to a brackish water pond and another dike that completely surrounds a one-time pool, now dry. Another excellent and interesting trail begins at the extreme northern point of the Sanctuary (one -half mile west of Conners Corner); despite first appearances, this road is not passable by car. The trail leads to a clearing and an abandoned house, then contin- ues beyond to the marsh and another dike beside a man-made pond. Along the way is varied and Interesting habitat. In many places one may leave the trails and hike through the marsh if one is prepared to wade through 4 to 6 inches of water; the best walking is where the marsh grasses are short. V.E.U 1ARKET December I96S MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 111 Fig. 1 . Location of Somerset County M.O.S. Sanctuary 112 MARYLAND BIRD LIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 PROJECTS Watch for Color "Lande d Swans . Will you he the first person to spot an Alaska -handed Whistling Swan in Maryland? Those who study swan popu- lations believe that there are more Whistling Swans breeding in Alaska than winter in the western states. Hence the suspicion that some of the swans color -banded in Alaska last summer are presently wintering on Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, the deep purple dye that was applied on the Clarence Rhode National Wildlife Refuge In western Alaska has faded and Is no longer recognizable. But the aluminum leg band and the colored band on the other leg can still be seen when the swans up-end during feeding. Report all sightings of dyed or color -banded swans to Dr. W. J. L. Sladen, 6 15 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore 21205* Include date, time and place of observation, dye color, part of the bird dyed (send sketch), color and number of the color band, number of swans in the vicinity and number of other marked swans present. Be sure to give your name, address and telephone number. See September issue of Maryland Bir dlife (24: 84) for further details . Nest Records . The recording and analysis of nesting information has become "big business." The number of bird nests presently being reported in North America has become so great that, looking to the future, the only practical way to process and to utilize the data rapidly and effi- ciently Is to do so by computer. Accordingly, a new nest card is being designed for the North American Rest Record Card Program at Cornell University. This dual-purpose card will be filled in by the observer, and then a pair of punch cards will be prepared from it. The original card will then be filed by species. The punch cards will be subjected to a series of accuracy checks, followed by an automatic compilation of nesting success and other pertinent information. The M.O.S., together with nest record programs throughout the United States, will be cooperating fully with the continental program, and we shall be distributing the new cards early In 1969. The completed cards for 1969 should be submitted through the M .Q.S. so they can be summarized for M aryland Birdlife before being forwarded to Cornell. M.O.S. was one of the first organizations in the New World to set up a nest record program, and we now have one of the finest collections of nesting data in North America. We have had good years and poor years, as interest in the program varied from time to time. We hope that with the inauguration of the new card and the use of automatic data processing, M.O.S. members will renew their efforts to report all of the nests they find. We are living in a critical period. New types of pesticides and other kinds of pollutants are entering our ecosystem each year. Some of these are bound to have important effects on hatching success and on mortality of young in the nest. The monitoring of these effects through annual analyses of nest records is one of the most effective ways of de- tecting environmental pollution. This is why records for the commonest December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 113 species are just as important as nest records of the scarcer species. While complete records from building to leaving of young or destruction of the nest are preferred, nests visited only once — and especially those checked on two or more days — should always be reported. The Somerset Sanctuary . This Sanctuary will receive an official name at the Annual Meeting in May. Among the proposals are Irish Grove Sanctuary (after the name of the original grant some 300 years ago), Somerset Marsh Sanctuary, Rumbly Point Sanctuary, and East Creek Sanc- tuary. Visit the Sanctuary and be well prepared to participate in the vote. Oh, and if you have not yet bought an acre or more of this fabulous Sanctuary for M.O.S,, there are many choice acres still available at the bargain price of $50 each. Won't you help make it possible for M.O.S. to burn the mortgage in I 969 J SECOND LIST of CONTRIBUTORS to SOMERSET MARSH SANCTUARY August 20 - November 23, 1968. Baltimore Chapter Beck, John D. Brillhart , Mrs. S. Edward Brandt, Col. & Mrs, Mulford Caldwell, John S. Ill, Cochran, Mrs. Carlyle Coggins, Miss J. Helen Compton, Mrs. Randall D. B. A. Productions, Inc. DeVed, Mrs. Kathryn U. Ellis, Charles R. Engle, Ethel 0. Galt, William L. Gerringer, Dr. & Mrs. W. F. Ginsberg, Sadie D. Gilbert, Harriet S. Graf, Miss Margaret F. Hall, Dr. & Mrs. Harvey Hall, Julia S. Healy, Mr. John P. Herriott, Dr. & Mrs. Roger Heise, Mr. Stephen Henry, Mr, & Mrs. Hughlett, Jr. Heyda, Mr. & Mrs. R. Henderson, Mr. Edmund H. Hodge, Mr. Howard M. Howard, Mr. & Mrs. David G. Hollyday, Mr. & Mrs. G. T. 0. Ivey, F. Emerson, Jr. Johnson, Miss Margaret Kohout, Mr. & Mrs. Walter Lippincott, Elizabeth R. Luce, Ethel and Walter Lutherville Garden Club Mount, Mrs. Elizabeth Offutt, Mrs. Harry A. Peters, Ann Lucile Robbins, Chandler & Eleanor Royal, William & Margaret Rowe, Mr. & Mrs. Joshua W. Schaefer, Floyd Schaffer, Dr. & Mrs. N. K. Smith, Mrs. Linda H. Smith, Laurie & Jenny Smith, Marion G. Spadone, Mrs. Paul Talley, Mrs. Lee Talley, Firs. T. R. Talbot County Bird Club Talbot County Garden Club Therien, Warren L. Thomas, Dr. & Mrs. James B. Ulbricht, Miss Minna Valega , Dr. T. M. Wanuga, Mr. John Webster, Mr. & Mrs. Clark G. Wedge, Etta S. Woodruff, Mr. R. W. Yatsevitch, Mrs. Frances Ill* MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 2k, No, 4 A SESSION AT THE AUDUBON CAMP IN MAINE Richard R. Stambaugh I wish to express my gratitude to the Maryland Ornithological Society for giving me the opportunity to attend the Audubon Camp of Maine this past summer. The session was filled with exciting and stimulating experiences, many of which I shall never forget. At- tending the camp gave me the opportunity to actually see, smell, touch and taste the many things that before I had only read about. Hog Island, where the camp is located, is a gorgeous place. Seeing nests of the Double-crested Cormorants on Old Hump Ledge, a Leach’s Petrel on Eastern Egg Island, a rich tidal pool on Burnt Island, the sea anemones at low tide, the curious Harbor Seals, and the pair of nesting Cedar Waxwings are sights I’ll always remember The odor of the fresh salt air, the Hayscented Fern, the rich green pines still resonate in my nostrils. The taste of the fresh blueberries picked from the roadside, the distinct flavor of thesoft-shelled clams steamed in a bucket, the cool drink of water from an unpolluted stream will all be remembered. Here I held a live sea urchin in my hands, touched the spines of a sea star, felt the ’kiss* of the native mosquito, and swam in the 54 degree waters of Maine. I was a part of nature in this place, aware of its fascinating phenomena. I realized now that it was my responsibility to help protect our natural resources. I hope that in some way, the knowledge, the experiences, the appreciation of nature that enveloped me can be passed on to others in the coming years. 10 Warren Lodge Court, Cockeysville AUDUBON NATURE CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS The Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc . , is again able to offer two scholarships, each for a two -week leadership training course at an Audubon Camp next July or August. A Helen Miller Scholarship and a Katharyn Brown Lakeman Scholarship are available to men and women inter- ested in preparing themselves for instructing youth in nature study. The course covers a two-week period in either of two Audubon Camps, one in Maine and one in Wisconsin. The scholarship covers the full cost of tui- tion, housing and meals, but not transportation to and from the Camp. Each Chapter may sponsor an applicant. Requirements are simple. The applicant applies by letter, stating his or her interest and ex- plaining his or her plans to put the training to use upon completion of the course. Letters of application must be directed to the President and must be mailed to reach him by Feb. 1, 1969- The sponsoring Chapter follows up with a letter of recommendation. Twelve such scholarships have "been awarded since the inception of the plan in 1959- December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 115 MIGRATION OF A DOWNY WOODPECKER Willet T. Yan Velzen Most "birders consider the Downy Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos pubes cens ) to be a non -migratory species. Stewart and Robbins ( Birds~ ~ of Maryland and D. C. , 1958) recorded the Downy Woodpecker as a permanent resident in Maryland and made no mention of any migratory movements of this species through the State. Recent banding operations, especially at the Ocean City Operation Recovery station, have shown that this species undergoes a very discernable movement during the fall migration period, at least in some years. Over the ten -year period 1959-1968, the station has averaged 33 Downy Woodpeckers per season with a high of 95 banded in 1963 and a low of 6 in 1987 * Although locally banded Downy Woodpeckers have been recaptured at the station in subsequent years, nothing has been known re- garding the origin or destination of those birds that were quite appar- ently passing through the area. Recently the author received a recovery report of a Downy Woodpecker (number 102 - 162887 ) banded at the Ocean City station on October 9, 1967 . The bird was found dead by John H. Buckalew on June 1, 1968 at Clayton, Jefferson County, New York. Although this recovery does not pinpoint either the origin or destination of the bird's fall flight, it shows a movement after banding of approximately 450 miles nearly due north. The longitude of the banding site is close to 75° and the recovery site near 76°. Ludlow Griscom ( Birds of the New York C ity Region, 1923) recognized an appreciable fall migration for this species. Both Cruickshank ( Birds Around New York City , 1942) and Bull ( Birds of the New York Area , 19"64 ) considered the Downy Woodpecker to be a resident species in the New York City area but also recognized it as a fall migrant, especially on the outer strip of Long Island. None of these sources suggests the extent or direction of Downy Woodpecker migration, so the movement described here from Coastal Maryland inland to the upper end of the St. Lawrence River is especially interesting. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel (^n^emm^nee The following gifts of remembrance were made to the MOS Sanctuary Fund Gift of : In Memory of; Ted and Dee Van Velzen .... Kenneth Lindsey " .... Howard Cobb 116 MARYLAND 3IRDLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 COMING EVENTS ■ 3 HARFORD Dinner meeting 6:15 P. M. , Churchville Presbyterian Church 7 BALTIMORE Duck Identification Class, 8 P.K. , Cylbum 9 FREDERICK Monthly meeting 7:30 P.M. Winchester Hall, E. Church St. , Frederick. 10 ANNE ARUNDEL Monthly meeting, A. A. County Library 8 P.M. 11 BALTIMORE Chesapeake Eay Center for Field Biology at Ivy Neck, 8 A. M. 12 MONTGOMERY Roaches Run, National Airport Fringe Area and Alexandria Karina. Meet 8 A.M. Roaches Run parking area, Mt. Vernon Highway, enroute to Airport. 14 CAROLINE Monthly meeting 8 P.M. at home of Wilbur Engle. " Rocks and Gem-cutting in Caroline County" . 15 ALLEGANY Monthly meeting ?:30'P.K., Board of Education Bldg. Film: Caribou Caravan" 16 MONTGOMERY Monthly meeting 8:00 P. M. , Perpetual Bldg. Ass'n Auditorium; 18-19 MONTGOMERY Cape Kenlopen, Ocean Coty and Chincoteague. Over-night trip to Eastern Shore. 19 BALTIMORE Covered dish supper at Gy lburn Mansion, 5 P.M. Film: "Birds of Prey of Northeastern J. S. " by David Smith 25 ANNE .ARUNDEL Billsmere Shores and Thomas Point. Meet 8 A.M. Hillsmere Gate, Forest Drive > Hillsmere Ave. 28 PATUXENT Monthly meeting 7 :45 P. K. , at St. Philip's Parish House, Laurel. 4 BALTIMORE Enrichment Class: Physiology of Birds. Mr, Chandler Robbins. 8 P. M. Cylfcurn Mansion. 5 KMT Monthly meeting 6 FREDERICK Monthly meeting 70° P* M. Winchester Hall. "Wildf lowers" by Robert Hoffman. 8 BALTIMORE Perry Point B Susquehanna River. 8 A.M. , for wintering waterfowl. 11 CAROLINE Monthly meeting 3 P.M, at Choptank Cooperative Bldg. , Route 404, West Denton. Canadian Wildlife film: "Valley of the Swans." 14 ANNE ARUNDEL Monthly meeting 8 P» M. , A. A, County Library. Speaker: Mr. Jess Malcolm "The Chesapeake, /In Enigma" 17 KMT Audubon Screen Tour, "Sweden" by Bolger December 1968 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE U7 Feb. 19 .ALLEGANY Monthly meeting 7:30 P. K. , Board of Education Bldg. Speaker: Miss Pan Minke 20 MONTGOMERY Monthly meeting 8 P. M. t Auditorium of Perpetual Bldg. Ass'n, Bethesda. 21-23 BALTIMORE Chincoteague Weekend. 2 5 PATUXENT Monthly meeting 7:45 P.M. , St. Philip's Parish House, Laurel Mar. 1 ANNE ARUNDEL Remington Farms trip. Leader: Mr. W. Webster, Meet at Pancake House (Rte. 50) 7 :40 a.M. 2 BALTIMORE Druid Hill Park. Meet at parking lot at Mansion House near Zoo, 9:30 A.M. 5 KENT Monthly meeting 6 FREDERICK Monthly meeting 7:30 P.M. 7 BALTIMORE Monthly meeting. Sound film: "How We Look at Things". 8 P. M. at Cylbum 7 HARFORD Dinner meeting 6:15 P.M. * Churchville Presbyterian Church. 11 CAROLINE Monthly meeting 8 P.M. , Federalsburg Junior High School. "Plant Food Sources for Wild Life". 14 ANN'S ARUNDEL Annual Wildlife Film lecture, 8 P. M. "Observing Wildlife & Nature Close By" by Merrill S. Cottrell. 15 BALTIMORE Sandy Point and Holly Beach Farm. Meet 8:15 A.M. at Farmers' Market, Ritchie Highway at Beltway 16 BALTIMORE Courtship Flight of Woodcock at dusk. Meet at Hutzler's parking lot, Towson, 500 P.M. 18 BALTIMORE 8 A.M. Birdwalk: "Spring at Lake Roland". First of Tuesday morning walks to follow spring migration. 18 KMT Audubon Screen Tour - "Spring of Life", Stout 19 ALLEGANY Monthly meeting 700 P. M. , Board of Education Bldg. 20 MONTGOMERY Monthly meeting 8 P. M. , Auditorium of Perpetual Bldg. Ass'n, Bethesda 22 ANNE ARUNDEL Corcoran Woods. Meet at Pancake House 7:5o A.M. 25 BALTIMORE Lake Roland 8 A.M. 25 PATUXENT Monthly meeting 7:45 P. M. St. Philip's Parish House, Laurel 28 BALTIMORE Audubon Wildlife Film lecture by Frank W. McLaughlin: "A Wonderland Endangered", at 8 P.M. Merganthaler High School. 29 ANNE ARUNDEL Soldiers Delight Wildlife Area. Meet at Parole parking lot 7:40 A.M. , Riva Road entrance. Leader: Mrs. Elmer Worthley. Trip Co-ordinator Fred Jewett (647-0907) Apr, 1 BALTIMORE Lake Roland, 8 A.M. Leader: Mrs. Robert Kaestner BALTIMORE Shorebird Identification Class, 8 P.M. at Cylbum. Mr. Malcolm Thomas 2 KENT "Unique Water Wilderness, the Everglades," by Anderson 118 MARYLAND BIRDLIFB Vol. 24. No. 4 Apr. 3 BALTIMORE MOS Class: Nature Study for the Beginner. 8 P.M. at Cylfcurn. ,f Nearby Localities for Rocks and Minerals" , Kiss Claire Richardson 3 FREDERICK Monthly meeting 700 P.M. Winchester Hall. 6 ALLEGANY Duck walk at Koon Dam, 2 P. M. 8 BALTIMORE Lake Roland, 8 A.K. 10 BALTIMORE MOS Nature Study Glass: "Insects," by Dr. Elizabeth Fisher, 8 P.M,, Cylbum 11 ANNE ARUNDEL Monthly meeting at A, A. County Library 7:20 P. K. At 8 P. 1'. illustrated lecture, "Where Land Meets the Sea," by Mr. & Mrs. Donald Sutherland. 15 BALTIMORE Lake Roland 8 A.M. BALTIMORE Spring Migrants Identification Class, 8 P.M. Cylburn. Mrs. Richard D. Cole 16 ALLEGANY Monthly meeting 2*30 P.M,, Board of Education Eldg. 'Film: "Wild Rivers: 17 BALTIMORE Nature Study for the Beginner: "Common Birds" 8 P.M. , Cylburn, Mrs. Alfred Lawson 18-20 EBBA Eastern Bird Banding Association Convention, University of Delaware, Newark, Del. 19 BALTIMORE C & 0 Canal (Great Falls Area). Meet Hutzler's West view parking, 7**30 A.M. CAROLINE Monthly meeting, 8 P.M. , at home of Percy Scudder on Trice Road. "Breeding Bird Census Studies" by Ted Van Velzen. (Listen for wood- cocks earlier in evening) 20 ALLEGANY Bird walk on C 1- 0 Canal 2 P. M. for spring warblers. Leader; Hr. John Workmeister 22 BALTIMORE Lake Roland 3 A.M. PATUXENT Monthly meeting 7:45 P. M. , St. Philip's Parish House, Laurel 24 BALTIMORE MOS Class - Nature Study for Beginners - "Sea Shore Life of Maryland" , Mrs. N, K. Schaffer 25 BALTIMORE Audubon Film Lecture: "South on the Wind" by Robert C. Hermes. 8 P.M. , Kerganthaler High School, 35th St. & Hillen Road. 25-29 National Audubon Convention, St. Louis, Mo. 26-27 ALLEGANY Work days at Carey Run Sanctuary 26 ANNE ARUNDEL Cedarville State Park 7:40 A.M. for spring warblers. Meet Parole parking lot, Riva Road entrance. Leader: Miss Friel Sanders 27 BALTIMORE Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge. Meet Korvette Parking area 700 A.K. 29 BALTIMORE Lake Roland, 8 A.M. BALTIMORE Enrichment Class - "Ereeding" - Cylburn 8 P. M. Mr. C. Haven Kolb May 2 HARFORD Dinner meeting 6:15 P.M. , Churchville Presby- terian Church 3 STATEWIDE KAY COUNT 4 BALTIMORE Loch Raven 8 A.M. 6 BALTIMORE Lake Roland 8 A.M. December 1968 MARYLAND 3IRDLIFE 112 Hay 9-11 STATEWIDE 10 BALTIMORE 13 BALTIMORE 17 BALTIMORE 18 BALTIMORE 20 BALTIMORE 23-24 BALTIMORE 24 ANNE ARUNDEL 25 BALTIMORE 27 PATUXENT 1 CAROLINE ? BALTIMORE 22 ALLEGANY 24 PATUXENT MG 8 CONVENTION - Has tings -Miramar Hotel, Ocean City, Kd. Make reservations early. Loch Raven for warblers. Meet at Box 31 1> Manor Road, % mi. M. of Glen Arm Rd. , 7 A.K. Lake Roland 8 A.M. Patapsco (Glen Artney area) State Park. Meet Hutzler's Westview 7 A.M. Leader: Mr. Irving Hampe. McDonogh Woods, along Gwynn's Falls. Meet on west side of RR bridge on McDonogh Rd. , about 1 mile west of Reisterstown Rd. 8 A.M. Lake Roland 8 A.M. Cape May weekend. Reservations with leader, Miss Grace Neumann, by May 15. Ogle's Fiddler's Creek Farm. Meet Parole parking lot A.M. Catoctin Mt. and Buckeystown. Meet Hutzler's Westview 7:30 A.M. Leader: Mrs. Joshua Rowe Monthly meeting ?:45 P. K. St. Philip's Parish House, Laurel Annual Picnic 3-6 P. M. , Mill Creek Sanctuary, Wye Mills Picnic Supper Y. M. C. A. Camp, Black Rock, in Butler, 6 P. M. Covered Dish Supper or Cook-out 4:30 P. M. Carey Run Sanctuary Annual Picnic, Scotts Cove, Rocky Gorge Reservoir, 6:30 P. M. BALTIMORE JUNIOR PROGRAMS at CYLBURN on Alternate Saturdays and Spring vacation. Jan. 11 Talk: Butterflies 10 A.M. ; Bird and Nature walk 10:45 A.M. 25 Wild Pet Show, 10 A.M. Bird & Nature walk 10:45 A.M. Feb, 8 Slide talk: Discover Maryland with your Family , Mrs. Joshua Rowe, 10 A.M. ; Bird and Nature walk 10:45 A.M. 22 Film: A Feathered Link - Birds of Maryland, 10 A.M. : Bird and Nature walk 10:45 A.M. Mar. 8 Talk: Reptiles & Amphibians, Mr. Russell Dunn, 10 A.M. ; Bird A: Nature walk, 10:45 A. M. 22 Talk: Life in the Antarctic, Mr. Robert C. Wood, 10 A.M. ; Bird & Nature walk, 10:45 A.M. March 31, April 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11 - Vacation Bird and Nature walks, 9 A.M. Apr. 1 , 8 Vacation Bird Banding demonstrations 9 A.M. Apr. 19 Bird banding demonstrations 8 and 9:30 A.M. May 3, 1? Bird Walks at 7 and 8:30 A, M. KENT JUNIORS - Under the direction of Mrs. Stanley E. Wilson, Box 4, Betterton, Md. 21610 WICOMICO JUNIORS - Under direction of Miss Lydia Beiler,1006 Pierce Ave, — — - Salisbury, Md. 21801 120 MARYLAND BIRPLIFE Vol. 24, No. 4 CONTENTS , DECEMBER 1968 Breeding Osprey Survey, Queen Annas Co. Jan Reese 91 Cedar Waxwing Breeds in Talbot County Henry T. Armistead 93 Gull-billed Terns at Blackwater Henry T. Armistead 94 Operation Recovery in Maryland, 1968 Mel Garland 96 Damslte Dorothy A. Mendinhall 97 Monkton Stephen W. Simon 98 Ocean City Gladys H. Cole 99 St . Michaels Jan Reese 100 President' s Page V. Edwin Unger 101 The Season — July, August, September 1968 Chandler S. Robbins 102 Wilson's Fhalarope at Fairmount W s M. A. Henry T. Armistead 108 somerset ^.-.ctuary Information V. Edwin Unger 110 Projects 112 Contributors to Somerset Marsh Sanctuary 113 k Session at the Audubon Camp Richard Stambaugh 114 Scholarship Announcement 114 Migration of a Downy Woodpecker Willet T- Van Velzen 115 Coming Events 116 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Published Quarterly by the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc. to Record and Encourage the Study of Birds in Maryland Editor: Chandler S. Robbins, Patuxent Research Center, Laurel Associate Editor: Willet T. Van Velzen, P. 0. Box 397, Laurel, Md. Art Editor: William N. Schneider Production : C* Douglas Hackman, Gladys #. Cole, Mildred Cole, Shirley Geddes, Linda Hackman Mailing : Mr. & Mrs. Herbert P. St rack JJ-adtin^d M iramar Ocean City, Maryland On the Boardwalk — Open All Year 90 ROOMS, 60 WITH BATH Phone: Ocean City : ATtantic 9-7417 EXCELLENT MEALS 30 BEAUTIFUL APARTMENTS PARKING SPACE SPECIAL RATES FOR BIRDERS