Suttziin oj- tfiz ^A/[ar\j[anA & f inLtfio[o u T C Violet-green Swallow u T L M C Whiskered Owl c M Tree Swallow u T Elf Owl c M Barn Swallow c P Whip-poor-will c M C Cliff Swallow u P Poor-will u C Purple Martin u C Lesser Nighthawk c T c Steller's Jay c L C White-throated Swift c T L M P H C Mexican Jay c L M P H c Black-chinned Humm. c M P H C Common Raven c T L M P Costa's Hummingbird u L P White-necked Raven c C Anna's Hummingbird r M Mexican Chickadee u c Broad-tailed Humm. u L M H c C Mountain Chickadee u L Rivoli's Hummingbird u M c H C Bridled Titmouse c L M P C Blue-throated Humm. u M c H C Verdin c T P C White-eared Humm. r H Common Bushtit u C Broad-billed Humm. c M u P H C White-breast. Nuthatch c L P H C Coppery-tailed Trogon r C Pygmy Nuthatch c L C 128 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 Specie s Status Species Status Brown Creeper c L M c Painted Redstart ■c L M H C House Wren c L M c House Sparrow c T M P Bewick's Wren c L M p c Eastern Meadowlark u H c Cactus Wren c T M p c Western Meadowlark u M P Canyon Wren u L M p c Red-winged Blackbird c T P H C Rock Wren u L C Hooded Oriole c T M P C Mockingbird c T L M c Scott's Oriole c L M P H c Curve-billed Thrasher c T L M p c Bullock's Oriole u C Robin u L M P H c Boat-tailed Grackle c P Hermit Thrush c L M P c Brown-headed Cowbird c T M P Swainson's Thrush r M P Bronzed Cowbird c T L M P Eastern Bluebird c C Western Tanager c T L M P H C Western Bluebird c L C Hepatic Tanager u L M H C Townsend's Solitaire u M Summer Tanager c P Blue-gray Gnatcatcher r C Cardinal c T L M P c Black-tail Gnatcatcher u T Pyrrhulonia c T M P Phainopepla c T M P Black-headed Grosbeak c T L M P H C Loggerhead Shrike u T M H c Blue Grosbeak u P H Starling c T P C Lazuli Bunting u P Hutton's Vireo c L M H c Varied Bunting r P Bell's Vireo c M P H c Evening Grosbeak r L Solitary Vireo c L M C House Finch c T L M P H C Warbling Vireo c L M P c Pine Siskin u L C Lucy's Warbler c M P C Lesser Goldfinch u P Olive Warbler c L C Rufous-sided Towhee u L M C Yellow Warbler u P Brown Towhee c T M P c Audubon ' s Warbler c L P C Abert's Towhee u T Black-thr . Gray Warb . c L M C Lark Sparrow u P M Townsend's Warbler u M P Rufous-winged Sparrow u M Grace's Warbler u L C Rufous-crowned Sparrow u M MacGillivray ' s Warbler u P C Black-thr . Sparrow u T P H c Yellowthroat c P Mexican Junco u L P H c Yellow-breasted Chat c P C Chipping Sparrow u C Red- faced Warbler c L c White-crowned Sparrow r P Wilson's Warbler c M P c Lincoln's Sparrow r c REFERENCES Earle, W. Hubert. 1970. Cacti of the Southwest. Phoenix, Arizona; Desert Botanical Garden of Arizona, Science Bull. No. U. Heald, Weldon F. 1967- Sky Island. Princeton, New Jersey; D. Van Nos- trand Co. Lane, James A. 1965 • A Birdwatchers Guide to Southeastern Arizona. Santa Ana, California; L & P Photography. Peterson, Roger Tory. 1961. A Field Guide to Western Birds. Boston; Houghton Mifflin. Reilly, Edgar M. Jr. 1968. The Audubon Illustrated Handbook of American Birds . New York ; McGraw-Hill , Inc . Robbins, Chandler S. , B. Bruun, and H. S. Zim. 1966. Birds of North America. New York; Golden Press. September 19T1 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 129 BREEDING BIRD ATLAS PROJECT MONTGONERY COUNTY, MARYLAND M. Kathleen Klimkiewicz and Edward S. Buckler The concept of an atlas of breeding birds is a relatively new one. The original atlas idea began with the research for and the publication of the Atlas of the British Flora in 1962. The Research Committee of the West Midland Bird Club of Britain began work on an avifauna atlas in 1965; field work was begun in 1966 and the three-year pilot study resulted in the Atlas of Breeding Birds of the West Midlands. In 1968 the British Trust for Ornithology initiated a 5 -year survey of the breeding birds of the British Isles using a 10 -kilometer grid as shown by Lord and Munns ( 1970 ). Several Afferent breeding bird censuses or surveys have been con- ducted in North America; but none, for the primary purpose of mapping local breeding distribution. The atlas method is presently being used in a 2 -year pilot study of Montgomery County, Maryland by the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society. The objective of the survey is to determine which species are actually breeding in each block of the county. By using the atlas method, any section of the sur- vey can be duplicated within the same geographic areas in future years and a direct meaningful comparison made of the studies. Such a compari- son would show changes in the distribution of any species within the geo- graphic area surveyed. Changing distribution in response to environmental stress could possibly provide indicator species for specific forms of pollution and/or changes in the environment . MATERIALS AND METHODS Montgomery County is mapped in 7 1/2 minute quadrangle maps by the United States Geological Survey. For the purposes of the breeding bird atlas each 7 1/2 minute quadrangle was subdivided into six equal blocks — northeast , northwest , central east , central west , southeast , and south- west. A block consists of about 9 2/3 square miles. The 7 1/2 minute map was used because 1+ of the 6 blocks within a quadrangle are approximate- ly equal in area (within 1$) to the international standard 10-kilometer grid. Therefore, our maps can be directly compared with any of the atlas map from Europe. A list of the quadrangle maps that cover Montgomery County follows, with the number of blocks shown in parenthesis. Since many 7 1/2 minute maps contain portions of neighboring counties, .the number of blocks'. often is fewer than 6; several incomplete boundary blocks have been combined with adjacent blocks for assignment ..purposes , but field records were kept separately for each block or fraction thereof; Urbana and Damascus C7); Poolesville , Waterford and Leesburg (. 7 ); Germantown (.6), Gaithersburg (6); Sandy Spring and Woodbine (.7); Sterling (3); Seneca (U); Rockville (6); Kensington (6); Clarksville, Beltsville and Washington East (6); and Falls Church and Washington West (U). 130 MARYLAND BIKDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 A coordinator was assigned to each quadrangle and had an assistant for each of the blocks within the quadrangle. The coordinator was res- ponsible for the final report for that area of the county. In the field. District of Columbia bird checklists were used for recording the raw data (Fig. 1). Following the species names on the checklist are three columns. From left to right these columns were labeled "possible", "probable" and "confirmed" breeding to indicate levels of breeding evidence. For each species, breeding evidence was recorded using the following codes adapted from Lord and Munns (1970): POSSIBLE BREEDING - Cede entered in the first column of the checklist. Bird recorded in the breeding season in possible nesting habitat , but no other indication of breeding noted. PROBABLE BREEDING - Codes entered in the second column. S Singing male present (or breeding calls heard) on more than one date in the same place. T Bird (or pair) apparently holding territory. D Courtship and display; or agitated behavior or anxiety calls from adults, suggesting probable presence of nest or young nearby; brood- patch on trapped female or cloacal protuberence on trapped male. N Visiting probable nest-site. B Nest building by wrens and woodpeckers. CONFIRMED BREEDING - Codes entered in the third column. DD Distraction display or injury feigning. NB Nest building by any species except wrens and woodpeckers . UN Used nest found. FE Female with egg in the oviduct. FL Recently fledged young. FS Adult carrying faecal-sac. FY Adult (s) with food for young. ON Adult (s) entering or leaving nest-site in occupied nest. circumstances indicating NE Nest and eggs or bird setting and not disturbed or egg shells found away from nest. NY Nest with young, or downy young of waterfowl, quail, waders, etc. September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 131 CODES POSSIBLE BREEDING v/ Bird seen in area PROBABLE BREEDING S Singing male on two days T Bird(s) holding territory D Courtship, display N Visiting probable nest-site B Nest-building for wrens and woodpeckers CONFIRMED BREEDING DD NB UN FE FL FS FY ON NE NY Distraction display Nest building Used nest Female with egg in oviduct Recently fledged young Adult carrying faecal-sac Adult(s) with food for young Adult(s) entering or leaving nest site Nest and eggs or adult on nest 1 Nest with young, downy young of j ducks or game-birds Ch«ek-liit of Bird* of the Diitricl of Columbia Region » WTI*7i StaiOM Quad: Rockville Sector; — To»«'tUc | frohgble V Confirmed, HERON Gnit BKii Green VULTURE. Turkey Black iv i i | LI l tie Blue GOSHAWK EGRET, Cattle HAWK. Sharp tinned Common Coop«.t Snowy Red tailed HERON, Loumena Rid thcvUnd D_ Black-crowned Ni^it Br»d winged Yittcnranwed Nqht Rough-legged BITTERN. L « EAGLE. Golden Amiran field Ills Glow HAWK, Marh Swan, Mutt OSPREY Wh ailing FALCON Pereffinc GOOSE, Canada nr HAWK. Pigeon BRANT Sparrow GOOSE, Snow i GROUSE Ruffed i Blut BQBWHITE »tY DUCK, FufvoiuTre* PHEASANT, Ring- necked ‘mallard TURKEY. W.kJ DUCK. Black RAIL. K*ng GAOWALL Ciapoc* PINTAIL Virginia TEAL. Green-winged SORA Bkf* Winged BAIL, WIDGEON. European Black American GALLINULE. Common SHOVE LER COOT, Aiwon DUCK, Wood OYSTER CATCHER. Anwrican REDHEAD PLOVER. S**nltMUn«*o DUCK. Ring necked CANVASBACK W.lwn'i SCAUP, G Tatar KILLDEER w> Laar PLOvE R, American Golden Copvrltfir 1KB bv the Alston N.wifl Sodttv of V* CenUel Atomic Suw, Inc i-lALLARD 132 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27- No. 3 Equipped with maps, checklists, and breeding status codes, observers first familiarized themselves with the habitats in their assigned block and then concentrated on the most productive areas. Some observers made a tentative list of expected breeding species and then searched for these species in the field. The survey is not concerned with numbers of birds, but rather with the question of which species are breeding within which blocks. Therefore, once an observer had confirmed a species in a block, he was no longer concerned with the species and could concentrate on con- firming others. One of the best times of the year for confirming breed- ing of song birds seems to be the last week in June and the first two weeks of July because many males are still singing on territory, some species are beginning their second nesting, there are many fledgling birds in the area, and parents are feeding young. After all reports were received and verified, distribution maps were prepared for each species found within the county (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) The maps reflect only the highest level of evidence obtained for a spe- cies within a block. Next year, the maps will be amended to include the new data as species are moved from lower to higher levels of breeding evidence. A rough measure of relative abundance can be computed on the percentage of blocks in which a species is found. Ten maps are shown as examples (Figs. 2 and 3); however, it should be emphasized that for some species these maps show poor coverage by observers rather than a dis- continuous breeding distribution. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Montgomery County is located in the Piedmont region of Maryland. The terrain is gently ■ rolling with elevations of 300 to 800 feet. Much of the land is either city-residential or agricultural with scattered woods. Many areas contain narrow strips of well-developed floodplain forest. Although there are several reservoirs within the county, water, marsh and bottomland habitats are restricted. This results in a "marked uniformity in environment, resulting in a rather restricted number of habitats ..." (Stewart and Robbins, 1958). Characteristic bird species are widespread and common throughout much of the eastern deciduous forest section of the Piedmont. A southern influence is seen along the Potomac River Valley which provides an "in- vasion route" for such species as the Prothonotary Warbler, Summer Tana- ger, and Blue Grosbeak. The occurrence of Traill's and Least Flycatchers and Savannah Sparrow indicates influences from the north. There are 195 possible breeding species in Maryland and 132 in Mont- gomery County. In' the first year of this study, 88 species were con- firmed as breeding in the county, ll+ as probable and IT as possible, for a total of 119 species in the 1971 breeding season. Observers recorded an average of 50 to 60 species within a block and of these species about one-third each were confirmed, possible, and probable. Several species within each breeding category will be discussed in the following pages. It should be emphasized that the results are pre- September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 133 liminary because the coverage Was incomplete for many blocks. YELLOW -CROWNED NIGHT HERONS (Nyatanassa violacea) are rare and local in the county and were observed as possible nesters in both the Pooles- ville and Sterling quadrangles . In previous years a small colony of these night herons was found at the junction of Seneca Creek and the Potomac River (Seneca quadrangle). However, the two nests found in 19&9 were un- successful (DuMont, 1969). No successful nest was found in 1970, al- though adults were seen. During June 1971, five adults were seen feeding regularly in a flooded field at Sycamore Landing (Paul Woodward, pers. comm. ) . Two quadrangles — Falls Church and Sterling — had BLACK DUCKS (Anas rubripes) p-esent during the breeding season. This is a duck of the tide- water sections; however, it is a confirmed breeding species at Mason Neck, Virginia. This species is rare in the interior of all sections of Mary- land (Stewart and Robbins, 1958). The SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Aaaipiter striatus) is rare in the Piedmont and is most often found in extensive wooded areas. This species has nested in the county in previous years; however, only one bird was ob- served (Germantown quadrangle). A COMMON GALLINULE (Gallinula chloropus ) was observed in breeding habitat at Hughes Hollow (Sterling quadrangle). This species is a rare transient in the Piedmont; however, it has nested at Mason Neck, Virginia in previous years. Two blocks in the Germantown quadrangle reported LEAST FLYCATCHERS (Empidonax minimus ) . This is a rare and local species in the Piedmont and nests in open deciduous woodlands. The BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (Vermi- vova pinus ) is a fairly common local nesting species in the Piedmont in northeastern Maryland. In 1951 a nest with eggs was located within Mont- gomery County (Stewart and Robbins, 1958). Two males were heard singing (on one date only) in two blocks of the Germantown quadrangle. The SUMMER TANAGER (Piranga T’ubva ) is uncommon to rare in the Pied- mont, being concentrated along the Potomac River Valley. One was ob- served in the Germantown quadrangle. A pair was found holding territory near Violet's Lock (Seneca quadrangle) in 1970 (J. Abbott, pers. comm.). The HOUSE FINCH (Carpodacus mexicanus) is extending its range south- ward from Long Island, New York where the species was introduced in the eastern United States. Two separate observations were made of this spe- cies in the Washington West— Kensington quadrangle boundary area during the nesting season. Uncommon and local in the Piedmont, the SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passeraulus sandwidhensis ) was found in two quadrangles — Gaithersburg and Rockville. During the early 1950's, several pairs of SWAMP SPARROWS (Melospisa georgiana) were apparently holding territory along the Rockville-Gaithers- burg quadrangle border area. Shortly thereafter the area was flooded to create Needwood Lake and the birds disappeared (C. Carlson, pers. comm.). A Swamp Sparrow was observed in the Gaithersburg quadrangle in suitable 134 MAE Y LAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 Fig. 2. Breeding status of 6 species in Montgomery County in 1971. habitat. If nesting can "be confirmed this vould he an interesting range extension, as Montgomery County lies midway between the breeding ranges of M. g. geovgiana in the Appalachian Mountains and M. g, ericvypta on Maryland's Eastern Shore. September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 135 Fig. 3. Breeding status of k species in Montgomery County in 1971. Probable nesting species in 1971 include the RING-NECKED PHEASANT (Phasianus oolahicus ), TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo) , and the BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) . Pheasants have been introduced by state game officials in many areas, but have been unable to establish breeding pairs except locally in the Piedmont. This species was recorded in ten blocks of six quadrangles. Wild Turkeys formerly nested throughout the Piedmont , but now only introduced individuals are found in the county (Sterling and Germantown quadrangles — three blocks). The Black-billed Cuckoo is an uncommon breeding species in the Piedmont and was recorded in three blocks of the Poolesville and Germantown quadrangles. Several confirmations were of special interest. LEAST BITTERNS (Ixobrychus exilis) nested in the Hughes Hollow marsh. Although occa- sional birds are seen in all interior sections of the state, this is the only area in Montgomery County where this species has successfully nested. The first nests were found by E. M- Martin in 1967 and 1968. Two nests of the CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) were found. This is the second year geese have nested at the National Geographic building (Rockville quadrangle) and also the second year at Rossmoor Leisure World 136 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 (Kensington quadrangle). An adult AMERICAN COOT (Fulica americana) was observed with downy young along the Potomac River (Seneca quadrangle). This is the first Maryland nesting record west of the Chesapeake Bay. This species is a possible breeder at Hughes Hollow (Sterling quadrangle). The SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularia) was confirmed in one block (Gaithersburg quadrangle), probable in one, and possible in four. This species is unco-mon in all sections of Maryland in the breeding season. Although the owls were poorly surveyed this year, one pair of BARN OWLS (Tyto alba) was observed with one young in the Sterling quadrangle. Both Barn Owls and RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS (Melanerpes erythroaephalus ) are uncommon locally during the nesting season. Red-headed Woodpeckers were confirmed in two blocks (one each in the Kensington and Poolesville quad- rangles), probable in one block and possible in another. TRAILL’S FLYCATCHER (Empidonax traillii) was confirmed in one block and probable in a second in the Sterling quadrangle. It was also re- corded as probable in one block of the Gaithersburg quadrangle and pos- sible in one block each of the Poolesville, Germantown and Seneca quad- rangles. This is at least the third year Traill's Flycatchers have nested at Hughes Hollow. There were five pairs including one of the northern fee-bee-o song type (Woodward, pers. coram.). This is the first county nesting record. TREE SWALLOWS (Iridoprocne bicolor) were confirmed in one block each in the Sterling and Seneca quadrangles . They were observed in five blocks of four quadrangles elsewhere in the county. The first two nests were seen in 1970 and the population increased to four pairs in 1971 at Hughes Hollow (Woodward, pers. coram.). This is another county record. CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) was confirmed in the Clarks- ville quadrangle. This species is rare and local in the Piedmont and the normal range is northwest of Montgomery County. BROWN CREEPERS (Certhia familiaris) nested along the C and 0 Canal (Seneca quadrangle) in 1970 and 1971. A total of three nests were found in the county in 1970 (Carl- son, pers. comm.) and one in 1971. One WORM-EATING WARBLER (Helmitheros vermivorus ) was confirmed in the Clarksville quadrangle. This is a local nesting species in the Pied- mont, usually found in well-drained upland deciduous woods with shrub understory (Stewart and Robbins, 1958). A fledgling DICKCISSEL (Spiza americana) was observed in the Germantown quadrangle. This species is regular but variable in abundance in the Piedmont and has nested in Montgomery County in the Dickerson-Poolesville area. Figure 2 shows the breeding distribution maps for EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayomis phoebe) } PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis), MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus poly- glottos) j and EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis), all of which are widely distributed as breeding birds of Montgomery County. The LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN (Telmatodytes palustris) was concentrated along the Potomac in the Hughes Hollow-Seneca-Poolesville area. Confirmed nesting was established in one block (about 12 pairs) and probable status September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 137 in another block (one pair) in the Sterling quadrangle (Woodward, pers. comm. ) . This is the second county nesting record for this typical spe- cies of the Eastern Shore in tidal salt marshes. The Potomac River is basically fresh water in this section; however, the marshes at Hughes Hollow offer excellent vegetative habitat for this species which is ex- panding its range northwestward into Montgomery County. This species also was recorded as possible in one block of the Poolesville quadrangle (Fig. 2). Stewart and Robbins (1958) indicate that the WHITE-EYED VIREO (Vireo griseus) is uncommon in the Piedmont except along the Potomac River Val- ley where it is fairly common. This survey shows this species to be fairly prevalent throughout the county (Fig. 2). The favored habitat is shrub swamps , brushy cutover forest swamps , hedgerows , and wood margins in agricultural areas. The BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula) is well distributed in the county as well as throughout the Piedmont (Fig. 3). The breeding range of the PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonotaria cit~ rea) in Maryland reaches its western and northern limit along the Potomac River Valley. The distribution follows the river the whole length of the county, and no birds were found elsewhere (Fig. 3). The BLUE GROSBEAK (Guiraca aaerulea) survey distribution follows the known northern breed- ing limit in the eastern United States (Fig. 3). This species is un- common in the southern and rare in the northern Piedmont. The GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodranrus savannarum ) is common in all sections of the state. The preferred nesting habitat is various types of hayf ields , overgrown pastures and weedy fallow fields (Stewart and Rob- bins, 1958). This study shows the distribution skirting the heavily pop- ulated areas (Fig. 3). This species can be considered an indicator of human population pressure upon the nesting habitat as the urban areas expand. The results this year indicate the need for a concentrated effort during the next breeding season to complete the pilot study. Coverage will begin in February and terminate in August. In order for the pilot survey of Montgomery County to be truly meaningful, a state study should be undertaken. A state atlas would have far greater impact than a county one because of the greater number of both species and habitats that would be sampled. It is hoped that the Maryland Ornithological Society will sponsor a Maryland State Breeding Bird Atlas Project after the pilot study is completed during 1972. SUmARY We cannot stress too strongly the scientific value of a project such as the breeding bird atlas study. The BTO News (Ornithological Atlas Supplement, 1971) summarized its value as follows: The breeding distributions of birds are not static and many fac- tors affect the changes in status — climatic change, natural evolu- tion and degeneration of habitats, alterations in land-use (such as 138 MARYLAM) BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 drainage of marshes, removal of hedgerows, replacement of deciduous woods by conifers and formation of new reservoirs), changes in human activity (such as reduction in shooting and keepering or an increase in water-sports), modification of a species' requirements (allowing it to colonise new habitats) or variations in abundance of its pre- ferred food. Man's activities in particular are likely to alter the countryside to an increasing extent so it is important to have an accurate record of present-day distributions of animals and plants. This will obviously be invaluable for comparison in future years, but it is also essential to have a precise map if one is to study the factors affecting the current distributions and subsequent chan- ges. Objectively-constructed distribution maps have never before been available [in Britain], are bound to prompt as many new ques- tions as they are likely to answer others, and have great potential value as a conservation document. In addition, many observers have indicated to us the value of the project for personal enjoyment and satisfaction. The survey gave them a goal for birding during the breeding season and the satisfaction of ob- serving behavior of even the most common species. Any persons interested in participating in 1972 should contact one of the authors. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have contributed to the success of the first year's atlas survey. The field work was performed by fifty observers and nine coordinators. Our thanks to each, particularly the following coordina- tors: Chuck Cremeans , Vince Jones, Ernie Meyers, Pat Moore, Harvey Mudd, the late Howard Ross, Isaac Sanchez, and Paul Woodward. Appreciation is extended to Danny Bystrak for preparing the maps. Bill Oberman and Chan Robbins deserve credit for proposing the pro- ject. Chan's aid, technical advice, and encouragement have been invalu- able. Our thanks go also to Dr. Timothy Sharrock of the British Trust for Ornithology. Information furnished by Dr. Sharrock provided the methods upon which this study was based. The Ornithological Atlas Project of Britain and Ireland coordinated by Dr. Sharrock for the British Trust for Ornithology sets a goal which will be hard to duplicate. LITERATURE CITED DuMont, P. A. 1969. Birds of the season. Atl. Nat . 2k (3): 167-170. Lord, J. and D. J. Munns. 1970. Atlas of breeding birds of the West Mid- lands. Collins: London. 276 p. Stewart, R. E. and C. S. Robbins. 1958. Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia. No. Amer. Fauna 62: I-LOI. Sharrock, T. 1971. BTO News, ornithological Atlas Supplement. Up. September 1971 MARYLAND BIKDLIFE 139 APRIL, MAY, JUNE, 1971 Chandler S. Bobbins It was a cold, cold spring. The chill of late March continued into April, and the chill of April continued right through the month of May. For nine consecutive weeks the average temperature in eastern Maryland was below normal, and for seven of these weeks this condition prevailed over the entire State. The greatest departure from normal occurred in the week of April 26 to May 2, just when the largest numbers of spring arrivals should have made their debut. If there was any consolation for the lateness of the season, it was in the lingering of small numbers of winter birds into the late spring, coupled with the hope that the weather might suddenly turn warm and bring in a great flood of feathered tran- sients just before the trees came into leaf. Unfortunately, no such change in the weather occurred until the leaves were well developed and the migration was essentially over. Then, to add insult to injury, a heat wave in early June swept the State almost clear of late migrants and thwarted efforts of observers who had hoped to break late departure records . April was dry, especially in western Maryland, but it rained heavily in May, and precipitation remained adequate through June. In contrast to the map of May temperatures , which showed nearly all the lower 1+8 states in the grip of unseasonably cold weather, the June map showed almost all states with above average temperatures. As in previous reports, the extreme arrival and departure dates for the more widely reported migrants are tabulated in order to condense thousands of dates compiled by scores of members representing all sec- tions of the State. These dates, in addition, document occurrence county by county, compare characteristics of the 1971 migration with previous years , and serve as a rough index to trends in abundance and in distri- bution over a period of years. It is difficult to single out certain observers for special mention, especially when some members send their records through county compilers and others submit them directly. A few contributors routinely include detailed notes substantiating unusual observations or drawing comparisons with prior years; such annotated lists make an important contribution to "The Season" report and are more likely to result in acknowledgment in Median Table 1. Spring Arrival Dates, 1971 Species 10-vr 1971 1 Garr Alle Wash Fred Balt Hovd Mont Pr.G Anne Calv Cecl Kent ftuAn Caro Talbl Pore Somr Wore Common Loon __ >4/13 5/ 1 0 0 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 1/10 1/12 1/13 __ 0 1 / 7 5/ 1 1/ 8 1/12 5/ 1 — — Double-cr . Cormorant __ 5/ 1 ! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/12 0 0 5/ 1 0 0 5/ 9 5/ 1 — 1/17 Green Heron 1/23 i*/30 | 5/ 1 14/19 — lt/23 5/ 1 5/ 1 1/18 1/ 9 1/21 5/ 7 5/ 1 1/28 5/ l 1/27 1/30 5/ 1 1/10 5/ 1 Little Blue Heron 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 8 0 0 0 0 5/ 1 0 0 1/21 1/ 3 Cattle Egret 14/26 1 0 0 0 5/ 1 1/20 0 3/2° 0 1/28 1/ 3 0 JJ* 7/22 ILL 7/23 1/21 1/20 3/21 Common Egret 5/ 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1/ 2 c/ 1 5/ 2 0 0 5/ 1 C/ 9 0 C/17 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 Snowy Egret 1/21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1/21 0 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 5/27 3/25 1/ 9 1/ 3 American Bittern __ li/30 ( 0 5/ 7 0 li/30 0 0 3/20 3/28 3/29 0 0 l/ll 5/ 8 5/ 1 0 5/ 1 1/17 5/ 1 Glossy rbis 5/ l 0 0 0 0 5/ l 0 3/29 5/10 5/12 0 0 l/ll 5/22 0 0 3/15 1/ 9 5/ 1 Broad-winged Hawk 1/22 l/2l 5/ 1 l/l6 5/ 1 5 / 1 1/ 8 1/16 1/17 5/ 1 1/21 1/21 1/26 0 0 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 Semlpalmated Plover T/T 0 1/TT 0 li/30 5/ 6 0 0 0 5/ 1 0 0 0 — 0 — 5/ l 5/ a 5/ 8 Spotted Sandpiper li/30 U/20 5/ 1 ii /27 5/ 1 li/23 1/20 1/29 1/11 1/22 1/20 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 — 1/27 5/ 1 — 5/ 1 — Solitary Sandpiper 5/ 2 5/ l 5/ 1 ii /20 5/ 1 *4/23 5/ l 5/ 1 1/22 1/26 1/26 0 0 5/ 1 — 5/ 1 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 1 Greater Yellovlegs lt/10 U/21 5/ 1 ii /30 0 li/16 5/ 1 0 3/28 0 3/28 1/26 0 1/ 8 1/10 3/18 5/ 1 5/ 1 1/ 9 5/ 1 Lesser Yellovlegs 5/ 2 *i/3p 5/ 1 7 / 1 0 ti/23 1/20 1/30 1/10 5/ 1 1/21 0 0 l/£i ?/ 1 Jt/JL .H 1 .. -au 1/17 5/ 8 Pectoral Sandpiper U/2lf 0 C/13 0 li /16 3/23 0 5/ 2 — — 0 0 V2T 0 5/ i 5 / 1 c /21 1/21 — Least Sandpiper 5/ 1 0 5/ 2 0 1/30 5/ 3 0 5/ 1 0 1/20 0 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 5/ 1 — 5/ 8 5/ l 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 5/ 8 0 0 0 0 0 5 / 1 5/ 1 1/21 5/ 1 Semlpalmated Sandpiper __ 5/ 6 5/ 1 5/ 8 0 5/lli 0 0 5/ 1 0 5/ 6 0 0 1/ 2 — 0 — 5/ 1 5/11 5/ 8 Laughing Gull __ 14/18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1/21 1/18 — ?/ 1 SZ.1. 1/17 J 1 Z .10 5/ 1 1/10 1 / 3 Bonaparte's Gull -TTT 1-/17 1/ 2 0 li /16 1/ 9 0 3/26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1/12 — 0 3/21 5 / 1 0 5/ 8 0 0 0 0 1/30 0 — 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ l 0 5 / 1 5/ 1 1/17 1/17 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 8 0 0 5/ 1 — 0 — 5/ 8 1/25 5/ 1 Caspian Tern __ I 4/30 0 0 0 0 1/25 0 5/ 2 0 1/28 1/26 5/ 1 5/ 8 -- 0 0 1/21 0 5/ 1 Black Tern 0 V 0 0 0 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5/ 1 5/ 8 — 5 / 1 ”5715 5/11* 5/11 5/ 9 5/ 1 5/ ii 5 / tj 5/31 5/ ti 5/ ti — 5/ l — 5/ 8 6/10 5/ 8 Black-billed Cuckoo 5/ 5 5/ 7 5/ 7 0 5/ 8 5/ 9 5/ 2 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 0 0 5/21 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chuck-will ' s-widow 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 1 0 0 5/10 5/ 1 5/ l — 5/ l 0 5/ 1 Whip-poor-will 1/21 lt/28 5/ 1 0 0 1/28 1/20 1/25 1/27 1/10 5/ 9 0 5/ 1 0 1/19 0 5/ l 5/ 7 1/17 Common Nlghthawk 5/ 5 5/ 8 0 5/12 1 V 0 5/11 5/16 5/ 8 — 7 / 2 0 0 0 0 — — _5/_8_ 0 0 Chimney Swift C/15 C/26 5/ 1 TTir ITT C/15 C/21 lt/27 1/22 1/25 T/2 (Harry Armi stead) should be considered a three-day extension of the State departure record rather than a summer stray. A Red-throated Loon identi- fied at Hoopers Island on May 1 is a rarity for Dorchester County, and counts of 47 Horned Grebes on May 1, and 3 on May 8, also in Dorchester County, reflect the lateness of the spring migration ( Armistead) . Shearwaters , Petrels . Thirty mile-an-hour onshore winds accompanied by heavy rain swept 9 shearwaters close enough to Ocean City inlet so they could be seen from land on May l6. One Sooty and 2 Greaters were identified and 6 other "black and white types" were observed under less favorable circumstances (Paul DuMont and Richard Rowlett). Two Sooty Shearwaters were seen on the Montgomery Chapter’s boat trip off Ocean City on May 22 (Dr. R. L. Pyle). The early arrival record for the Wilson's Petrel was broken on May 8 when one was seen off Ocean City during the M.O.S. Convention/ Herons , Egrets and Ibis . Cattle Egrets appeared inland at piedmont locations from Mar. 20 (Hughes Hollow turf farm above Seneca by Chris Petrow and Ted Eliot) to June 8 (Long Green in Baltimore County by September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE lb3 Barbara Larrabee). They were found in all but two coastal plain coun- ties, and as far inland as Frederick (Statewide Bird Count, May 1). Glossy Ibis, by comparison, remained much closer to the nesting colonies; but Paul Woodward noted 2 to 1+ as far inland as Hughes Hollow (Mar. 29 to Apr. 9), 3 were seen in Baltimore County on the Statewide Count (May l), and one was found by Prof. Wierenga at Sandy Point State Park during a rain storm (May 12), and 17_ were at Sycamore Landing above Seneca on May 21 (Woodward). Yellow-crowned Night Herons (at least 3) were back at Lake Roland this spring and were presumed to be nesting (Alice Marotti). A pair summered for the second year in a row in Washington County (Daniel Boone), and 5 adults fed regularly at Sycamore Landing in June (Paul W. Woodward). Armistead contributed several significant records from the Lower Eastern Shore: a Louisiana Heron at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the record-breaking date of Apr . 2h - a high count of 32 Black- crowned Night Herons in southern Dorchester County on May 1; 9. Least Bitterns, 23k Glossy Ibis, and 50 Louisiana Herons at the Deal Island Wildlife Management Area on June 5 (from a previously unreported heronry on Little Deal Island); and a healthy heronry at Bloodsworth Island as well! Dr. Mitchell Byrd and Robert Kennedy visited the heron colony off South Point at the head of Chincoteague Bay on May 17 and estimated the following breeding pairs: Glossy Ibis, 510; Snowy Egret, 1+50; Little Blue Heron, 1+00; Cattle Egret, 300; Louisiana Heron, 210; Common Egret, 200; and Black-crowned Night Heron, 40. Waterfowl . Mute Swans are continuing to increase in the Miles River area of Talbot County; 10 birds had wandered into the Bellevue area by June 21 (Armistead). A pair of Shovelers was found in the Fairmount Wildlife Management Area on June 5 (Armistead); a pair on this date in such a favorable location suggests possible breeding, although there is not yet a breeding record of this species for Maryland. As a direct con- sequence of the cold spring, there were numerous records of high counts of waterfowl late in the season and of individual stragglers on dates be- yond the normal migration period: a flying Brant at Deal Island on June 5 (Armistead), 2 drake Redheads, 1,375 Lesser Scaup and 83 White-winged Scoters in Dorchester County on May 1 (Armistead), 85 Ruddy Ducks at Elliott Island as late as May 8 (Armistead), an adult male Common Eider at Ocean City inlet on April 3 (Dr. Fred Evenden) , about 20 King Eiders there on the same day and a very late immature male King Eider seen by over 100 observers at the Ocean City Convention on May 8. Nine Common Scoters and 50 White-wings were still in Talbot County on April 17 ; sin- gle American and Surf Scoters at Cambridge on June 8 may have been summer stragglers as were single Canvasback, Lesser Scaup and Oldsquaw and k Red-breasted Mergansers in Talbot County on June 2k (Reese). Eagles . From all reports , Bald Eagles had a good nesting season in Southern Maryland and on the lower Eastern Shore. As usual, the highest counts came from the vicinity of Blackwater Refuge. Linrpkin , Rails and Gallinules . The most exotic report of the season concerned a Limpkin that was discovered by Richard Rowlett at Lily Pons in Frederick County on May 25- The bird was subsequently seen by many other observers and was last viewed on June 8. Its admission to the 144 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 official Maryland list hinges upon whether the indentif ication can "be verified from distant photographs. Mr. Armistead conducted a search for rails at the Wildlife Management Areas in Somerset County on June 5 and met with superb success (see his account on page 111 of this issue). His list for Fairmount includes 1 King Rail, l4 Clappers, 10 Virginias, 1 Sora, 1 Black Rail, 3 Common Gallinules and 1 coot. At Deal Island he had 3 Kings , 9 Clappers , 11 Virginias , ID Black Rails , 12 Common Galli- nules and 11 coots! (Note the scarcity of gallinules as compared with last year.) Dr. Prescott Ward taped a Black Rail call at Carroll Island in June, confirming the first record of this species for Baltimore County. The elusive Black Rail has now been found in 9 of Maryland's 23 counties. A Yellow Rail was flushed from a field of tall dead grass at Henry's Crossroads south of Vienna on May 5 by Raymond Blicharz, Robert Ridgely and John Gwynn ( Atlantic Nat . 26: 124-125). A Purple Gallinule seen at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center on May 10 by Chandler Robbins and Ronald Youngman is only the second one recorded in Prince Georges County. This is the first (and probably the last) time that all native North American species of the families Aramidae and Rallidae have been recorded in Maryland within a 4-week period. Shorebirds . At the edge of the South Point heronry on May 17, Dr. Byrd and Kennedy found an American Oystercatcher nest with §_ eggs — twice the normal complement. The shorebird migration at the coast was quite routine, with no rarities or unusual concentrations. Of local interest at Bay-side locations were 2 Willets on May 12, a Ruddy Turnstone and a White-rumped Sandpiper on May 13, and eight species of shorebirds includ- ing another White-rump on May 26, all at Sandy Point State Park (Prof. Wierenga); a Ruddy Turnstone in Kent County on Apr. 21 (Mendinhalls ) , one at Sandy Point on May 8 (Paul DuMont) and another at Cambridge on June 8 (Reese); 5 White-rumped Sandpipers at Blackwater Refuge on May 1, one day ahead of the earliest State arrival record and 12 there on May 8, setting a new high spring count for Maryland (ArmisteadTT Phenomenal for the Ridge and Valley Section of the State was a concentration of 9 species of shorebirds at Rouge Lagoon near Old Town on May 8 (James Paulus); espe- cially noteworthy were 4 Ruddy Turnstones (first Section record), a Semipalmated Plover and 2 Dunlins. Paul DuMont and Richard Rowlett spotted a female Red Phalarope at Ocean City inlet on May l6, the only phalarope report of the spring; on the same day they estimated 550 Ruddy Turnstones and 625 Black-bellied Plovers. The fall migration began on June 20 when Robert Warfield sighted the first southbound flock of (10) Willets flying high over West Ocean City. Gulls and Terns . The combination of a late season and a very low tide resulted in a high count of 425 Herring Gulls at Barren Island on May 1 (Armistead). The nesting colonies of this bird in Sinepuxent Bay continue to grow; in addition to three nests with eggs off South Point, Dr. Byrd and Kennedy counted 40 pairs at Robins Marsh and located 17 nests with eggs on May 17. Laughing Gulls at the latter colony had just started to lay, but a few birds had full clutches of 3- DuMont and Rowlett saw a late immature. Little Gull at Ocean City inlet on May l6, tying the State departure record. A Glaucous Gull, discovered in the winter by the Kent County Juniors , was still present at the Chestertown September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE l4 5 bridge on Apr. 9- Jan Reese saw 2 Royal Terns as far up the Bay as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Apr. l8. Dr. Lawrence Murphy checked the Least Tern colony at Sandy Point on five June dates and determined that at least 11 downy young hatched, of which at least 4 were still alive at the end of the month. Doves , Owls . There is still a Ringed Turtle Dove roaming the North Baltimore area; it visited Pauline Volmer's feeder on June 21. Good owl counts for the period were 11 Barreds in lower Kent County on May 11 (Hills) and 3 Long-ears on the back side of Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County on both May 1 and May 2 (Carl W. Carlson). Goatsuckers , Hummi ngbirds . There were two Baltimore records of the Chuck-will's widow in June, well north of the breeding range: one call- ing at Monkton on the 4th (Mrs. Andrew Simon) and one taped at Carroll Island (Dr. Ward). The male Rufous Hummingbird seen and heard by Richard Rowlett at Lily Pons in Frederick County on the May 1 Statewide Bird Count was the first spring sighting of this species in Maryland; details were published in the Atlantic Naturalist (26: 125-126). Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were believed by -some observers to be scarcer than usual this year; however, the total of 22 recorded on May 1, 1971, as compared with 97 on May 2, 1970, probably reflects their late arrival this year rather than a serious drop in the population. Flycatchers . Nearly all of the Yellow-bellied Flycatchers reported were found during the brief period May 29 to June 2. The highest count was of 3 singing birds on Town Hill, May 29 (Carlson), and the only coastal plain record was a singing bird at Java Farm in Anne Arundel County on June 2 (Wierenga). Traill's Flycatchers of the 'fitz-bew' song type continue to increase as breeding birds in the Maryland piedmont. Bruce Beehler found 4 singing males Just south of Butler in Baltimore County, June 5-H ; Robbins had 1 to 2 males at each of 4 locations in Columbia, Howard County from mid-June into July; and Montgomery Chapter members recorded this species in 6 of their Atlas blocks. Paul Woodward had one bird at Hughes Hollow that sang the 'way-be-o' song of the north- ern form; previously this song has not been heard in Maryland east of Garrett County during the nesting season. The southernmost report of Traill's Flycatchers was from the edge of the Patuxent River marsh at Upper Marlboro, where Dr. Lawrence Murphy heard 2 males singing on June 10; although these could have been late transients on this date, the lo- cality should be checked in future years on the possibility that nesting occurs there. Swallows . Five Cliff Swallows at Blackwater Refuge on May 1 (Armistead) were new for Dorchester County; this is a scarce migrant any- where on the Eastern Shore, but 30 others were seen in Caroline County, also on May 1. A new Bank Swallow colony of about 28 active burrows was found in northeastern Dorchester County near Federalsburg by Harry Armistead on June 19; this constitutes an eastward extension of the nesting range in Maryland. Ten late transients at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center near Laurel, where the species does not nest, broke the May 26 spring departure date by two days (Robbins). i46 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 Jays , Raven. The Blue Jay was one species whose migration was not appreciably delayed by the cold weather. The drop from 14,591 birds on May 2, 1970, to 10,007 on May 1, 1971, could be explained entirely on the difference in weather conditions on the day of the Statewide Bird Count. In neither year were more than an armful still migrating north in early June. For the second successive spring a Common Raven was identified in Washington County — this time at Indian Springs on May 15 (Carlson); no nest of the raven has been found in Maryland since 1950. Thrushes . Wood Thrushes have at last recovered from the slump of the previous seven years. The number captured in 6 days of a stand- ardized netting operation at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center ranged from 42 to 57 per year in 1959-63; it dropped to 18 to 36 for the period 1964-70, then rose to 49 in 1971 (Robbins). The slump had not resulted just from poor reproduction, but from a low rate of return of adult breeding birds. The average number of returns of adult birds during the slump years was 5.6, but in 1971 there were 20 returns from previous years. Veeries , which averaged only 0.6 birds per year, did not increase during the period when the Wood Thrush population was down. Three sing- ing male Veeries were on territory along the Middle Patuxent River at Columbia, the first summer records for Howard County (Robbins). The Varied Thrush that wintered at Mrs. McHale's feeder in Towson was last seen on Apr. 11. Waxwings . Appearances of the Cedar Waxwing were so sporadic as to defy interpretation. Nomadic flocks of wintering birds turned up in sev- eral counties in January and February (see the table in Maryland Birdlife 27: 74, June 1971). Subsequent arrivals were reported almost weekly from March through early June (Tables 1 and 2 of this issue), with no general influx reported. Five birds seen near Galestown in Dorchester County on June 6 (Armistead) were probably late transients, but on June 19 nearly a hundred observers at the Baltimore Chapter's Junior Camp at Huntingtown watched an incubating Cedar Waxwing at the shore of the tidal Patuxent in Calvert County — the first nest record for Southern Maryland. Vireos . Vireo populations were about normal , though first arrivals averaged 3 days late. Three Solitary Vireos by Armistead in Dorchester County (Hoopers Island and Blackwater) on May 8 were unusual as to date, location, and number; there are few spring records for that part of the State. The Philadelphia Vireo, a rarity in Maryland in spring, was seen in Prince Georges County on May 13 (Fales), in Montgomery County on May 19 (Dr. Evenden) and in Baltimore City on May 27 (Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bohan an) . Warblers . The lateness of the warbler migration was shown in sever- al ways. The Blue-winged Warbler, a typical late April migrant , was not seen in Maryland until May. There was not a single April report of a Nashville, Cape May, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Kentucky or Canada Warbler or Yellow-breasted Chat ; and only one county had an April obser- vation of the Worm-eating, Golden-wing, Magnolia, Cerulean, Blackburnian or Northern Waterthrush. The May 1 Statewide Bird Count yielded only 1 Golden-wing, 4 Blue-wings, 2 Magnolias, 5 Black-throated Blues, 2 September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 147 Table 2. Spring Departure Dates, 1971 Median Species 10-yr 1971 Garr Alle Fred Balt Hovd Mont Pr.G Anne Calv Kent! QuAn Caro Talb Pore ISomr Wore Common Loon 5/ 9 5/ 8 *„ 0 0 __ 5/ 9 5/ 1 5/ 8 __ b /11 5/ 8 5/ l 5/ 0 6/ 5 5/ 9 Horned Grebe -- 5/ 1 0 5/ l 0 5/ 1 0 5/ 9 b/30 5/ 8 b/ 3 5/ 1 51 8 0 b/2b 5/ 8 b/2b Double-cr. Cormorant — 5/ 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/12 0 0 0 5/ 9 5/ 8 6/ 5 5/ 9 Whistling Swan I>/21 5/ 1 0 5/ 2 — 5/H 3/26 b/10 b/ 8 3/26 3/28 51 8 5/22 5/ l b/17 51 8 5/ 8 Canada Goose b/30 ?/ ? 0 0 0 5/ 1 V 5 5/ 5 — 3/lb 5/ 8 5/11 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/ 9 Pintail — 0 0 0 5/ 1 0 1/F 5/ a 5/22 Green-vinged Teal — 5/ 1 0 3/30 — 5/ 1 0 5/ 8 5/ 1 - — 5/ 1 5/ l 5/ 1 51 1 5/ 8 51 8 American Widgeon — 5/ 7 0 5/ 2 5/ 6 5/ 1 0 — 5/10 — — 5/ 6 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 9 Shoveler — b/27 0 b/ 2 0 5/ 1 0 0 — __ 0 5/ 8 b /23 0 0 5/ 1 0 b/17 Ring-necked Duck — b/20 5/ 1 5/ i 0 5/ 1 3/ 8 b/ 8 5/ 1 — 3/28 0 0 b / 6 0 0 Canvasback — 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 — 0 0 0 5/ 8 V9 0 5/ 1 b/17 Lesser Scaup — 5/ 1 b/17 5/ 8 5/ 1 — — 5/ 8 b/ 8 b/ 3 5/ 1 5/ 1 b/ 5 5/ 1 5/ 1 b/2b 51 8 Bufflehead — b/20 5/ 1 b/16 0 5/25 0 5/ l b /12 b/ 3 5/ 8 0 b/20 b/17 Oldsquav — b/12 0 0 0 b /10 0 0 b / 7 3/27 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 b/12 __ 5/ 8 Ruddy Duck — V j» 0 5/ i 0 0 0 0 5/ 813/27 5/11 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 8 Hooded Merganser — b/30 0 2/25 b /30 0 — -- b/23 0 0 51 1 0 0 0 __ 5/ 8 Common Merganser -- 5/ l 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 5/ 9 3/ 6 51 1 — 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 b/ 2 0 0 5/ 1 American Coot — 5/ 7 5/ l 5/21 5/ 8 5/ 6 0 5/21 5/lb 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 1 51 1 b/17 5/ 0 5/ 1 5/ 9 Real pal mated Plover — 5/2b 0 6/ 7 5/21 — 0 0 0 5/26 0 0 5/28 0 5/27 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/ 9 Black-bellied Plover — — 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 5/26 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 8 5/ b 5/ 9 Common Snipe 51 2 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/ 6 0 5/ 8 5/ii 5/ 815/ 1 5/ 1 5) 8 51 b 5/ l 5/ 8 5/ 1 Spotted Sandpiper — 5/10 — 6/10 5/ 8 5/22 5/ 1 5/2b 5/11 5/30 0 5/ 8 5/17 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/15 5/ 9 Solitary Sandpiper — 5/11 — 5/22 5/27 5/11 5/20 5/27 5/11 5/26 0 — 5/ 8 5/ 1 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 9 Greater Yellovlegs — 5/ 8 — 5/ 1 5/lb 5/ 6 0 6/ 2 0 5/26 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/ 6 5/ 1 5/ 8 6/10 5/ 9 Lesser Yellovlegs — V 0 5/ i 5/28 p/lb V 6 V 1 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 5/ 8 V ' 5/ 1 5/ 8 6 1 5 5/ 8 Pectoral Sandpiper — 5/ 6 0 -- 5/DT 5/ 1 0 5/ 8 5/17 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 6 5/ 8 Least Sandpiper — 5/21 0 5/22 5/21 — 0 5/ 8 0 5/26 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 5/22 Dunlin — 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 5/ 8 0 0 0 0 5/ 8 0 0 0 0 5/ 6 6/ 5 5/ 9 Senipal mated Sandpiper -- 5/26 — 6/ 7 6/12 0 0 — 0 5/26 0 5/ 8 5/28 0 5/27 5/ 8 5/15 Ring-billed Cull — H P — 6/ I 5/ 0 V 1 0 5/12 — 5/30 9/ 1 5/ 8 51 8 5 / 1 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/ 9 Bonaparte '3 Cull — — 5 1 8 — b /25 0 5/ 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 5/ t Yellow-bell. Sapsucker b/2b 5/ 1 " 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 — 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 8 b /17 5/ 1 — b /19 5/ 1 5/ 9 Blue Jay 5/lb 6/ b — 6/13 — 6/ b 6/ 6 5/ 9 5/2b Brown Creeper b/22 b/26 5/ i 5/ 1 — 5/ 1 b/30 b/11 b /12 b/17 b /18 5/ 1 b/21 Winter Wren — b/29 0 b/20 b/2b 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 b/29 5/ 8 6/2b b/15 Hermit Thrush b/20 5/ 1 5/ 1 0 — 5/ 9 5/ 1 5/ 7 5/ 1 5/ 9 5/ 1 5/ 1 51 1 51 1 _ b/30 "37 Svainson's Thrush 5/2b 5/26 0 0 5/29 5/16 6/ 3 6/ 3 — 5/23 0 0 5/18 0 0 0 Cray-cheeked Thrush — — 0 0 0 0 0 6/ 1 6/ l 5/31 0 0 0 3 0 3 Veery 5/17 5/lb — 5/ 9l -- 5/2b 5/25 5/20 6/ 1 5/ 8 5/ 8 0 0 5/2b 0 51 8 0 5 / 9 Golden-crovned Kinglet b/11 iZ.17 ?/ 1 V 1 b/12 5/ 1 b / 7 5/ 8 b/17 b/ 5 b/1? __ Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 ) 2 5/ 0 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/ 1 “C73o 5) 8 5/n 5/10 51 8 T75o "3/5" 5/ 1 5} 1 5 } t 5 / 9 Water Pipit -- 5/ b — 0 5/ 8 5/ 1 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 1 0 5/ 1 0 3 0 Cedar Waiving — 5/29 5/29 5/29 5/31 6/ l 5/31 5/12 6/ 6 5/15 5 / 8 Solitary Vireo — 5/ 8 — 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/18 5/26 5/ 1 51 1 0 0 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 9 Golden-winged Warbler — — — — 5/10 0 0 p/12 — >/ 9 0 0 0 5/10 0 0 1 Blue-winged Warbler — 5/ 9 0 0 5/10 5/11 5/ l 5M 5/ 7 5/ 9 5/ 8 5/ 8 0 5/10 0 51 0 0 5 / 9 Tenne33ee Warbler — 5/18 0 — 0 5/23 5/20 5/2b 5/18 5/17 51 8 0 0 0 0 51 8 0 5 / 8 Nashville Warbler — 5/ 9 — 5/ 6 5/23 5/10 5/ 9 5/ 8 0 0 5/10 0 5/ 8 0 5 / 9 Magnolia Warbler 5/19 5/26 — 0 0 5/27 5/30 5/15 5/26 6/ 1 5/31 0 5/23 0 5/11 5 / 9 Cape May Warbler 5/10 5/12 0 0 P/10 0 P/18 P/12 0 5/13 0 0 0 5/ 9 0 0 Blk-thr . Blue Warbler 5/lb 5/15 — 0 6/11 5/11 5/15 5/15 "37IF 6/ 1 5/15 — 0 5/lS 0 5/ a 0 5 / 9 Myrtle Warbler 5/10 5/10 — 5/ 8 5/11 5/10 5/19 5/16 5/17 5/31 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/lb 5/ 8 5/10 51 9 Blk-thr. Green Warbler 5/11 5/11 — 5/19 5/11 5/ 1 6/ 1 5/27 5/29 5/31 0 5/ 8 5/11 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 9 Blackburnian Warbler — 5/21 5/11 0 5/12 6/ 1 5/30 5/31 0 0 0 0 0 51 9 Chestnut-sided Warbler _2Zi3 5/10 p/ll 5/10 — 5/19 5/29 5/31 0 5/10 0 5/ 8 0 51 9 Blaekpoll Warbler 5/28 5/30 0 0 5/26 5/30 5/25 it b 6/ 2 61 2 Tm 0 5/2b — 0 5/ 9 Palm Warbler 5/ b 5/ 8 0 0 0 5/11 5/ 6 5/ 8 5/ 9 5/ 8 0 5/ 1 0 0 5/ 1 5/ 6 Northern Waterthrush 5/17 5/lb -- 6/ 9 5/ 8 5/11 — 6/ 1 6/ 1 5/17 5/ 8 0 5/26 0 5/ 8 0 5/ 8 Wilson's Warbler — 5/31 0 0 0 5/11 5/28 5/31 6/ 2 6/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 Canada Warbler 5/20 5/29 — 0 0 5/2b 5/18 6/lp 6/ 5 P/31 5/31 __ 0 5/27 0 5/15 American Redstart — 5/26 5/27 5/31 5/22 5/26 6/ 5 — 0 5/2b 5/15 Bobolink 5/16 5/ 8 — O' 5/16 — 5/2b 5/lb 51 8 5/ 8 5/lb 0 5/ 5 0 5/ 8 5/ 9 5/ 8 Rusty Blackbird — 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 7 0 — — 5/ 9 5/10 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/ 9 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/12 5/10 — 5/ 9 5/16 5/22 5/18 5/ 8 5/15 5/10 5/ 8 5/ 8 0 5/12 0 5/ 9 Evening Grosbeak 5/ 6 3/21 b/ie 0 2/15 — 3/18 0 0 3/21 0 0 0 5! 3 0 0 Purple Finch 5/ 3 5/ 1 — 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 b/27 5/ l 5/ 7 5/ 8 3/ 0 5/ l b /29 0 5/ 9 House Finch — 5/ 1 0 0 — 5/ 1 0 5/ 1 b/29 5/ 8 0 5/ 1 0 3/30 5/ 1 __ __ < Pine Siskin — — 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 1 b/23 5/ 0 0 0 0 5/ 5 0 0 Savannah Sparrow 5/ 6 5/ 1 — — 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/2b 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/ 1 5/ 1 5/ 1 51 1 5/ 1 5/ 8 5/12 5/ 9 Slate-colored Junco 5/ 1 5/ 8 V 1 5/20 ?/ 7 5/10 5/11 5/ 8 5/13 ?/ 8 b/17 5/ 6 V 1 5/ 3 5/ 1 5/12 Tree Sparrow — 3/27 5/ 1 3/27 — — 8/12 b/ g 3/25 2/27 2 /2b w 0 3/ 9 0 0 White-crowned Sparrow 5/13 5/ 0 0 5/15 5/ 8 5/ 6 5/11 5/ 8 0 5/10 5/ 8 5/ 8 5/12 5/10 5/ 8 0 51 9 White-throated Sparrow 5/lb 5/12 5/ 1 5/15 5/16 5/23 5/18 5/31 5/n 5/19 5/ 9 5/17 5/12 5/ l 5/ 8 5/10 51 9 Fox Sparrow b/ h b/27 5/ 1 5/ l b /12 5/11 b/23 5/ 1 — b/ 1 3/lb 5/ 1 b/ 9 Swamp Sparrow 5/ 7 5/ ? -- 5/ 9 5 / 8 — — 5/18 5/ 7 5/12 5/ 1 — 8 a m 5/ _£ MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 l48 Blackburnians , 5 Chestnut-sides , 1 Bay-breast , 3 Blackpolls , 5 Yellow- breasted Chats and 1 Canada Warbler — a total of 29 individuals of these ten species. On the 1970 count (May 2), these same ten species totaled 753 individuals. In 1970 there were 10 June entries for warblers (3 species) in the spring departure table. This year there are l6 entries, and the number of species represented jumped to a record high of 9* There were several record-breaking departure dates: a Blue-winged Warbler in Montgomery County on May 24 ( H . E . Douglas ) ; a Myrtle in Calvert County on May 31 (tie, John H. Fales); a Chestnut-side in Calvert County on May 31 (Fales); a Northern Waterthrush at Old Town in Allegany County on June 9 (Jim Paulus); and a Canada Warbler at Sycamore Landing in Montgomery County on June 19 (Douglas). A Black-throated Green Warbler, on the other hand, was seen at Herrington Manor in Garrett County on the extraordinarily early date of Apr. 17 — by far the earliest ever recorded in the Maryland portion of the Allegany plateau (Carl Carlson). The only Orange-crowned Warbler reported was at Plum Point in Calvert County on May 1 (Fales). The Swainson's and Mourning Warblers also were omitted from the tables for lack of sufficient records. The Swainson's, as usual, was found only in the Pocomoke Swamp (April and May). The Mourning was seen in Frederick County (May 18, Douglas), at Sandy Point (May 29, 30 and 31, Prof. Wierenga) , and at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (May 22 and 26, Robbins). A Lawrence's hybrid was seen in the Pocomoke Swamp above Whaleysville on two Convention field trips, May 8 and May 9. The following summer observations are of special interest: a Cerulean Warbler in Catoctin Mountain Park on June 20, a new summer species for Frederick County (Mrs. T. H. C. Slaughter); a pair of Louisiana Waterthrushes on June 19 at the north end of Lone Pine Road in northeastern Dorchester County, the first summer record for the county (Armistead); and 2 male Blue-winged Warblers throughout June — one scold- ing so vigorously that it almost certainly had young nearby — along the Middle Patuxent River in Columbia (Robbins, Paul Wagner and others), which is southeast of the known breeding range of the species. Grackles . Six Boat-tailed Grackles were plainly seen in marsh grass at Sandy Point State Park on May 8 (Luther Goldman). Equally unusual was a single individual in the Bay Hundred District of Talbot County on Apr. 12 (Jan Reese). This species rarely wanders north of its nesting grounds, which in Maryland's portion of Chesapeake Bay are limited to the marshes of Somerset County. Finches . Northern finches were unreported during the period, except for the few entries of Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins and Purple Finches in Table 2. House Finches departed from most feeders between Apr. 24 and May 1. An early House Finch nest with 4 finch eggs and a Brown-headed Cowbird egg in Guilford (Midge Nelson) was the first known to be para- sitized by a cowbird in Maryland. A male House Finch was seen in the Howard Park section of Baltimore on June 2 and June 5 (John Poteet) and a pair was on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore City on May 22 (Dr. Storrs L. Olson). The southern breeding limit for the recently established eastern population is College Park, where birds were seen throughout the summer for the second time (Dr. Lawrence Zeleny). Carl Carlson and Paul DuMont estimated 20 to 25 September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 1^9 Dickcissels along Oland Road south of Buckeystown on May 29; since this road is less than a mile long this represents quite a dense population for a "colony" so far removed from the principal breeding range of the species in the interior of the continent. Sparrows . On May 6, Prof. Wierenga counted 12 Seaside and 6 Sharp- tailed Sparrows at Sandy Point State Park at the very northern limit of the Chesapeake Bay breeding range of both species. The secretive Lincoln's Sparrow was reported only twice in Maryland this spring: one banded by Dr. Robert Pyle at his Chevy Chase home on May 6, and another banded at Hughes Hollow on the record-early date of Apr. 30 (Woodward). Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel HURRICANE-BORNE WILSON'S PETREL IN CHESAPEAKE BAY Robert Sharp II It was Saturday afternoon on August 28, 1971. Much earlier, about 2 a.m. , Hurricane Doria’s side effects had blustered through with winds of 35 or 40 m.p.h. and the last of the seven or eight inches of rain dumped along the Eastern Shore. Now it was clear and beautiful, with a steady breeze of some l4 knots out of the northwest. My wife and I were aboard Bligh Spirit , having en- joyed a brisk sail out the Miles River and into the Wye River. We were looking for a quiet anchorage for supper and to spend the night. Once inside the sheltering shores of the Wye, the seas of Eastern Bay subsided, and we glided along silently in the sparkling waters of this scenic river. Since entering the Wye, we had noticed a fairly steady flow of Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows flicking over the water in a southerly direction. Then on glancing off our starboard beam — another swallow? It was coming toward us, all dark and a shade smaller than a Purple Martin, but it had longish dangling feet, and it was dancing and dipping over the water as only a petrel can. It banked away from us, and there was a dis- tinct white band across its rump, and a good look at the rounded tail. Surely a Wilson's Petrel (Oceanites ooeaniaus). As we watched its light- hearted flight toward the Bay, we wondered how many other sightings have been made at inland locations. We found that Stewart and Robbins in Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia (1958) cited three old ( 18U2 to 1914) records from the Potomac River and three slightly more recent (1915 to 1925) observations from the Chesapeake shore of Calvert County. The only other Maryland record away from the open ocean is from Chine oteague Bay (9 birds on July 3, 1945). All Maryland sightings from inland waters are in the period June 21 to August 28. Easton 150 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 IN MEMORIAL - MYRTLE SIMONS PE LOT The Caroline Chapter and M.O.S. lost an ardent and dedicated member when Mrs. Charles Pelot passed away on May 22, 1971* Myrtle Pelot was one of those selfless persons whose whole concern is for someone in need or for a worthy cause. The care she lavished on others set her apart, and her interest in and devotion to our Society and its sanctuary program was little short of a passion. V.E.U. M.O.S. BOOK STORE The Book Store carries a large supply of natural history books, records, stationery, and sundry items for your convenience. When order- ing by mail, add b% sales tax, postage and 25^ handling charge. Make check payable to the M.O.S. Book Store, 1523 Pentridge Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21239- MOST RECENT BOOKS Chipmunks at Your Doorstep - Tunis $ 3.95 Birds of the Northern Forest - Lansdowne 20.00 Birds of the Eastern Forest, Vol. 1 - Lansdowne 20.00 Birds of the Eastern Forest, Vol. 2 - Lansdowne 20.00 Wildf lowers of the United States, Vol. 1 - Rickett 33.50 Living Reptiles of the World - Schmidt & Inger 13-50 Living Insects of the World - Schmidt & Klots 13-50 Wild Sanctuaries - Murphy 19-50 Sky Island - Heald 5-00 The Baltimore Trail Book - Mittenthal 3-50 Birder's Life List and Diary - Dietert 2.25 Combination Life List for Birds of North America - Tucker 2.25 POPULAR BOOKS AND GUIDES Birds of North America - Robbins (hardback) 5-25 Birds of North America - Robbins (paperback) 3.50 The New Handbook for Attracting Birds - McElroy 5-25 Attracting Birds from the Prairie to the Atlantic - Davison 5-95 Birds of Arizona - Phillips 12.50 Stalking the Good Life - Gibbons 5-25 Seashore Life - Miner 7-95 A Field Guide to the Birds of East & Central Africa - Williams 5-50 A Field Guide to the National Parks of East Africa - Williams 7-00 Peterson Field Guide Series 5-25 Bent's Life Histories - prices vary CHILDREN'S BOOKS Gerbils and Other Small Pets *- Shuttlesworth 3*95 The First Book of Bees - Tibbetts 3-00 Wonders of the Butterfly World - Simon 3-20 To Be A Bee - Rosen 3-00 Wonders of the Seashore - Merrill 3-20 September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 151 SUMMARY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY OSPREY REPRODUCTION IN 1971 Jan G. Reese The Chesapeake Bay Osprey studies I began in 1963 were continued in 1971 with financial assistance from the MOS. For details of studies of previous years, refer to the literature cited below. In the Talbot County study, I located 136 active nests in 1971, 105 of which were accessible for study (contents could be seen). I found 91 nestlings in the 53 accessible nests that contained young, for an average of 1.7 nestlings per productive nest. This is the lowest productive nest average since 1968, when it was 1.7. When the unproductive active nests are included, the average number of nestlings per nest in 1971 was 0.87,. the lowest average since 1961*. Weather was the most significant factor decreasing productivity in 1971; wind killed 15 nestlings. In the Queen Annes County study, I located 31 active nests in the same area I have surveyed twice annually since 1966. Of these, 26 were accessible for study. I found 19 nestlings in the 9 successful nests, for an average of 1.9* This is the largest number of young per active nest in the six years of this study. The average number of nestlings per active accessible nest (including unsuccessful nests) was 0.65, the lowest since 1968. In the Choptank River area which I have surveyed twice annually since 1968, I located 27 active nests of which 22 were accessible. I found l6 young in the 10 successful nests, for an average of 1.6. The average number of young based on all nesting attempts was 0.73. Both these productivity averages are the lowest observed in the four years. Detailed progress reports of Osprey reproduction in these three Chesapeake Bay areas in 1971 are available on request from the author. Reese, J. G. 1965 . Breeding status of the Osprey in central Chesapeake Bay. Md. Birdlife 21: 105-108. 1968. Breeding Osprey Survey of Queen Annes County, Maryland. Md. Birdlife 2h: 91-93. 1969. A Maryland Osprey population 75 years ago and today. Md. Birdlife 25: 116-119- I970. Reproduction in a Chesapeake Bay Osprey population. Auk 87: 71*7-759. PROGRESS REPORTS : Osprey Survey, Talbot County, Maryland. Mimeo. reports: #6 (1970) and #7 (1971). Breeding Osprey Survey at Queen Annes County, Maryland. Mimeo. re- ports: #2 (1969), #3 (1970), and (1971). Miscellaneous reports on Osprey reproduction. Mimeo. reports: #1 (1969), ft 2 (1970), and unpublished manuscript (1971). Box 298, St. Michaels 152 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27, No. 3 THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE HAND-REARING A BLUEBIRD FAMILY As I start to write this account on Labor Day 1971, a beautiful 33- day-old Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) has just alighted gently on my shoulder from a nearby tree. He is warbling sweetly but insistently in my ear, telling me in unmistakable bluebird language that it is time to eat even though he just gorged himself a half hour ago. Soon he will be joined by his equally beautiful and hungry brother and sister and the three of them will make such a clamor that I will have to lay down my work and stuff the three gaping mouths with the unnatural but well-balanced bluebird diet mixture from our kitchen. These charming adopted orphans will linger a minute or so after eating, expressing their satisfaction with soft murmur- ing sounds seldom heard by man. Then they will fly out of sight to explore more of their new world only to return half starved in another 30 minutes or so. They are wild and free, but not yet sufficiently experienced to find more than a small part of their own food. It all began on the early morning of August lU when I was monitoring the few remaining late broods on my "bluebird trail” near Beltsville, Mary- land. I knew that nesting box No. 325 should contain four 10-day-old nest- lings, nearly the last of the 193 young bluebirds fledged on the Beltsville trail this year. On opening the box I was dismayed to find that the nest- lings appeared to be dead. I removed the nest and on closer examination found that three of the nestlings showed the faintest perceptible signs of life, but the fourth was unquestionably dead. The three live nestlings were limp, almost motionless, and completely cold, no warmer to the touch than their dead sibling. It seemed probable that the parent birds had somehow been killed on the preceding day and that the nestlings had not eaten for 20 hours or more. My first impulse was to discard the brood and proceed with my monitor- ing since these nestlings seemed to be beyond any reasonable hope. This I probably would have done if they were anything but bluebirds. But baby bluebirds are too precious to abandon if there is even the faintest hope of saving them. So I opened my shirt, held the cold babies against my body to warm them, and drove with one hand over the the nine miles of road to my home. By the time I arrived, the birds were warmer and were beginning to move. They were still too weak to utter a sound or open their mouths, so we force-fed them every few minutes with very small pieces of raw beef. Within an hour they had regained enough strength to open their mouths feebly for food and to chirp very faintly. By the end of the day they September 1971 MARYLAND BIRD LIFE 153 were alert, strong, very vocal, and were clamoring for food almost inces- santly. To me, their recovery was a miracle. For the next five days the nestlings were Kept in a paper towel nest in a small box. About every 20 minutes from dawn to dusk my wife or I fed them and removed the fecal sacs as all good bluebird parents do. We al- ways whistled before offering them food so that they would learn to as- sociate our whistle with feeding time, an important lesson for them after they were later released. The amount of food they consumed and their rate of growth seemed incredible. During this period we felt free to go where we wished as we could easily take the birds with us. They were fed fre- quently en route on one 150-mile trip. When the birds were 19 days old, about the normal fledging age, they scrambled from the box, stretched their wings, and made short flights. Rather then release them then, however, we transferred them to a small flight cage where we spent two days teaching them another difficult les- son which would be important after their release. This lesson was that they must come to us to be fed rather than insisting that we come to the tops of the trees to feed them as all good bluebird parents should do. The young bluebirds were released on August 25 at the age of 21 days . They flew remarkably well and reveled in their freedom, but returned every half hour or so for food. Now at 33 days they are nearly full grown, well developed, and incredibly beautiful. They range over a considerable area, have learned to drink and bathe at our bird bath, and are finding some of their own food. They stay close together at all times and are often seen huddled tightly together on a branch, particularly when it rains. They respond to our whistle when they are out of sight and they call insistently to us near our back door if we do not appear with food at the proper time. They alight without fear on our heads, shoulders, or hands to be fed, and often remain there warbling softly or pecking us ever so gently long after they have eaten. To them, we are their parents and it is easy to imagine that they have the same affection for us that we have for them. Based on our experience of three years ago in raising orphaned blue- birds , we believe that our birds will soon be completely independent of us but will continue to return to our hands occasionally for choice tid- bits and a little friendly "conversation." They will probably eventually find and join a small flock of bluebirds and in late fall move farther south. We hope for their sake that they will live and behave like normal bluebirds , and that they will forget their strange upbringing and learn to regard man in his proper light as one of their natural enemies. No one should attempt to hand raise wild young birds unless he is positive that they are orphaned or abandoned. Too often well-meaning peo- ple unwittingly kidnap young birds in the mistaken belief they are not being cared for. But in cases where nestlings can be saved from certain death their temporary adoption is justified and can be a most rewarding experience. One gains an insight into wild bird nature that can be ob- tained in no other way. MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27 , No. 3 15 1 * In the case of our bluebirds there can be no doubt that limited two- way vocal communication has been established with them which is clearly understood by both bird and man. There is also evidence of mutual affec- tion, but this, of course, would be difficult to prove. One who has had an experience like this, however, may find it hard to believe that all bird behavior is guided by instinct alone. Lawrence Z eleny IN ME MORI AM - MALCOLM F. THOMAS "Mac", as he was known in the M.O.S. , passed away suddenly on June 29. He was an active member of the Baltimore Chapter, having been the Treasurer for eight years, the Vice-President for three years, and he had been elected a State Trustee in 1971- As a board member, he will be re- membered as a clear thinker; and as a trip leader he will be remembered as a good companion with a keen sense of humor as well as an able leader. He was the organizer of the Nag's Head, North Carolina trips. Memorial services for Mac were held at the Sandy Springs, Maryland, Friends Meeting House and he was laid to rest in the beautiful, old, ad- joining cemetery which is close to his boyhood home. We miss him greatly. Alice S. Kaestner COMING EVENTS Nov. 3 KENT Regular Meeting. Chesapeake Bay Ospreys by Jan Reese. 1+ FREDERICK Meeting. Appalachian Trail by Col. Lester Holmes. 5 ANNE ARUNDEL Monthly Meeting. Whistling Swans by Mrs. W. Innes. 5 HARFORD Dinner Meeting at Churchville Presbyterian Church. 6 BALTIMORE Trip. Sandy Pt . and Corcoran Woods. Harold Wierenga. 8 KENT Audubon Film, Shandon Hills by Greg McMillan. 9 TALBOT Audubon Film, California Coastal Plain by G. McMillan. 9 BALTIMORE Meeting. The Physiology of Birds by C. S. Robbins. 10 ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Sandy Pt . State Park. Mrs. M. Gordon Steen. 13 HARFORD Trip. Bombay Hook Refuge and Little Creek, Del. 13 ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Bombay Hook and Little Creek. Mrs. Gizzarelli. 13 BALTIMORE Trip. Blackwater Refuge & Elliott Is. Taylor McLean. 13 FREDERICK Trip. Tresselt's Fish Ponds. 16 CAROLINE Meeting. Water Bird Slides by Roy Cassel. Co. Library. 17 ALLEGANY Annual Banquet. America's Bluebirds by Lawrence Zeleny. 18 MONTGOMERY Meeting. Birds of South Africa by Don Messersmith. 18 R0SSM00R Final Meeting. Winter Bird Identification by C. Robbins. 19 TALBOT Meeting. Chesapeake Bay Conservation by A. W. Sherwood. 20 ANNE ARUNDEL Youth Trip. Gambrills State Park. Richard Heise. 21 MONTGOMERY Trip. Blackwater Refuge. Visitors Center, 9:30 a.m. 21 BALTIMORE Trip. Perry Pt. and Rock Run. R. Jones, D. Hackman. 22 WICOMICO Regular Meeting. Bird Identification by C. S. Robbins. 23 PATUXENT Meeting. Outermost Parts of the World by David Bridge. 27 WICOMICO Trip. Chincoteague Refuge. Charles Vaughn. 9:30 a.m. 28 FREDERICK Trip. Baker Park and Braddock. 2 p.m. Dec. 1 KENT Regular Meeting. Winter Birds by Chandler S. Robbins. September 1971 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 155 Dec. 2 3 3 4 4-6 11 11 11 11 1 6 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 ? 26 26 26 26 28 29 30 31 Jan. 2 4 6 7 .7 10 n 15 17 19 20 21 22 22-23 23 2k 25 26 29 29 Feb. 2 FREDERICK Annual Dinner Meeting. Shore and Water Birds. Robbins. BALTIMORE Audubon Film. The everglades by William A. Anderson. ANNE ARUNDEL Monthly Meeting. Duck Identification by D. Hackman. MONTGOMERY Trip. Manassas Battlefield Park. Chuck Cremeans. BALTIMORE Trip. Nags Head, N. C. Mr. & Mrs. T. H. C. Slaughter. CAROLINE Trip. Banding demonstration at the Ungers, Federalsburg . HARFORD Trip. Perry Point. ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Sandy Pt. State Park. Gene Levitt. BALTIMORE Trip. Sandy Pt . and Kent Is. Mr. & Mrs. John Poteet. MONTGOMERY Monthly Meeting. Members Night (slides and talks). CHRISTMAS COUNTS Triadelphia Reservoir. Contact Danny Bystrak (672-4871). Rock Run, Harford & Cecil Cos. Dr. Edgar E. Folk (642-6591)- Allegany County. James F. Paulus (395-5178) , C. Fergueson( 729-3503) Salisbury, Wicomico County. Charles Vaughn (742-7221). Lover Kent County. Contact G. L. Gardner (778-3193). St. Michaels, Talbot County. Jan Reese (745-2261 ). Garrett County. Mrs. Wm. Pope (334-4908), D. Bystrak (672-4871). Baltimore. Contact David Holmes (669-5760). Annapolis and Gibson Island. Prof. Harold Wierenga (268-1674). Catoc tin Mountain, Frederick-Washington Cos. J. Richards (447-4006) Point Lookout. So. Md. Audubon Soc., Edvard H. Schell (645-4183). Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Va. Fred Scott (282-2666). Ocean City. C. S. Robbins (home 725-1176, office 776-4880). Crisfield incl. Irish Grove Sanctuary. Charles Vaughn (742-7221). Southern Dorchester County (Blackvater Refuge). C. S. Robbins. Seneca, Md.-Va. Dr. J. William Oberman (202-333-6315)- KENT Audubon Film, Exploring Big Bend by Charles Hotchkiss; Audubon Films in Fine Arts Bldg., Washington Col. 7:30. FREDERICK Meeting. Minerals of Frederick County by T. Kerns. HARFORD Dinner Meeting at Churchville Presbyterian Church. ANNE ARUNDEL Monthly Meeting. Living vith Nature by Dr. Walter S. Boardman. County Library, 8 p.m. CAROLINE Meeting. Soil Conservation Activities . Fed. Bldg. 7:30. BALTIMORE Meeting. Lecture by Mrs. E. Worthley. Cylburn, 8 p.m. ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Holly Beach Farm. E. Wilson. Meet Anglers ,8a.m. TALBOT Audubon Film, Easton High School, Mecklenburg, 8 p.m. ALLEGANY Meeting. Waterfovl Slide Lecture by Dr. Joseph A. Chapman. County Board of Education Bldg., 7:30 p.m. MONTGOMERY Meeting. Social Evening. TALBOT Monthly Meeting. County Library, Easton, 8 p.m. HARFORD Trip. Rock Run Sanctuary. MONTGOMERY Trip. Blackvater Refuge and Ocean City. BALTIMORE Covered Dish Supper, Cylburn, 5 p.m. Film on Audubon. WICOMICO Regular Meeting. Bird Feeders and Food by Charles Baker. Asbury Methodist Church, Salisbury, 8 p.m. PATUXENT Monthly Meeting. St. Philips Church, 6th & Main, Laurel. ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Annapolis Feeders. Parole Park. Lot (Riva) , 9a.m. SALISBURY Local Walk. Meet E. Main St. A&P parking lot, 9 a.m. ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Rock Run Sanctuary. Pantry Pride. J. Symonds . KENT Regular Meeting. Development of a Nature Center by Charles Mohr. [Location not announced] 8 p.m. 156 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 27. No. 3 Feb. 3 U 5 > 5-6 12 15 15 IT 18 FREDERICK Meeting. Hummingbirds by Jerry Coates. 7:30 p.m. ANNE ARUNDEL Meeting. White-winged Gulls by Carl Carlson. Anne Arundel County Library, 8 p.m. MONTGOMERY Trip. Local trip; destination not revealed. BALTIMORE Trip. Eastern Neck Refuge. Mr. & Mrs. T. H. C. Slaughter ANNE ARUNDEL Trip. Hellen Creek Hemlock Preserve, Calvert County. Meet Parole parking lot (Riva Rd. entrance), 7:30 a.m. ALLEGANY Paid Lecture. Subject and place to be announced. BALTIMORE Lecture. Food & Feeding Habits. C. Crook, Cylburn,8p.m. MONTGOMERY Meeting. Flora and Fauna of Mason Neck by Kathleen Klimkiewicz . Perpetual Auditorium, Bethesda, 8 p.m. CAROLINE Meeting. Recent Western Trips by V.E. Unger, Co. Library. CONTENTS, SEPTEMBER 1971 Maryland Breeding of Green-winged Teal Henry T. Armistead 111 Arizona Adventure Edwardine G . Slaughter 115 Breeding Bird Atlas Project M. K. Klimkiewicz & E. S. Buckler 129 The Season — April, May, June, 1971 Chandler S. Robbins 139 Hurricane-borne Wilson's Petrel Robert Sharp II 1^9 In Memoriam - Myrtle Simons Pelot V. Edwin Unger 150 M. 0. S. Book Store 150 Chesapeake Bay Osprey Reproduction in 1971 Jem G. Reese 151 President's Page - Hand- rearing Bluebirds Lawrence Zeleny 152 In Memoriam - Malcolm F. Thomas Alice S. Kaestner 15^ Coming Events 15^ MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Published Quarterly by the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc. to Record and Encourage the Study of Birds of Maryland. Editor* Chandler S. Robbins, Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel, Md. 20810 Asst. Editors C. Douglas Hackman, 208A Donnybrook, Tows on, Md. 21204 Art Editors William N. Schneider Production: Gladys Cole, Mildred Cole, Janet Ganter, Fran Pope, Chris Slaughter, Eddie Slaughter, Frances Zapf Mailing: Barbara Larrabee and committee ANTA j^jj^ARIA Catering to Small Conventions Banquets SWIMMING POOL •ELEVATOR •DINING ROOM •AIR-CONDITIONED & HEATED OPEN ALL YEAR 101 ROOMS On the Ocean at 1 5th Street Oivjn City. Md. 2IH42 MOTOR HOTEL Phone ATIanlic 9-7192