MARYLAND BIRDLIFE SuHztin of- tfiz ^ 4 \axijland l &Xnitfiotocj Lc.a[ ^Society, £Jnc. SEPTEMBER 1974 VOLUME 30 NUMBER 3 MARYLAND ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. Cylburn Mansion, 1+915 Greenspring Ave. , Baltimore, Maryland 21209 STATE OFFICERS FOR MAY 11, I 97 I 4 TO MAY, 1975 President : First V.P. : Second V. P.: Secretary: Exec. Sec 'y: Treasurer: Barclay E. Tucker, ll+l7 Grafton Shop Rd. , Bel Air 210114 838-6269 Mr. Floyd Parks, 129 Washington Ave., Chestertovn 21620 778-2112 Dr. Donald Messersmith ,10l+l8 Brookmoor Dr,SilvrSpg 20901 593-59^2 Mrs. John Ford, 1+08 Beach Drive, Annapolis 211+01 267-81+17 Mrs. C. B. Perryclear, 2Ql+ St. David Ct, Cockeysvl 21030 666 - 381 I+ Mr. W. Gordon MacGregor, 5009 Greenleaf Rd, Balto 21210 1+35-301+1+ Mr. Carl W. Carlson Mrs. Dorothy Mendinhall Mr. Edvard Peters Mr. John W. Poteet, Jr. Col. Leland S. Devore Mr. Charles Vaughn Mr. August E. Selckmann EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 5706 Lone Oak Drive, Bethesda 2001 1+ Damsite, R.D. 2, Chestertovn 21620 107 Williams Circle, Williamsport 21795 5608 Stonington Ave. , Baltimore 21207 Parade Rest, RD 1, Port Deposit 21901+ 1306 Frederick Ave., Salisbury 21801 Route 2, Frederick 21701 530-0688 778-0826 223-9327 1+1+8-1967 378-31+73 71+2-7221 871+-2515 Allegany : Anne Arundel Baltimore : STATE TRUSTEES *Mr. Dale B. Fuller Harford: Mrs. C. Gordon Taylor *Mr. Richard Heise Mrs. John Ford Howard: Mrs. Patricia Flory *Dr. Roger Herriott Kent: Mrs . C . Lockhard Conley Miss Jane Daniels Mrs. Raymond Geddes , Jr. Montgomery: Mr. C. Douglas Hackman Mrs. Martin C. Larrabee Mrs. Edvard A. Metcalf Dr. Benjamin F. Pos cover Patuxent: Mr. John Poteet, Jr. Mr. Chandler S. Robbins Mrs. Joshua Rove Talbot: Caroline: *Mrs . Wilber Engle Mr. Stephen Westre Washington: Frederick: *Mr. August Selckmann Mrs. Mary Mothervay Wicomico: * Chapter President *Col. Leland Devore Dr. Mildred Gebhard Mr . John Wortman *Dr. Robert Herndon Mr. John P. Healy *Dr. Daniel Z. Gibson Mrs. Edvard Mendinhall Mrs. James E. Plymire *Mr. Paul W. Woodvard Mr. Carl Carlson Dr. J. William Oberman Dr . Robert Hahn *Mrs . Ellen Gizzarelli Mr. Elvood Fisher Mr. Danny Bystrak *Mr . Ray Bryan- Mr. & Mrs. Robert Price *Mr. Robert Keedy Mr. Edvard Peters *Mr. Charles Vaughn Mr. Henry Stone Active Membership (adults) Student Membership (full-time students) Junior Membership (under 18 years) Family Membership (Mr. & Mrs.) Sustaining Membership Life Membership Out-of-State Membership $ 3.00 plus local chapter dues 2.00 plus local chapter dues 1.00 plus local chapter dues 4.00 plus local chapter dues 6.00 plus local chapter dues 100.00 (payable in 4 annual installments ) 3.00 { Maryland Birdlife only) Cover: Part of a flock of Black-legged Kittivakes off Ocean City Feb. 2, 1974. Photo by Richard A. Rovlett . MARYLAND BIRDLIFE INI Volume 30 September 197^ Number 3 MIGRATING WARBLERS RESPOND TO INSECT OUTBREAK Paul G. Bystrak Concentrations of feeding 'birds are not considered rare, but are most commonly noted among scavengers such as gulls or seed eaters such as doves or finches. It isn't often that one has a chance to observe at close range a similar feeding frenzy in insectivorous birds such as warblers. This opportunity occurred for me and several others as a result of an outbreak of Oak-leaf Skeletonizer , Bucculatrix ainsiella {lepidoptera : Lyonetiidae ) , on the College Park campus of the University of Maryland. This caterpillar is the larva of a very small moth; a full-grown caterpillar is about 5 mm long and 1 mm in diameter. There are two life cycles a year, the second one starting in August. The larvae spend 3-^ weeks feeding inside the leaves of oak trees, then emerge and feed on the underside of the leaves making them into "skeletons." After 7-11 days of external feeding, the larvae drop off or are blown away and pupate wherever they land. They regularly travel long distances, either to pupate or to escape disturbances, by "parachuting” on a long silk thread that catches the wind. While not normally a pest, occasional spectacular outbreaks occur, leading to defoliation. Such an outbreak occurred during October, 1973 in the Willow Oaks ( Quercus phellos ) around the "mall" area of the campus. From the second- floor windows of Symons Hall I was able to watch the birds that responded. I used 7 x 35 binoculars for those that were far enough away, but many were too close. The birds, in their eagerness to feed, were completely unconcerned over the presence of several observers in the windows, or of students passing nearby or underneath. Each morning on 8 different days I counted the warblers feeding in two oaks nearest the building and in an adjacent Austrian Pine ( Pinus nigra). In order to monitor the insect population, I also counted the number of pupae on 3 window screen areas (the pupae occurred everywhere and anywhere in the vicinity of the trees). The results are summarized in Table 1 by date and species. Four- teen species of warblers and 11 other species of birds were seen. The most common and regular species was Cape May Warbler, followed by Blackpoll, Myrtle, Tennessee and Nashville Warblers. The other species listed were irregular in occurrence. As for the skeletonizers , 100 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 30 T No. 3 Table 1. Daily totals of warblers seen and pupae counted in three trees on the University of Maryland campus during October 1973 Warblers Oct. 5 8 9 10 11 12 15 l6 Black-and-white 1 Tennessee 2 1 2 3 3 2 Nashville 2 2 3 2 Parula 2 2 Cape May 6 4 10 5 5 3 turtle 2 3 3 4 5 U Black-throated Green 3 Black-throated Blue 2 Blackburnian 2 Chestnut-sided 2 Blackpoll 4 6 6 3 3 2 Yellowthroat 3 Connecticut 1 1 Wilson's 1 2 Total individuals 15 23 21 28 19 12 4 0 Total species 5 8 5 11 6 4 1 0 Mean no. of pupae - 3 - - 32 45 68 7 6 the number of pupae on the screens increased rapidly until October l6. when they ceased to increase. In Figure 1 the number of pupae are charted' against time with a solid line. The birds fed predominantly on larvae and therefore a dashed line which is a mirror-image of the pupa line is plotted to suggest the larval situation over the same period of time. No scale is intended on it. This technique yields an underestimate of the number of larvae since many do not reach the pupal state, but this is probably not a significant underestimate. On the same graph, but using a dif- ferent scale and a dotted line, is plotted the approximate number of warblers seen in an hour in the 3 trees. In Figure 2 the daily counts of the most common species of warblers are compared. They are not presented in A.O.U. sequence, but in the order in which they peaked. There seemed to be a kind of succession, or gradual change in the most abundant species from day to day. Note that the birds increased in number until October 10, when about 25$ of the skeletonizer population had pupated, and then decreased rapidly. They decreased at about the same rate as the insects. In Figure 1, the skeletonizer {i.e., larval) population is considered to start at the left at 100$ and decrease rapidly as they pupate. The birds during the first few days increase in numbers, presumably as more discover the food source. On October 10 the number and variety peaked and they began to decline at a rate suggestive' of the skeleton- izers r . This does not imply that the birds are exerting any control over the insects, which would be a very difficult fact to determine. September 197^ MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 101 Figure 1. Comparison of daily totals of warblers and Oak-leaf Skeletonizer pupae. b *< 2< Blackpoll Warbler z o 1— 1 tn <5 s * © CO 2 W to m o o s a Cape Hay Warbler o K w w Nashville Warbler pa Tennessee Warbler o B o 2 Myrtle Warbler 8 "T TB Ti 12 ' 15 lt> October 1973 Figure 2. Daily totals of the most common species of warblers. dotted line = f warblers/day 102 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 30. No. 3 Watching the birds for an hour or more a day gave me an oppor- tunity to note some feeding behavior. For instance, all the listed species except Wilson's and Chestnut-sided Warblers foraged far above the ground. These two species did not go higher than about 15 feet and foraged mostly in the ivy on the building or in the bushes. In contrast, it seemed strange to see a Connecticut Warbler running along an oak branch 20 feet above students walking to classes, or a Yellow- throat feeding 45 feet up in the branch tips! Cape May, %rtle, and to a lesser extent, Blackpoll, were the most ubiquitous feeders; they foraged freely in all potential sites, but were least common along the tree trunks and in the ground cover. A high percentage of their diet appeared to be insects that had left the leaves and were in the process of pupating. Nashville and Tennessee Warblers concentrated more on active foraging off the leaves. None seemed to feed extensively on pupae, which by the end of this period literally coated the trunks and branches . The' oak trees sampled here represent l/40th or 2.5% of the oaks in the immediate area. From other parts of the building and from walking around the mall I was able to verify that all the trees had similar concentrations of birds. Observers interested in seeing fall warblers would probably be rewarded by locating similar infestations of Oak-leaf Skeletonizers . 8809 Hunting Lane, Laurel SOLITARY COMMON TERN NEST DISPLACED BY MALLARD Jan G. Reese On May 19, 1973, I found a solitary Common- Tern ( Sterna hirundo) incubating a single egg in an inactive Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) nest on top of an offshore duckblind in the Miles River, Talbot County, Mary- land. The nest was 150 meters offshore and 3 meters above water. Terns are infrequently seen in the Miles River, which has no breeding tern colonies. The nearest tern colony is 9-6 kilometers (6 miles) SSW of this location. Three female Mallards { Anas platyrhynchos) were incuba- ting clutches inside the blind. Mallards have commonly nested in this blind for the past decade. I marked the Common Tern egg with a felt pen and subsequently found the tern incubating that egg on May 21 and 23, then 3 eggs (2 fresh) on May 31. On June l4 I could not find the tern or its eggs and a female Mallard stood in the old Osprey nest. I did not find the tern on sub- sequent visits. The Mallard took over the nest site, had 5 eggs on June 28 and successfully hatched a full clutch in the following weeks. The solitary nesting, the nest site, and the height above water are unusual for the Common Tern. Also, it appears likely that at least 11 days elapsed between laying of the first and second eggs. Box 298, St. Michaels September 1974 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 103 DISTANCES AT WHICH SOME YOUNG BIRDS HAVE SETTLED Hevvey Braekbill It. is veil known that young birds of permanent -resident species customarily settle in the general area of their birthplace, and that young of migratory species often return to their natal area. Not often, however, does a bander learn just where any of those he marked .finally settled. Over the years, color-banded birds have yielded me a few records. BANDED AS NESTLINGS Cardinal ( Cardinalie aardinalie) . A male banded as a nestling on July 1, 1944, in wild land behind 3215 Vickers Road in the Forest Park section of Baltimore, was found dead at 323*+ Clifton Avenue on March 4, 1947. It must then have been on its nesting territory. This was six blocks south of the nest in which it was hatched — about 0.46 mile, as measured on a fairly large street map. Robin ( Turdus migratoriue) . One of unknown sex, banded May 21, 1950, in a nest at 44lU' Kathland Avenue, also in Forest Park,vas found dead on "approximately April 9, 1952" at 4305 Ethland Avenue, 500 yards, or 0.28 mile, to the southeast. On April 9 it must also have been on its territory. This bird’s mother, interestingly, was banded as an immature on September l4, 1948, at 4608 Springdale Avenue in Howard Parkj just a bit less than 500 yards west of her 1950 nesting place. But where she was hatched is not known. Carolina Chickadee ( ParuB oarolinenaie) . A bird that proved to be a male, which hatched between May 3 and 5, 1973 » in a box at 2620 Poplar Drive, my present home in Larchmont, Baltimore County, was found to be feeding young in a nest of its own on May 8 , 1974, at 3801 Woodbine Avenue, in Howard Park. This is 1 1/2 miles northeast of its birthplace. BANDED AS IMMATURES Several other birds fall into a class with the female Robin mentioned. Although their exact hatching place is unknown, they were still immature when banded, and were on their territories when discov- ered again as adults. Cardinal . On September 13 , 1951* I banded an immature male raised by a pair that was coming regularly to my feeder at 4608 Springdale Avenue, in Howard Park. The bird therefore was hatched somewhere close by. On April 6 , 1952, I found him singing at 4408 and 44o4 Springdale, and on. about July 31, 1954, he was found dead at 4404. 10U MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol . 30. No. 3 This son's territory thus was centered Just two blocks east of his father's, which extended to 1+600 Springdale in that direction. Surprisingly, from late April to mid-August of 1952, and for a week in mid-May of 195^, the son repeatedly came to my feeder, a block inside his father's area. Another male, banded September 8, 1957 » as an immature raised by a pair resident about 2620 Poplar Drive, was found dead January 7, 1958, at 2317 Birch Drive, about two blocks north. Presumably he had settled there. Tufted Titmouse ( Parus bicolor). An immature that proved to be a female, which I banded September 20, 1953, at U608 Springdale Avenue, and saw there through January 10, 195^, gave me one of the most exciting surprises of my birding career. For when I moved to 2620 Poplar Drive in June of 1955- she was one of the first birds I saw 'there, and she was present steadily through her final date of May 25, 1956. She had settled three-fourths of a mile west-southwest of her banding place. Another immature female, banded at 2620 Poplar Drive on October 7, 1967, remained there through April 13, 1968, then disappeared. In the fall of 1968 she was discovered two miles north-northwest, at 7100 Campfield Road, Baltimore County,. in company of an unbanded titmouse, and the two were still there in April, 1969, undoubtedly on their territory. 2620 Poplar Drive, Baltimore RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER NEAR BOWIE, MARYLAND Brooke Meanley and Matthew C. Perry On May 11, 197 1 * a pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers ( Dendrocopos borealis) was observed by the writers at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and adjacent U.S. Forest Service Land near Bowie, Prince Georges County, Maryland. One of the pair was under constant observation for two hours, and two identifiable photographs were made of that bird. The pair was foraging In a mixed stand of mature Virginia pines ( Pinus virginiana) and pitch pines (P. rigida). There was no indication of nesting. The area was revisited on numerous occasions, but the birds were not seen again. . Pines infected with red heart fungus ( Forties pint ) , a condition associated with Red-cockaded Woodpecker nest trees , were not present in. this area. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker, a southern bird, was previously re- ported from two localities in Maryland: at Assateague Island, Worcester County (Meanley I9U3, Auk 60:105) and Golden Hill, Dorchester County (Stewart 1958, Md. Birdlife lU : 63— 6U ) . Bowie is approximately 60 miles northwest of Golden Hill. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel September 1974 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE APRIL MAY, JUNE, 1974 Chandler S . Robbins April was a month of contrasts, with temperatures bouncing every few days between mid-day seventies and. early morning frosts. The fre- quent warm spells seem to have sent the wintering birds northward ahead of schedule, while cool weather to the south of us held up the arrival of spring migrants. The late arrivals of many species made the generous number of extraordinarily early individuals of other species the more dramatic. Some observers speculated that the rash of tornados on Apr. 3 may have blown early migrants into the Free State; actually, a strong wind flow from the Gulf Coast into Maryland on Apr. U-5 and similar con- ditions on Apr. 8, 14-15, 22-23, and May 10 and 15 probably escorted the biggest invasions of tropical transients into our area. Warm weather in the opening days of April triggered premature development of vegetation. Light freezes on Apr. 10-11, Apr. 20, and May 8 did very little damage to the unfolding leaves and blossoms, so phenologically the season remained advanced and the late April migrants were difficult to see in the thick foliage. April averaged about 2° to 3° above normal (except close to normal in Garrett County), with a 1-inch deficiency in rainfall. Conditions were reversed in May, with the mercury 1° to 2° below normal and precip- itation an inch above average. June was even cooler with a temperature deficiency of 3° , and rainfall ranged from above normal in the mountains to below on the Lower Eastern Shore. At Friendship Airport, April temperatures went into the 70 's on Apr. 2-3, 12-lU, 18 , 21-22, and 26-30. The 80's were reached on Apr. 22, 28-30, May lU-17, 22, and 2k , and on eleven days in June. The State-wide Bird Count on May k ( Maryland Birdlife 30:83-9*0 was successful in spite of, rather than because of, the weather. And the bird list for the M.O.S. Convention at Ocean City on May 10-12 totaled a mere 192 species, largely because of weather unfavorable for migration during that period. The earliest arrival and latest departure dates for each county are summarized in Tables 1 and 2, respectively, with the counties arranged Tabic 1. Spring Arrival Datco , 197b Species 10 -yr 1974 Garr Alle Wash Fred Balt Harf Howd Mont Pr.G Anne Chae Calv Kent Caro Talb Dorc Sniru- Wlco Wore Coimon Loon __ 4/13 1/ 2 5/ L 3/31 __ 5/ 4 0 4/21 M 5 3/19 5/4 0 4/ 1 0 3/30 3/31 4/13 0 __ Double -cr. Cormorant __ 4/17 0 0 0 5/11 0 0 0 0 5/19 4/ 1 4/21 0 4/17 0 4/12 3/31 3/29 0 4/27 Green Heron li/23 4/20 5/, 1* 5/ 1* 4/20 1*/ 3 4/30 -- 4/26 4/ 6 4/ 7 4/10 4/57 4/10 4/ 1 4/21 4/ 3 4/20 4/13 4/28 Little Blue Heron 1/26 0 0 4/11 5/U 4/30 0 0 4/27 5/U 4/ 4 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 4 0 4/27 Cattle Egret 4/25 li/19 0 0 0 0 4/1? 0 5/16 5/ 4 S 2 ? M 1 0 4/ 8 4/ 2 4/ 2 3/23 j/l? 5/ 4 V 4 4/20 Snowy Egret __ 3/31 0 0 6/ 2 0 0 0 0 0 5/u 4/ 1 0 0 0 0 3/2ti 3/31 3/30 0 3/ 9 American Bittern 1/13 0 0 O’ 4/14 -- 0 0 4/12 4/20 4/ 2 -- 0 0 -- 3/23 4/27 -- 0 0 Glossy Ibis 3/31 0 0 5/15 0 0 0 0 0 4/25 3/31 0 0 0 0 3/31 3/21 3730 0 5/ 4 Broad -winged Hawk 4/22 4/lU li/23 li/20 4/14 4/14 4/14 -- 4/11 4/20 4/15 4/15 4/14 4/10 4/21 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 0 5/u Semlpalmated Plover -- 5/ 4 ?/ 11 — ?/ U S/U 0 0 0 0 5/13 5/ 2 0 0 5/ 4 0 5/ 5 0 0 5/ 4 Black-bellied Plover .. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 2 0 0 0 -- Wr -- 0 5/ 4 __ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/12 0 0 0 0 0 5/26 0 0 4/27 Spotted Sandpiper 4/30 li/30 li/26 5/ ■* 4/26 4/?fl 4/27 5/ 5 4/26 5/ 4 4/23 4/17 4/17 5/ 2 4/2? 5/4 5/ 5 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 Solitary Sandpiper 5/ 2 l>/30 5/ I* 5/ t 5/ 4 4/20 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 2 4/10 4/15 4/ 3 4/27 0 4/25 5/ 4 4/ 7 4/27 0 0 5 '11 Willet 4/24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4/13 0 0 5/4 0 0 4/ 6 4/13 2j_4 _^/_A Lesser Yellowlegfl .. 4/20 0 4/20 5/ 4 4/20 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 4/ 6 4/10 3/31 4/ 0 0 f/13 5/ 4 4/20 W 4/27 0 4/29 Pectoral Sandpiper 1/12 0 5/ *t 3/11 .. 5/"4 0 4/ 7 5/ 4 -- 3/2 1 * 0 0 4/12 0 0 4/ 0 0 0 5/ 4 Least Sandpiper 5/ 1* 5/ >• 5/ li 5/ 4 5/U 0 0 5/11 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/ 2 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 0 5/10 4/10 5/ 4 0 4 /27 Dunlin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4/ 3 0 0 , 0 0 5/19 3^31 0 0 5' “* Short -billed Dowltcher -- -- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/3 0 0 5./4 0 0 4/ 0 0 0 5/ 4 Semlpalmated Sandpiper — 5/ 4 0 -- 5/15 4/20' 0 0 0 0 5/ 4 5/ 3 5/ 4 0 4/22 5/ 4 0 4/10 -- 0 5/10 Laughing Gull 4/l6 1/22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4/22 5/4 4/23 5/ 4 4/12 4/ 7 3/31 5/ 4 5/ 4 3/23 Bonaparte's Gull .. 3/31 It/ 2 4/ 2 3/24 0 0 0 0 3/31 3/31 3/19 4/17 0 0- 0 2/20 0 0 0 -- Common Tern 5/ U 0 0 0 5/ 4 0 0 0 0 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 0 0 0 4/20 5/ 4 0 0 5/ 4 Least Tern — 5/ 6 0 0 6/ 2 0 0 0 0 0 5/ u 0 0 5/ 5 0 ?/lB 5/U 5/4 0 4/27 Caspian Tern 0 0 0 0 5/ 4 0 0 5/ 4 0 4/11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 J 4 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5/ 4 5/ 1» -- 5/11 4/30 4/30 -- 5/17 5/ 4 5/13 5/ 1 5/U 5/29 5/17 5/. 4 5/ 4 -- -- 5/ 4 5/ 5 5/ 0 ■5/21 __ 5/13 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 5/19 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 2 5/ it 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4/28 5/ 4 4/29 -- 4/20 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/27 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 Whip-poor-will 4/21 it/26 If U 4/26 4/25 V 1 ? 4/29 0 4/16 5/4 4/13 4/22 4/15 — 4/27 ±&L 4/ll 4/26 5/ 4 5/ 4 vT 5/10 iiw -- 4/29 5/15 5/14 0 5/13 57xgT 5/ 1 5/13 1/10 0 0 17* -- 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/15 5/U 4/15 l*/lB 5/ 2 5/ 4 4/14 4/15 4/14 4/25 5/ 4 4/13 4/12 4/ 2 4/16 4/20 4/14 4/10 4/ 3 4/27 4/27 5/ 4 4/27 Ruby-thr. Humnlngblrd U/30 It/27 u/26 4/25 5/ 3 4/26 4/25 4/27 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/27 4/l4 4/26 4/20 4/16 4/28 4/30 4/27 4/25 5/ 4 4/28 Red -headed Woodpecker 5/ It 3/20 5/ 4 w 4/ 9 0 5/ 1 5/ 4 -- 5/U 0 3/ 7 3/20 0 0 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/U Eastern Kingbird 4/26 li/26 5/ U V 4 4/25 4/10 4/30 5/ 4 4/30 4/21 4/26 4/22 4/21 4/ 7 4/27 4/15 5/ ? 4/20 4/27 4/30 5/ 4 4/20 l*/29 57T 5Pr 4/29 W irr 5/ 2 4/20 4/27 5/ 4 4/20 1/1 5/ 3 ‘4/27' 5/ 4 k/29 4/20 Acadian Flycatcher 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ !t 5/ 4 5/11 4/30 5/14 5/19 5/ID 4/28 4/25 5/ 4 5/ 9 5/ 4 5/4 4/30 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 Traill 'b Flycatcher 5/19 0 6/16 — 5/19 0 -- 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 0 0 5/25 0 0 0 0 0 0 Least Flycatcher 5/ 6 lt/29 5/ 4 .. 4/26 5/ 3 0 0 4/27 4/29 4/21 5/ , L 0 0 0 ' 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/4 ■7/ £ 5/ ,*4 V 2 , 6 5/13 5/4 5/2,3 — 5^4 4/27 .5/7 5/14- 6/ 4 ,5/ 4 5/4 -- 5/11 -- — 5/11 5/ 2 5/ h 5/ i* 5/ 4 5/ e 0 5 Tv 0 5/ « 4/ 4 4/12 4/11 5/ 4 4/2T *4/ 6 5/ t* U/12 4/10 5/ 9 0 5'LO Rough-winged Swallow 4/14 li/16 li/16 5/ 4 4/ 7 -- 4/20 5/4 4/27 4/14 -- 4/ 2 4/13 5/ 2 4/17 4/16 4/21 5/ 4 -- 4/ 7 4/i4 5/ 2 li/28 li/30 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/30 4/27 0 4/30 4/27 4/26 4/19 4/20 4/25 4/27 4/20 5/ 3 4/20 — 5/ 4 5/ 4 >i/30 1/2B 5/ 1* 5/. 2 4/24 4/20 4/29 4/20 4/27 4/28 4/26 4/25 4/26 5/ 6 4/27 4/20 5/ 4 4/27 5/ 4 4/30 5/10 4/28 t/30 5/ 1 V 2 5/ 4 4/29 4/30 5/14 4/29 4/20 4/29 4/27 4/20 4/2? 4/25 5/ 4 XiL 5/ 4 -24-|l ~wr 5/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 5 4/23 4/29 5/ 4 5/ U 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/27 — — 5/ 4 5/ >i 5/ I li/29 5/ 4‘ 5/11 5/ 3 4/27 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 — 5/14 4/30 — 5/ 4 5/11 0 0 5/ 4 1/30 5/ *i 0 0 0 0 5/ 4 5/22 5/ 5 5/ 4 4/29 li/29 5/ 4 4/22 4/20 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 1 5/ ti 5/ 1* 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/30 4/23 4/20 4/30 5/ 4 4/20 5/ 1 4/13 5/ 3 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 1/30 5/ >i 5/ 4 4/20 4/30 4/22 4/20 V i* 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/30 1LJ* — Sharp-tailed Sparrow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4/23 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 Seaside Sparrow 5/ li 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4/11 0 0 0 0 0 4/ 8 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 Vesper Sparrow 3/30 A/ 9 u/ 9 3/31 4/ 7 4/ 9 — — 4/22 4/20 0 3/24 — 0 0 — — 0 0 0 0 Chipping Sparrow 3/31 li/ b 4/ 2 — 4/ 1 4/11 4/ 4 4/ 5 — — 4/ 2 4/ 7 4/ 7 3/31 4/12 — — White-crowned Sparrow 5/ 1 5/ 1* U/22 5/ 4 4/21 5/ 4 5/ 5 0 4/ 6 5/ 4 — 5/ 2 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/21 0 5/ 6 5/ 4 0 Svarap Sparrow li/22 1/26 S/A, 4/21 4/22 4/10 — 4/24 V T V 4/11 V w 4/20 4/ -3- w V V Vi MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 30. No. Median 10-yr 197b Gfl.rr Alle Wash Fred Balt Harf Howd Mont Pr.G Anne Chas Calv Kent Caro Talb Pore Soar Vico Wore Ruby-crowned Kinglet b/12 b/ 6 b /12 b/lb 3/31 b/ 3 b/ 6 .. b/ 7 b / 3 b/ 1 b/ 3 b/ 9 b /16 b/ 2 5/ 3 V V b/lb w W Water Pipit — 3/2b 0 0 3/2b — — 0 — 3/28 2/ 6 3/19 0 0 0 b/ 7 0 0 Cedar Waiving U/2U 5/ I- 5/21 — 5/U 5/ b b /26 0 5/15 5/ b b /26 b/10 4/ 2 5/ b b/ 1 5/ b 5/11 White-eyed Vlreo 14/26 b/ie 5/ b 5/ b 0 b/26 b/lb 5/ b b /18 b/15 b/lb b /16 b/ 8 b/19 b/25 b/20 5/ b b/ 8 b/lb 5/ b b/lb Yellow-throated Vlreo V 28 ya? j* W j* b /28 _yae_ — yaj b/21 b /16 y * yiT b/29 0 b/30 0 b /28 5/ b V Solitary Vlreo b/27 5/ b 5/ b t /29 b / 3 b/21 5/ 1* 5/ 14 b/12 b/23 b/21 b /17 0 b/27 0 w O O 5/ l» Red-eyed Vlreo 14/28 b /28 b/27 5/ b 5 /u b/28 b/25 5/ b b /29 b/20 b/22 b /26 b/17 5/ 1 5/ b b/28 ■5/ b b /27 5/ b b/28 5/ b Warbling Vlreo 5 / 2 5/ b 0 5/ b b /25 b/2B 5/ b 5/ b .. b/21 5/ b 5/25 b/17 0 b/25 0 0 0 0 O 5/ b Black-&-white Warbler B /22 b /16 b/27 5/ b b /23 b/20 b/23 5/ b b /13 b/13 b/13 b/15 b/13 b /16 b/12 b /16 JL b /11 Prothonotarv Warbler 14/26 b/23 0 y 1* b /18 0 b/23 y b y 14 b/lb b /16 b /11 b/22 b/29 b/23 b /20 — 5/ b b/?fl Worm-eating Warbler 5/ 2 b/30 0 5/ b 5/ b b/30 b/29 b /29 b/30 b /26 5/ 1 5/ b 5/8 5 / b 5 / b 0 b/27 b /28 Golden-winged Warbler 5/ 1* 5/ b 5/21 — 5/U 5/ b 5/ b 0 5/ b 5/ b b/25 5/ b 5/ b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/ b Blue-winged Warbler 5/ 3 b/29 5/ b 0 b /29 b/29 b/29 — b/29 b/26 b/23 b/29 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b b /28 5/ b 5/ b 0 0 Tennessee Warbler 5/ 7 5/ b 5/21 0 5/18 5/ b b/30 0 5/ b b/29 5/ 3 5/ 1 0 5/11 5/ b 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 Nashville Warbler Hi 3 b /29 y ? 0 b/2? b /28 b/30 0 y b b/28 b/22 b/29 5/ b 0 0 , 0 0 0 0 0 0 Parula Warbler li/25 b/27 5/ b 5/ b b /21 b /28 b/23 b/27 b/20 b/lb b/12 b/lb b /13 TJW b/27 b/30 5/ L b/27 5/ b 5/ b b /26 Yellow Warbler l __ 0 5/10 0 5/U 0 0 0 Bay-breaeted Warbler 5/u 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b 5/12 5/U b/30 0 5/ b 5/ 2 5/U b/30 5/18 0 0 0 0 5/11 0 0 Blackpoll Warbler 5/ 6 5/ b 5/19 0 5/12 5/10 5/12 5/18 5/ b 5/ 2 b/30 5/ b 5/ 3 5/ 2 5/ 3 5/24 0 0 0 5/12 Prairie Warbler 14/25 b/27 b/27 b/20 5/11 b/21 b/27 b /16 b/29 b/27 4/24 b/21 b/15 b/30 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b b/ 8 b /27 5/ b b/28 Palm Warbler b /18 b/23 y ^ 0 y t 3/2T b/23 — y 1 y e b /26 b/12 y 3 0 b/19 5/ 3 0 0 0 0 0 Qvenblrd 14/27 b/21 5/ b b / b 5/11 b /28 b/23 — b/23 T7TT b/ 5 b/21 b/21 T/lb 5/ b b /19 b/20 b /11 b/15 b/ 5 Northern Waterthruah 5/ 2 b/30 5/ b 5/ b b/29 b/20 b/10 0 b/27 b /16 b/15 b/23 5/ 1 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b 0 0 0 0 5/12 Louleiana Waterthruah b /lk b/ 7 0 5/ b b / 7 b/lb b/ 7 b/ 7 b/ 3 3/29 b/ 3 b /16 b/ 8 b/ 3 0 b/ 9 b/ 7 b/ 11 b/lb Kentucky Warbler 5/ 3 b/30 0 5/ b — b/30 b/30 5/16 5/ 3 b /30 b/26 b/29 b /27 5/ 1 5/ 2 b/30 b/28 5/ b Mourning Warbler — 5/27 0 0 5/16 0 0 0 y 9 0 5/17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yellowthroat ij/2l b/22 5/ b 5 / b 5/ 3 b/22 b/22 5/ 1* T/ST 14/20 b/ 7 b/17 b/21 TJW b /16 b/lb b/l 3 3/31 b/12 b/27 Yellow-breaated Chat 5/ 2 5/ 2 5/ b 5/ b 5/U b/30 b/25 — b /30 5/ b b/28 5/ 1 b/29 — 5/ b b/30 5/ b 5/ h b /29 5/ b Hooded Warbler >*/30 b/29 5/ b 5/ b 0 b/29 b/25 0 5/ b b /29 b/23 b /28 b/22 5/ b 5/ b 0 0 0 0 b /28 Wilson's Warbler 5/ 8 5/ 6 5/ 9 0 5/13 5/ b 5/ b 0 — 5/ 5 5/ 8 5/ b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/U Canada Warbler V 6 S/if y i* y i* yai yn y * yy 5/11 y 14 y ^ 5/11 5/22 yn 0 5/19 0 5/11 0 0 0 American Redstart *i/29 5/ b 5 / b 5/ b 5/11 W30 5 / 2 5/ *4 5/ b c /21 b/22 T7tr b/l7 l*/27 5/ I* 5/ I 4 yu 5 i 1* 5/ b 5/ b Bobolink 5/ 6 5/ 6 5/ b 0 5/12 5/lb 5 /u 0 5/ b b/28 b /26 b/23 5/ b 5/ 6 5/10 0 5/u 0 0 5/U Barn Swallow b/ 8 b/ 5 L/ 6 b/27 b/ 7 b / 1 b/ 8 b /25 b/ 7 b / 6 3/27 3/31 b/ 5 b/ 3 b/ 5 b/ 2 b/ 3 b/ 8 3/30 Cliff Swallow — 5/ b 5/ 1 b/20 5/ b 5/12 b/30 0 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b 5/5 5/ b 0 5/ b 0 0 0 0 0 0 Purple Martin 3/2? 1/ b y b y b bA3 y ? y 7 — y 1 y 29 V 1 V 2 b/10 b/ 2 V T __ y 6 7/?l Blue Jay b/27 b/2l 3/ 1 b/21 b /22 3 / 1* b/ 2 V21 b /29 b/15 uJW ■W -err b/29 House Wren 4/23. b/19 b/ib b/12 b/ T b/21 b/lb — 4/18 b/12 b/ll b/22 b/27 5/ 1 b /25 b/19 0 b/13 b/25 b /27 b/28 Long-billed Marsh Wren — 5/ b 0 0 0 0 5/ b 0 0 5/ b b/19 b/15 5/ b __ 5/ b 5/ b 3/31 b/27 Catbird b/27 b/25 b /25 5/ b b/20 b /26 b /18 b /19 b/22 b/19 b/23 b/22 b /16 b/29 b/29 5/ 1 5/ b b /11 b/13 5/ b' 5/ b Brown ThraBher y. 7 y T b /15 V ? yy y e y « b/27 y 1 y 7 3/26 3/26 y 8 3/30 y 2 b/ b b /11 b/U b /26 W W Wood Thrush b /25 b/23 b/30 b/22 4/26 t/2T b /23 b/30 b /28 V23 b /16 b /21 ii /13 I 1 / 2 I 4 W 28 b/l<5 b/2b b/20 ITT TTYS" 17T Hermit Thrush 14/13 b/lb 5/ b — b/2l b/12 b/ 7 0 b/23 b/21 b/ 2 3/27 b /13 4/19 0 b/11 b/21 b/lb w w W Swainaon'a ThruBh 5/ 6 5/ b — b/15 5/19 5/ b 5/ b 0 5/ b b/30 b/22 5/ 1 5 /u 5/ 6 0 5/10 0 5/U 0 0 5/U Gray-cheeked ThruBh 5/ 9 5/11 0 5/15 0 . 5/18 5/U 0 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b 0 5/13 5/13 0 0 0 -0 0 0 Veery 5/ 3 5/ b 5/ b 5/ b 0 5/ b b/30 0 5/ 3 b/28 b/25 b/22 5/11 5/ 6 5/lb 5/16 0 5/11 5/12 0 5/ b Blue-gray Gnatcatcher b/lli b/ 8 b/20 b/11 b/12 b/11 JlLL. b/25 b/ 3 3/28 V ^ -V.-3- y ? b/ 8 — b/21 b / 8 b/12 September 191h MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 108. MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 30. No. 3 from northwest to southeast. In the first two columns of dates, the 197*+ median is compared with a ten-year median so you can see which spe- cies arrived and departed ahead of schedule and which ones were late. These two tables summarize nearly three pounds of reports, so we must resort to a general acknowledgment of the principal contributors for each county. Any record-breaking dates are mentioned in the text, with the name of the observer. The principal reporters for each county in the tables were: Garre tt — Mrs. Fran Pope, Dorothea Malec, John Willetts, Kendrick Hodgdon, Carl Carlson; Alleg any — Dorothea Malec, John Willetts, James Paulus , Kendrick Hodgdon; Washi ngton — Daniel Boone, Alice Mallonee; Frede rick — Dr. John W. Richards, Paul McKenzie; Balti more City and County — Clark and Craig Jeschke, Peggy Bohanan, Joseph Schreiber, Haven Kolb, Marion Glass, Gladys Cole, Janet Ganter; Harfo rd — Shirley and Kim Spitler, Rodney Jones; Howa rd — Dorothy Rauth, Joanne Solem, Rosamond Munro, Craig and Clark Jeschke; Montg omery — Peter and Dr. Robert Pyle, Herb Douglas, Paul McKenzie, Robert W. Warfield, Nancy and Lucy MacClintock, Dr. Thomas Valega, Dr. Fred Evenden, Paul Woodward; Prince Georges — Herb Douglas, Kathleen Klimkiewicz, Samuel T. Lyon, David Holmes, Leonard Teuber, Chandler Robbins, Danny Bystrak, Chris Ludwig; Anne Arundel — Hal and Prof. Harold Wierenga, Mark Hofftoan, Danny Bystrak, Dave Linehan, Ellen Gizzarelli , Prof, and Mrs. David Howard, Rena Bishop; Charl es — Leonard Teuber, Kathleen Klimkiewicz, Dr. George B. Wilmot, Mrs. A. D. Sorzano; Calve rt — John H. Fales, Chandler and Eleanor Robbins; Kent — Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mendinhall and Margery Plymire (compilers), Floyd Parks, James Gruber, Arlene Delario, and the Carroll family; Carol ine — Alicia Knotts (compiler), Marvin W. Hewitt, Roberta Fletcher, Ethel Engle; Talbo t — Jan Reese, Harry Armistead; Dorch ester — Mr. an£ Mrs. Harry Armistead; Some rset — Mrs. Richard Cole, Paul, Linda, Danny, and Steve Bystrak, Charles Vaughn; Wicom ico — Charles Vaughn; Worce ster — David Holmes, Paul McKenzie, Peggy Bohanan, Dr. Prescott Ward, Mark Hoffman, Kathleen Klimkiewicz, Mrs. Edward Mendinhall, Bob Hahn, Shirley Geddes, Charles Munn. The same symbols as usual are utilized for missing records: a "0" means the species was not reported from the county, a dash means it was present but no arrival or departure date was recorded, and a "W" shows that migrating individuals could not be distinguished from wintering individuals of the same species. Underscored numbers and dates in the text denote new State or Sectional records. Loons , Grebes . The peak northward movement of Common Loons took place during the period Apr. 13-19 » according to Had Wierenga. He counted 212 individuals passing Sandy Point or Annapolis during these 7 days, out of a toteil of 1*04 birds between Mar. 19 and May 21. The best days were Apr. 15 (57 birds) and Apr. 13 (50). As many as 10U were still present off Ocean City on Apr. 27 (Richard Rowlett). A Common Loon and a Red- throated Loon, in non-breeding plumage, were seen in Chesapeake Bay near Poplar Island on June 1 (Jan Reese). Harry Armistead noted the near absence of Pied-billed Grebes at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area; only 1 bird was found on June 8, where there have been dozens in recent years. September 197** MARYLAND BIKDLIFE 109 Shearwaters , Petrels , Gannets . On June 2, Just after an east- northeast rainstorm, Hal Wierenga and David Holmes counted 54 Wilson’s Petrels migrating north past Ocean City inlet between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Richard Rowlett's pelagic trip from Ocean City to Baltimore Canyon (57 miles to the southeast) had recorded only 30 scattered Wilson's Petrels on the preceding day, but a scattering of 9 Sooty Shearwaters and a single Cory'B Shearwater (27 miles out) provided some variety on the pelagic trip. Rowlett's Apr. 27 pelagic trip had been too early in the season for shearwaters and petrels, but had yielded a tally of 278 brown-plumaged Gannets and 3 adults, mostly within 20 miles of shore. Herons . Egrets . and Ibis . A pair of Yellow- crowned Night Herons returned to their Lake Roland nest (between Cockrans Pond and the east side of Lake Roland Just south of Woodbrook Lane) on Apr . 1_, breaking the Apr. 4 State arrival date for this species (R. Taylor McLean). One in immature plumage showed up at Leitersburg on May 13 (Daniel Boone). Jan Reese reported that the Eastern Bay Cattle Egret colony was not occupied this year; but his almost daily observations of 2 to 20 indi- viduals in the vicinity of Chesapeake City from late April to Aug. 20 suggest the presence of a new colony near the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Reese had a peak count of 250 Cattle Egrets near Chesapeake City on Apr. 23. All 11 species of Maryland herons and bitterns, plus the Glossy Ibis, were on Hal Wierenga's Sandy Point list this spring; most notable were 2 very early Least Bitterns on Apr. 23 (after a cold front abruptly terminated a strong southerly airflow in the early morning), a stray Louisiana Heron on May 9. an early spring Little Blue Heron on Apr. 4, and an early fall vagrant Little Blue on June 28. Unusual for western Maryland waB an adult Little Blue seen at Big Pool on Apr . 11 by Boone and many others. Cattle Egrets were found in all coastal plain counties except Charles, St. Marys, and Harford. Two Louisiana Herons at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Apr. 13 were early for Chesa- peake Bay, and a Least Bittern there on Apr . 8^ (under weather conditions similar to those of Apr. 23) broke the State arrival record (Armistead). Swans and Geese . Although Mute Swans have been nesting in Talbot and Kent Counties in recent years, it was not until May 3, 1974 that Hal Wierenga saw his first 2 Mute Swans flying past Sandy Point. The pair of Mute Swans that raised a single young (from 6 eggs) on the South River was found to have escaped from captivity at Shadyside and was scheduled to be recaptured. Two Wbooper Swans with black neck collars (numbers 1R13 and 1R14) were on the Patuxent pond about one mile south of Route 50 on Apr. 17 (Hal Wierenga). In Kent County, Snow Geese remained until Apr. 24, and Blue Geese until Apr. 4 (Mendinhalls, et al . ) . Ducks . In a year when most of the waterfowl left in March, it was doubly surprising to .get the first inland record of a Harlequin Duck in Maryland on Apr . 5 _. An adult male Harlequin in excellent plumage was discovered on Druid Hill Park reservoir by Peggy Bohanan, who quickly notified other M0S members, enabling many people to share this rarity. - Ruddy Ducks were exceptionally numerous in Talbot County last winter, and over 500 were still present there on Apr. 20 and 100 on May 5 Table 2. Spring Departure Dates, 1974 Median Species 10 -yr 1974 Garr Alle Wash Fred Balt Hcwd Mont Pr.G Anne Chas Calv Kent Caro Talb Pore Somr Wore Common Loon 5/ 9 5/11 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/n 6/ 3 5/ 4 0 - 5/n 5/21 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 0 6/ 1 5/n .. 5/12 Horned Grebe -- 4/ 8 4/20 0 3/31 0 3/10 0 0 4/ 8 4/ 2 __ 5/ 5 0 4/20 Double -cr. Cormorant -- 5/19 0 0 0 -- 0 0 0 5/19 6/ 5 5/ 4 0 4/17 0 5/26 5/n 0 6/ 1 Whistling Swan 4/21 5/ 4 5/H 0 3/17 4/ 9 5/ 4 0 5/ 5 0 4/io 3/10 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 5/11 5/ 9 0 Canada Goose 4/30 ■ S/6 — 5/ 6 4 A9 4/17 V 7 s/ s — S/24 3/ 3 6 / S 6/ 3 S/ 8 6/ 1 Pintail — 5/ * 3/18 0 3/9 5/ 4 0 __ 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 Green-winged Teal -- 4/21 5/ 4 0 3/31 3/27 0 3/29 -- -- 4/28' 0 4/21 5/ 4 . __ American Widgeon -- 4/ 8 4/ 2 0 4/ 7 '4/ 9 5/ 4 0 — -- 3/29 3/31 4/25 0 5/ 4 „ _ Shove ler — 4/ 4 3/19 0 0 . 0 4/ 7 0 ■ 0 -- 3/26 0 0 4/ 9 4/ 2 5/ 4 __ Ring-necked Duck -- 4/ 2 5/ 4 0 4/ 7 3/17 0 0 0 4/23 O' 3/2? 0 4/ 3 4/ 2 0 0 0 3/22 Canvasback — 4/ 7 3/14 0 3/31 0 0 0 0 0 5/ 5 4/14 3/23 5/ 4 5/ 4 __ 3/22 lesser Scaup — 4/13 5/ 4 0 4/15 0 4/13 4/ 7 0 0 4/10 5/12 4/ 1 5/ 1' 4/ 2 5/ 5 4/ 8 Common Goldeneye -- 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 3/25 5/, 4 5/ 4 3/28 3/23 — 5/ 4 Bufflehead -- 4/ 9 5/ 4 0 4/ 7 4/ 9 5/ 4 3/28 — 5/ 5 4/ 4 3/23 -- 3/19 5/ 5 — 5/12 Olds quaw 4/io 0 0 4/4 4/ 1 VlS 0 0 0 4/i6 — 3/23 4/10 0 5/ 5 4/8 -- 6/ 1 Ruddy Duck — 5/ 4 3/10 0 4/ 7 0 T/26 0 — — 5/n 4/13 3/23 5/ 4 5/4 5/ 5 5/ 4 __ 5/ 4 Common Merganser -- 4/ 2 5/ 4 -- 4/ 1 3/ 9 3/16 0 — 0 4/ 4 4/20 0 3/31 4/ 2 0 4/ 8 0 3/22 Red-breasted Merganser -- 5/ 4 5/ 4 0 3/31 4/28 0 0 5/ 4 0 5/n 5/ 4 -. 5/ 4 0 4/27 5/ 4 American Coot — 4/15 5/4 5/ 4 4/ 7 — -- 0 4/23 4/ 7 3/26 4/15 __ 4/ 6 4/27 __ Semlpalmated Plover — 5/26 SAS S/26 S/17 0 0 0 6/ S 0 0 ?/ 4 0 S/ 26 S/ 26 0 w 2 Black -be Hied Plover -- 5/26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/30 0 0 5/21 0 5/ 5 5/ll 17a" 6/ 2 Ruddy Turnstone -- — 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5/30 0 0 0 0 0 5/26 0 6/ 2 Common Snipe 5/ 2 5/ 4 0 5/ 4 5/ 9 5/ 4 0 5/ 8 -- 5/ 4 5/ 9 5/ 4 0 4/26 5/ 4 4/21 5/ 4 Spotted Sandpiper 5/25 — 5/25 6/ 7 5/25 5/23 5/n 5/21 5/29 6/ 3 5/22 -- 5/27 5/26 5/11 0 6/ 1 Solitary Sandpiper — 5/17 -- s/2? Jj/21 S/l? S/1 4 m S/18 SAS S/ 20 — 0 S/17 — — S/11 0 ?/n Greater Yellowlegs -- 5/12 5/ 4 0 5/13 5/19 5/4 5/ 8 5/ 4 5/11 5/23 5/ 9 -- 5/30 0 5/ 5 5/n 6/ 8 6/ 1 Lesser Yellowlegs -- 5/H 0 5/ 4 5/26 5/23 5/14 5/n 5/11 5/13 5/ 5 0 5/21 5/ 4 5/ 5 5/11 5/ 9 5/n Pectoral Sandpiper -- 5/ 6 0 5/ 4 5/26 5/ 4 5/ 8 5/ 4 5/11 0 0 4/29 0 0 5/26 0 Least Sandpiper -- 5/16 — 5/25 5/26 5/17 0 5/n 5/n 5/16 5/30 — 0 5/25 0 5/10 5/n — 6/ 1 Dunlin -- -- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ?/3° 0 0 0 0 5/2 6 S/26 -- 6/ 1 Semlpalmated Sandpiper 5/25 0 5/25 6/ 7 5/17 0 0 0 5/n 6/ 5 -- 0 1725" ■ 0 5/u 6/ 8 6/ 2 Gt. Black -backed Gull -- 5/ 4 0 0 0 0 3/15 0 0 ■ — 5/12 3/23 3/23 5/ 4 0 5/19 -- -- 6/ l Ring-billed Gull — 5/ 4 5/4 0 5/ 4 3/10 4/ 2 3/19 5/ 4 5/i9 5/11 4/i8 3/24 6/ 6 5/ 4 5/26 5/26 5/ 4 6/ 4 Bonaparte ' s Gull -- 5/ 5 4/16 -- -- 0 0 0 — -- 5/12 5/' 5 0 0 0 4/ 3 0 0 6/. 2 Black-billed Cuckoo — — 5/21 -- — s/12 3/ 4 -- S/ll 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4/24 4/17 5/ 4 5/ 4 4/28 VTT V 7 5/ 4 — 5/ii 4/ 8 4/18 3/ 9 4/ 8 4/11 5/ 4 ■0 -- -- Blue Jay 5/1 1 * 5/14 5/ 4 5/ 4 6/11 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/17 5/17 6/11 -- 5/24 5/29 5/ 4 -- -- 5/10 -- White -breasted Nuthatch 4/ 7 4/ 5 — 5/4 4/29 4/18 3/23 3/25 4/ 7 — 5/4 3/15 0 0 0 — Red -breasted Nuthatch 5/ 1 5/ 4 0 4/24 4/18 0 5/ 1 0 5/ 4 5/4 4/13 0 5/4 4/27 0 0 0 0 Brown Creeoer 4/22 4/16 5/ 4 -5/JL- -S/J- 4/15 4/ 6 4/16 _5Z_5_ 4/14 S/> 3/24 2/10 4/ 8 U) 110 . MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 30, No Median Winter Wren Hermit Thrush Swainson's Thrush" Gray-cheeked Thrush Veery Golden- 197^ 4/2 6 5 / 4 5/26 ; 5/26 4/28 5/24 Garr Alle Wash Fred 5/4 5/4 5/30 0 5/30 - 4/15 4/21 5/12 5/19 5/28 0 5/26 0 Bal't Howd Mont Pr.G Anne Chas Calv Kent Caro Talb Pore Somr Wore - / 4/11 5/ 8 5/ 4 5/28 5/22 5/30 5/14 5/23 '5/24 V 6” 4/ 3 - ■ 5/7 5/7 5/4 5/4 - 5/21 5/4 5/4 4/30 5/ 7 5/25 5/26 5/11 4/26 5/ 7 6/ l 5/27 5/21 5/11 Sk 3 4/13 5/22 0 ^/12_ 5/i4 o 5/20 0 5/18 5/13 5/18 5/28 5/ 4 5/21 o J/ii 5/4 0 0 0 - 4/27 - 4/11 - 5/ 1* 5/ll o 6/i ooo _5/n 5/12 5/12 n -crowned Kinglet Ruby -crowned Kinglet Water Pipit Cedar Waxwing Golden -winged Warbler Blue -winged Warbler Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler 4711 5 / 2 Black ■lay ’ -thr Blue Warbler 5/19 m- 5/10 5/n 5/20 Ull. 5/ 7 4/28 5/21 _5?_7 57T- 5/21 5/H 5/18 ,5/15 w 5/13 5/15 5/18 57IB- 6 / 2 5/ 4 5/23 T/4 - 5/4 5/4 0 0 - 5/21 JZ31 5/4 0~ 5/21 0 5/3 0 5/21 - 4/19 4/26 5/13 5/10 5/ 4 - 6/4 - 5/20 5/18 5/26 5/16 5/26 5/20 5/ 4 5/16 5/13 5/18 5/13 5/16 5/lo 5^24 5/13 5/20 5/13 5/19 iZiiJ/12 5/ ^ 5/ 4 - 5/22 5/ 4 - 5/23 5/14 .5/11. 572T 5/u 4/28 5/22 6/ 3 ■ 5 /7 ?/ 8 5/15 5/12 5/19 5/22 5/11 5/12 5/25 5/29 5/17 5/15 f73 5/13 4/ 1 5/30 5/1^ 5/16 5/H 5/22 5/16 3731 5 / 4 5/22 5/4 3/31 5/ 4 5/3 5/4 0 0 5/14 5/13 o o 5/4 0 5/u o 5/11 5/4 5/i* 5/13 - 0 0 5/13 5/ 4 0 5/!2 5/ 3 0 0 5/10 4/ 7 5/19 0 5/7 0 0 5/12 4/27 5/ 4 4/11 o 4/n 5/ 5 0 0 5/U 5/12 5/4 5/4 0 5/n 5/11 0 0 6/ i 6/ l wr 0 0 0 5/U 5/u 5/U 5/11 5/u 5/°9 0 0 0 5U2 5/12 5/12 0 0 k-thr. Myrtle Warbler Black-thr. Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut -sided Warbler 5/21 Bay -breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler 5/28 Palm Warbler 5/4 Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush 5/17 5/21 5/21 5/4 Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler American Redstart Bobolink Rusty Blackbird 5/20 5/27 5/16 Rose -breasted Grosbeak 5/12 Evening Grosbeak 5/ 6 Purple Finch 5/ 3 House Finch Pine Siskin w 5/26 ¥ u 5/1 5/ 4 5/ 4 5/ 4 4 _ 4 _ 57tt 5/ 4 3/24 5/il 5 /14 0 5/31 5/28 6/ 3 - 0 0 ?/ * 5713 6/ 3 4/19 5/26 Jm 57i3 5/26 6/ 3 5/14 J/31 w 6/ 1 5/6 J/ig. 5/2T 5/30 6/ 1 5/14 _ 5/4 ssr »» -- 5/14 5/ 7 5/14 5/26 5/21 5/26 5/14 6/3 6/4 5/18 5/22 5/21 5/18 5/18 5/18 5/4 5/21 5/19 5/ 4 5/23 0 6/ 3 5/22 6/ 3 5/20 5/ll 5/16 5/18 5/27 6/5 6/5 5/ll 4/26 5/23 - 6/ 4 5/24 I/ll 5/14 5/16 J/16 5/26 5/18 5/26 5/30 6/ 4 5/27 5/U 5/U 5/13 5/U W 5/31 5/ 5 5/16 -SM IT 1 k ^730 5/25 5/30 5/30 X-9 5718 5/27 5/ 4 5 / 22 . 5/13 5/ 7 - 5/30 _5/i8_ 0 0 5/30 0 5/22 5/U J/U. 0 5/31 6/10 5 / 6 3/l0 0 6/4 5/ 4 6/ 2 574 5/18 0 5/20 0 5/28 5/ 3 0 6/ 9 5/u 0 0 0 0 5/28 6/ 5 5/ 9 _5/2i 0 5/22 5/30 0 5/14 0 5/n 5/n 4/27 1L 3^ 6/ 1 5/ 4 0 5/12 <7-1 0 6/ l 0 5/11 4 - Savannah Sparrow t Slate -colored Junco Tree Sparrow White -crowned Sparrow White -throated Sparrow Fox Sparrow Swamp Sparrow ITT 5/ 1 5/13 -B- 5 / 1 5/l6 5/U 5/4 5/4 0 5/4 4/26 5/ 4 5713 5/4 5/13 5/4 j/il 5716 5/10 5/ 4 1/19 5/4 5/4 3/30 5/ 7 5/4 5 /g 9 1725 5/ 4 Vi4_ 1730 5719 5/ 7 4/30 3/24 4/ 4 5A6 5/n 5/13 5/14 3/10 4/ 1 4/28 5/11 5/21 5/15 5 / 4 - 5/4 5/6 5/ 4 3/12 J?/j W* 5 / 4 57lT 5/ 9 5/19 5/19 5/u 5/4 5/6 5/4 0 5/4 5 / 8 5 / 4 l7l2 5/11 57 u 4/25 1720 5/19 5/ 4 5/ 7 j/il i/2° ITT 1/Jl 5/12 5/14 5/12 5/U 5/14 5/20 1715 5 / 4 4/ 3 5/13 m 5M. 5711 5/ 4 5 / 4 0 5/il 5/14 5/22 4/l6 4/29 4/25 5/ 4 4/ 1 4/l4 4/16 5/17 5 / 4 0 5/11 5/24. HI. 5/ 4 5/9 5/4 5/3 3/4 0 ° 5/16 -5/13 5/15 3/10 0 -- 4/28 5721 5 / 4 4/11 4/14 0 “57T 5 / 4 0 5/U i/u 3/10 j/10. 5/ 4 5/4 “57TT 5 / 4 0 0 5/ 12 5/ 7 - 0 5/11 0 5/ 4 5/U 4/12 4/11 2/21 0 0 5/12 5/4 0 1/Jl 0 ■5/Jl 0 5/ 6 -5/12 5/n "5710 5/12 0 5/12 September 197^ MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 111 112 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 30. No. 3 (Reese). Seven late King Eiders were seen at Ocean City inlet on the May 12 Convention boat trip (Bill Clark, Robbins, and many others). A high inland total of 32. Red-breasted Mergansers on the Potomac River at Seneca on Apr. 7 indicates overland migration at that time (Richard Rowlett ) . Vultures . Hawks . and Eagles . The warm weather and south to south- west winds of Apr. 2 proved a stimulus to hawk migration. This was the peak day for Sparrow Hawks in Kent County (Mendinhalls ) , and at Sandy Point State Park where Wierenga counted 52 of them crossing the Bay from Kent Island. Also crossing the Bay to Sandy Point that day were 40 Turkey Vultures (Wierenga) . Seasonal totals for migrating hawks and vultures at Sandy Point were 109 Sparrow Hawks, 74 Turkey Vultures, 30 Red-tails, 27 Ospreys, 24 Sharp-shins (peak of 12 on Apr. 15), 19 Red-shoulders, 8 each of Broad-wings and Marsh Hawks, 4 Black Vultures (Apr. 15), 2 Cooper's, and an adult Bald Eagle (Feb. 26). The best Broad-wing count was of 42 birds on Apr. 20 over the C & 0 Towpath below Blockhouse Point, Montgomery County (Dr. William Oberman). Three active Bald Eagle nests in Talbot County produced a total of 5 fledglings (Reese), and even the nest so precariously close to Egypt Road Just north of Blackwater Refuge successfully reared 1 eaglet. There also were young in at least two other Dorchester County nests (Armistead). Turkey . Wild Turkeys liberated in Kent County were observed on Apr. 9, Apr. 27, and on the May 4 State-wide Bird Count. The only other counties reporting them on May 4 were the three western ones. Rails and Gallinules . Hal Wierenga's interesting studies of rails at Sandy Point State Park will be reported more fully by him. For now we can report that 4 or 5 different transient King Rails were present there, Apr. 16 to May 11; a migrant Clapper Rail, his first record for the park, appeared with the Apr . 23 cold front; and Mr. Wierenga pro- vided the second confirmation of Black Rails breeding on the Western Shore. In the Elliott Island marsh, Rowlett counted the calls of 138 Virginia Rails on Apr. 13, and 30 Clappers, 30 Virginias, 8 Kings, 8 Blacks, and a Sora on Apr. 27. No Blacks had called there on Apr. 13. A count between 10 p.m. and midnight on May 10 yielded 15 Virginias, 9 Blacks, and 9 late Soras (Mark Hoffman). Water levels in the Somerset County impoundments were poor for coots and gallinules this year. Armistead could find only 9 Common Gallinules in the Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Areas on June 8, and no American Coots. Plovers and Sandpipers . Dr. Prescott Ward, who covered Assateague Island daily from Apr. 27 through May 5, reported the following shore- bird arrivals: male and female Wilson's Plover and Whimbrels on Apr. 27, and 13 Knots on May 4. At Woodend, in the Rock Creek valley of Chevy Chase, Peter Pyle set a record by banding 20 Solitary Sandpipers during the spring migration. Arrival dates for some of the shorebirds not listed in Table 1 were as follows: at Sandy Point State Park by Wierenga, Upland Plover on Apr. 23, White-rumped Sandpiper on May 24, and 6 Western Sandpipers on May l8; and at Leitersburg, 2 to 5 White- rumped Sandpipers, May 15, and Maryland's first inland Ruff, May 15- 16 September 1974 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 113 (Daniel Boone). A late Upland Plover was seen in Howard County near Laurel on May 8 (Joanne Solem). Departure dates from Sandy Point (Wierenga) included Upland Plover on Apr. 29, Willet on May 30, and 12 Western Sandpipers on May 29. A Whimbrel on May 2 6 was a rarity for Dorchester County (Reese). The late shorebird departures from Somerset County on June 8 (Table 2) were by Armistead, all shorebird records from Washington County were from Leitersburg and identified by Boone, and the shorebird dates from Allegany County were from Oldtown by Jim Paulus. We cannot say whether a Willet seen at Piney Point, Kent Narrows, by Jan Reese on June l6 was a very late spring transient or a summer vagrant ; no nesting colony is known in the Bay north of Dorchester County. Phalaropes . A record count of 494 Red Phalaropes was obtained on Rowlett's Apr. 27 pelagic trip, all in a narrow band 50 to 52 miles off- shore, as related by him ( Maryland Birdlife 30:51-55). Only 9 Northern Phalaropes were seen on this sea trip. A Wilson's Phalarope was found by Dr. Tom Valega at Lake Needwood in Montgomery County on May 4. If we can count 45 miles offshore as within Maryland birding waters, this is the first time that all three of the world's phalarope species have been seen in Maryland in the same week. Another Wilson's Phalarope, at Leitersburg on May 15-16, was the first recorded from Washington County (Boone ) . Jaegers and Skuas . See Richard Rowlett's account of the Apr. 27 pelagic trip ( ibid . , 30:51-55). Gulls , Terns , and Skimmers . The only northern gull in addition to the Glaucous and Iceland Gulls and Black-legged Kittiwakes on Rowlett's Apr. 27 pelagic trip was the Chestertown Glaucous Gull, last seen this year on Apr. 9 (Carrolls). Over 100 Great Black-backed Gulls were counted in Eastern Bay on June 22, documenting the tremendous increase in summering birds of this species (Reese). Royal and Least Terns had arrived on Assateague Island by Apr. 27, and the first 3 Gull-billed Terns arrived on May 5 (Dr. Prescott Ward). Caspian Terns reached a peak of 13 birds at Sandy Point on Apr. l6. Least Terns arrived there on May 6, but departed by June 3 because of human interference and did not attempt to nest as they have in past years (Wierenga). The status of the Least Tern as a breeding bird in Maryland is rapidly becoming precarious. This is the first year in modern times that observers have not confirmed a single nesting colony in the State. Some isolated colo- nies must surely still exist, and members are urged to watch for these and report any likely nesting spots found in 1975 so that steps can be taken to give special protection. A stray Least Tern on June at Leitersburg added this species to the Washington County list (Daniel Boone). For the second year in a row, a Black Skimmer was sighted at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area by Armistead and party, June 8. Parakeets , Owls , Hummi ngbirds . Woodpeckers . The only Monk Parakeet sighted was in an orchard near Clear Spring on May 15 ( fide Boone). The Long-eared Owl that wintered at Sandy Point State Park was last seen on Apr. 7 (Wierenga). On June 22 at 2 a.m. , Mark Hoffman heard a Saw-whet Owl calling in the Maryland portion of Cranesville bog. The unseasonably MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol, 30. No. 3 ll4 warm weather of mid-April brought exceptionally early arrivals of Ruby- throated Hummingbirds on Apr. l4 (Anne Arundel County, photographed by Dave Linehan) and Apr. 16 (Kent County, seen by the Mendinhalls ) , and some birds had reached nearly all Maryland counties by the end of the month. The first nesting Red-headed Woodpecker in Dorchester County in many years was discovered on June 1 beside Shorter's Wharf Road on the north edge of the Blackwater River by Jackson and David Abbott. Flycatchers and Swallows . An early Eastern Kingbird was seen in Calvert County on Apr. 7 (John H. Fales), over a week before another of its kind was spotted in this State. An Eastern Phoebe calling at Hoopers Island on June 15 (Armistead) was near the southern limit of its breeding range; the same observer established the first breeding record for Dorchester County at Beulah on Apr. 28 of this year. Although Hal Wierenga's last Cliff Swallow at Sandy Point State Park was seen on May 23, a migration of other swallows there on May 30 consisted of the fol- owing: 45 Trees, 150 Banks, 1 Rough-wing, 75 Barns, and 25 Purple Martins. These observations established new late migration records for the State for the Bank, Rough-wing, Barn, and Purple Martini A Willow Flycatcher near Fairlee on May 25 was unusual for springtime in Kent County (Craig and Clark Jeschke). Purple Martins are scarce in Kent County this summer as a result of the heavy mortality in May 1973. Catbird , Thrushes . The warm southwesterly winds on the night of Apr . 7-8, brought a Catbird to the yard of Elise Harmon in Cumberland, breaking the State arrival date for this species; the bird remained for several days ( fide Dorothea Malec). Exceptionally early reports of catharid thrushes are generally ignored in this column because of the possibility of misidentifications . This spring, however, the early re- ports were well documented, they fell on days when there had been a heavy migration of early arrivals of other species, and were enforced by unusually early dates for the same thrush species in states to the south. Jim Paulus described in detail a Swainson's Thrush he observed at leisure at Oldtown on Apr . 15 , five days ahead of the earliest Maryland record; another was seen at the Clearwater Nature Center in southern Prince Georges County on Apr. 22 (Sam Lyon). Records for this species were also broken this spring at Dalton, Ga. on Apr. 15 and at Birmingham, Ala. on Apr. 5 (see American Birds 28:803, 813). Another record-breaker for Maryland (by 2 days) was the Veery seen in Annapolis on Apr . 22 (Harold and Hal Wierenga); compare this with a Mar. 31 bird that broke the ar- rival record for northwest Florida ( American Birds 28:813). Kinglets , Vireos . The only summer record of a Golden-crowned Kinglet came from Swallow Falls, where Mark Hoffman saw a female , June 21-23. This is a new location and new habitat for this species, which has previously been found summering in Maryland only in spruce bogs. The White-eyed Vireo arrival date was broken by one day when Leonard Teuber saw one at Myrtle Grove Wildlife Area and Harry Armistead saw another at Blackwater Refuge, both on Apr . 8^. Warblers . There was an extraordinary winter record of a Black-and- white Warbler at the suet feeder of Lois Downin at Halfway in Washington September 19T4 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE County, Feb . 23 and Mar .