NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 'ellowthroat Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society VOL. 32, NO. 5 PRESIDENT’S CORNER by Maureen F. Harvey S have a few scattered thoughts to share... After all, sharing is what MOS members do. We share time, ideas, efforts, and adventures. Connecting with each other while enjoying wildlife, especially observing those amazing feathered creatures, is an important part of the organization. MOS Board Meetings are open to all members. If you are interested in learning more about how what the organization does and how it operates, come to a board meeting. You may hear about the goings-on by your Chapter President or Chapter Directors, but you also might like to hear the goings-on with your own ears. It’s easy to come to a board meeting close to your own stomping grounds when your chapter is playing host. Check us out; you might make new friends or find a project that interests you. Meetings are often held at good birding spots and feature a bird walk beforehand. MOS Board Meeting notices and directions are sent to your chapter president and directors, and you may also ask for this information yourself via e-mail from any state officer (e.g., president@mdbirds.org, vicepres@ mdbirds.org). Your opinion counts. I’d like to hear what’s on your mind regarding anything related to MOS activities. What is MOS doing right? Where can the organization improve? Please share your thoughts and ideas. My last thought: Wow, fall birding is here — migrating warblers, shore birds, raptors. Soon enough (maybe too soon) we’ll see wintering sparrows and waterfowl, too. We live in a great state! Take time to enjoy the beauty of fall (yes, even when you’re not birding) in // Maryland. The Seabird Trip to Die For By George Jett gmjett@comcast.net www. georgej ett. net Normally when I think about pelagic birding (birding out at sea) I conjure up horrible scenes of rolling rough seas, cold weather, poor visibility, vomiting , and just a bad time. Even so, I have gone on pelagic trips since 1978 looking for the group of birds that spend most of their time at sea. The birders that do this are a strange breed. We suffer all kinds of discomforts for just a poor view of storm-petrels, shearwaters, alcids, rare gulls and terns, jaegers, or even better an albatross. It’s a tough way to bird, expensive, and hard on the body, but if you want to see some of these sea-dwelling animals you have to pay the price. On Thursday August 24 at 1 1 PM, a group of about 40 pelagic birders boarded the 1 05 foot boat, The Thelma Dale IV, in Lewes, Herald’s Petrel - George Jett Delaware and prepared to head out to the gulf stream about 60 miles offshore in Maryland waters. The gulfstream is warm, deep water that attracts much marine wildlife including these pelagic birds. The trip out was a bit rough with 5 to 7 foot seas. A few of the inexperienced began to chum (vomit) before dawn. Just before dawn, the leader, Paul Guris and his crew, began to put down an animal oil slick. The pungent odor of this oily substance attracts the storm petrels - normally Wilson’s- which then lures other birds toward the slick. Wilson’s is one of the most abundant bird species in the world even though most land birders have never seen one. As the day began, the lazy ones began to take up their binoculars, and now, more common than in the past, cameras and lenses. We headed out from our sleeping benches to see what the day would bring. You need to get up early to see some of the more uncommon to rare storm- petrels like Leach’s and Band-rumped. Much to our delight, just before the sun broke the horizon, calls came from the several spotters that Paul had hired that Continued on page 2 Inside This Issue President’s Corner 1 Sea Trip to Die For 1 Birds of Note 3 DC Police Quail Survey 4 Prince George’s Book 4 2013 MOS Conference 9 Chapter Chatter 9 Duck Workshop 1 1 Calendar (including CBC’s) 12 YMOS News 19 2013 Scholarship Program 19 Mammal Expert Needed 19 Irish Grove Workday 20 Pin Contest 20 2 The Maryland Yellowthroat Trip continued from page 1 Band-rumps were present. We rushed to the bow (the front of the boat), quickly aiming binos and camera lenses at the flying critters. Poor light and overcast skies required pushing the digital cameras beyond what would produce good quality images, but we could get identifiable images that were not too blurry. Remember you are on a boat that is moving, the bird is flying, and you are trying to stand still in 5 to 7 foot waves. Some of the images from the day are attached. The Band-rumps were soon followed by Leach’s, my nemesis pelagic bird for photos. I got reasonable images of both species and began to think this is a great trip so far. As the daylight began to make faster shutter speeds possible, Great, Audubon’s, and Cory’s Shearwaters showed up to munch on the chum. I became more hopeful. At about 7: 13 AM a shout rang out. Jaeger on the port side! With poor light and my ailing eyesight, I could not see a jaeger (mostly a dark bird). Shortly thereafter, Paul Guris began to scream. When Paul screams, you pay attention. Last time I heard Paul scream he said Cape Verde Shearwater (which was the second North American record and first Maryland record). This time - Herald’s Petrel ! ! ! ! The electricity shot through the seasoned sailors since we knew this was a first record for Maryland. Cameras fired away as the dark Herald’s Petrel continued to fly toward the boat. This petrel, sometimes called Trinidad Petrel, Black-capped Petrel - George Jett is more often found in the south Atlantic. The bird, as the picture shows, is mostly dark like a Sooty Shearwater with light patches on the underside of the primaries. The bird stayed around long enough for all those not too sick to see it on its brief visit. To our pleasure, the bird turned and returned to the slick, bringing on more looks, images, and high fives. I have 393 species on my Maryland life list, and new species are few and far between. A new state record was very satisfying. How could this get better? Well, wait a few minutes, and listen for Paul to scream again - Black-capped Petrel! ! ! What, two new state birds on the same day, in the same hour? The fact that this was perhaps the third state record did not lessen the electricity. Binos up and staring, lenses/cameras firing away once again. Soon a second Black-capped Petrel flew by the boat, and all got good looks, many images, and there were more high fives. What’s next? Shortly after 8 AM someone yelled “Tern on the starboard side.” (I don’t know why it is called starboard.) Close inspection of this sadly distant bird proved to be an immature Arctic Tern. The bird was flying directly at the boat at 2 o’clock - imagine the boat as a clock and the bow is 12. The few shots I got were not adequate to identify the bird to species as the bird evaporated into the clouds. After an incredibly productive morning in Maryland waters we started heading north to the Delaware boundary. Mostly exhausted and heading for the evil empire of Delaware (which some don’t list in), we went inside for food, drink, and to look at our images. I had not come to a full rest when the screams went out again - White-faced Storm Petrel. Ed Boyd and a few hardy sailors had refused to come in from the elements. They stood watch at the bow while we were inside and had a great find. When the alarm rang, a mad rush ensued as most of the birders were crushing each other in the front trying to see this dainty gray and white bird that does not fly, but dances on the water. Paul spent much effort to his credit to help me and my bad eyes see this animal. Eventually I got The Maryland Yellowthroat Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc. Editor: Richard Donham rdonham8@gmail.com Designer: Eric Skrzypczak ericskrz@gmail.com Calendar Editor: Andy Martin martinap2@verizon.net 301-294-4805 Chapter Chatter: Jean Wheeler jswheeler3@verizon.net Mailing list: Helen Horrocks hlh_3 7@yahoo.com 301-831-6315 MOS web site: http://www.mdbirds.org Webmaster: John Hays Christy SiteMaven@mdbir ds . org Anyone is welcome to contribute articles, photos, or ideas that would be of interest to other birders. Copy may be e-mailed to Richard Donham by Nov 20, 2012 for the Jan/Feb 2013 issue. p. 7 copyright National Geographic Society Photograph p. 1,2 ©George Jett shots and saw the bird (thank you Paul). Since this was Ed’s first in the state, he was very much pleased to have found it and shared it with his fellow sailors. Why so many rare seabirds on this trip? Michael O’Brien, a professional birder I know, had remarked recently that the gulfstream was closer to shore this year than in many years. Maybe the serious drought, global warming - who knows, but these species feed in the gulfstream and we got lucky. Something caused these animals to wander much further north that day much to our delight. I wondered aloud if we were in North Carolina where these species are more common than in Maryland, but Paul and the GPS unit assured me I was in Maryland. I took the opportunity to needle Paul Continued on page 3 November/December 2012 3 Trip continued from page 1 since my target bird, South Polar Skua, had yet to be seen, and it was now after 8:30 AM. Paul shot back - “Never satisfied, are you Jett”. We never did find a South Polar Skua, so I guess I will have to sail again next August with See-life Paulagics. Maybe on the next trip I will find my elusive Skua. We did find some other good seabirds after we passed into Delaware like Long-tailed Jaeger, Bridled Tern, and Manx Shearwater, but I went to sleep. What an incredible trip. r