Maryland birdlife

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

SEPTEMBER 19 70
Volume 2 6

Number 3

Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc.

Cylburn Mansion, 491 5 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, Maryland 21209

State Officers

President: V. Edwin Unger, West Central Ave., Federalsburg, Md. 21632

754-2291

First V. Pt Chandler S. Robbins, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center,

Laurel, Md. 20810 776-4880

Second V. Ps Dr. Edgar E. Folk, III, 11 55 Avenue W A M , Perry Point

Md. 21902 642-6591

Treasurer: A. J. Fletcher, Route 1, Box 201, Denton, Md. 21629

479-1529

Secretary: Mrs. Edwin C. Gras, 1 25 Academy Street, Annapolis, Md.

21401 263- 4708

Executive Council

Carl W. Carlson, 5706 Lone Oak Drive, Bethesda 20014
Mrs. Joshua W. Rowe, Box 348, Glen Arm Rd., Glen Arm 21057
Mrs. Edward Mendinhall, "Darcsite" , R. D, 2, Chestertown 21620
Sterling W. Edwards, Jr., St. James School, St. Janies 21781
Mrs. Percy M. Scudder, Rte. 2, Box 230, Federalsburg 21 632

Joseph A, Robinson, Box 92, St. Michaels 21 663
Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, 4312 Van Buren St., Hyattsville

State Trustees

Allegany: *Dale Fuller Harford:

Mrs, C. Gordon Taylor

Anne Arundel: *Mrs. Edwin C. Gras Kent:

John Symonds

Mrs. William C. Paradee

Baltimore: *Mrs. Joshua W. Rowe Montgomery:

Mrs. Richard D. Cole
William R. Corliss
Mrs. Raymond Geddes, Jr. Patuxent:

Rodney B. Jones

Mrs. Robert E. Kaestner Rossmoor:

Mrs. Martin G. Larrabee
Mrs. Edward A. Metcalf Talbot:

Chandler S. Robbins
Caroline: ♦Wilbur Rittenhouse

Mrs. Percy M. Scudder Washington:

Frederick: ♦Robert B. Alexander

Dr. Howard Hodge Wicomico:

* Chapter President

20782

530-0688
665 - 7 ^ 0 ?
778-082 6
733-2099
479-0524

7^5-9*38

927-3971

♦Barclay E. Tucker
Frank A. Buckley
*G. L. Gardner
Mrs. Edward Mendinhall
Mrs. Thomas S. Carswell
♦Dr. J. Wm. Oberman
Carl W. Carlson
Dr. Thomas M. Valega
♦Dr. Lawrence Zeleny
Dr. B. C. Getchell
♦Richard H. Rule
Miss Agnes T. Hoffman
♦Mrs. Chas, D. Delphey, Jr,
Joseph A. Robinson
Mrs. Joseph A. Robinson
♦Sterling W. Edwards, Jr.
Mrs. Margaret A. Long
♦William L. Johnson
Charles B. Baker

Active Membership (adults)

Junior Membership (under 18 years)
Family Membership (Mr. & Mrs.)
Sustaining Membership
Life Membership

Out-of-State Membership

$ 2.00 plus local chapter dues
.50 plus local chapter dues

3.00 plus local chapter dues

5.00 plus local chapter dues
$100.00 (payable in 4 annual

installments)

2.00 ( Maryland Blrdlife only)

Cover: Horseshoe Pond, Irish Grove Wildlife Sanctuary
Photo by Okie E. McCourt

MARYLAND

Volume" 26 September 1970 Number 3

FIRST MARYLAND BREEDING OF AMERICAN COOT AT DEAL ISLAND

Henry T. Armistead

Perhaps it is not surprising that a road passing through towns with
names such as Deal Island, Monie, Chance, Dames Quarter, and Oriole
should also he an interesting natural area. In spite of such gamy
placenames, I was unahle to purchase soft drinks after several hours of
mid-afternoon birding with the temperature in the mid -90' s. Deal Island-
ers believe, with a vengeance, that Sunday is a day of rest. I was
forced to return to the mainland to slake a very strong thirst. Never-
theless, my tour of the large impounded areas of the Deal Island Wild-
life Management Area had certainly been worth this small discomfort.

On August 2 k, 1968, I had visited this Somerset County area and
counted 40 Common Gallinules ( Gallinula chloropus ) , which then marked a
new high count for the State. This time, August 16, 1970, the vegetation
was much sparser, perhaps because of changing water levels or salinity,
and the gallinules were easily seen everywhere. Prom one spot I counted
1^9 in sight and before leaving the total rose to 274, including four
family groups with 6, k , 4, and 3 downy young. Most of the other birds
were juveniles. Two years ago I had counted nine gallinules at nearby
Fairmount Wildlife Management Area, but this year I saw 31 there, in-
cluding two family groups with three downy young each.

Another change was the presence of 68 American Coots ( Fulica ameri -
cana), including adults with six and five tiny downy young complete with
their bright orange head markings as illustrated in Peterson. This seems
to be the first State breeding record, although coots are known to breed
sparingly from Massachusetts (Finch, 19 69) to Florida (AOU, 1957)* In
1968 I had not seen any coots at all. The American Coot has a rather
spotty breeding distribution in the Northeast, Bull ( 196^ ) has noted the
tremendous increase of breeding Common Gallinules and coots at Hackensack
Meadows, N. J, , in I962, probably owing to the diking of tidal marshes.

At Brigantine Refuge, N. J. , a spectacular increase occurred in i960,
when 350-400 young coots were found (Scott and Cutler, i960). In Massa-
chusetts, coots have been found breeding only since 1957* and most re-
cently at Plum Island (Finch, 1969). Recent Pennsylvania breeding rec-
ords include 1968 at Lake Ontelaunee (Scott and Cutler, 1968) and 1969
at Tinicum (Scott and Cutler, 1969). At Little Creek Refuge, Delaware,
Lesser (1963) found about twenty broods in 1961 and 1962. Elsewhere
coots have been suspected of breeding in 1961 at Chincoteague Refuge,
Virginia, and Fenwifck Island, Delaware (Scott and Cutler, 1961).

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MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol, 2 6 , No. 3

Several other marsh birds that are quite scarce in Maryland during
the breeding season also were present at Deal Island. These included
thirteen Pied -billed Grebes, including one pair with four juveniles which
retained some of the distinctive black and white markings on the lower
throat characteristic of very young birds. These may have hatched local-
ly. Later that afternoon five of these grebes were found at Fairmount
W. M. A„ Nineteen Gadwalls were there including adults accompanying
groups of three and eight juveniles. Several Gadwall breeding records
are listed for this area in Stewart and Robbins (1958)- More exciting
were five male and twelve female Ruddy Ducks. The males still had their
bright light blue bills and ruddy feathering, but no juveniles were
present to suggest that these chubby little ducks had bred.

The presence of Pied-billed Grebes, Gadwalls, Ruddy Ducks, galli-
nules and coots at Deal Island is in keeping with their appearance else-
where in the middle Atlantic coastal region. When new artificial im-
poundments are developed these species often appear during the breeding
season in areas where they had been either scarce or absent. At both
Little Creek Refuge and Brigantine Refuge all of these species haYe been
found breeding since the construction of impoundments. To some extent
this is true also of Bombay Hook Refuge, Delaware, and Chincoteague
Refuge. Perhaps in the near future there will be definite breeding
records for Pied-billed Grebes and Ruddy Ducks in the Deal Island area.
Ruddies, however, frequently summer in parts of their winter range
without breeding.

The Deal Island marsh is one of the least frequently visited
birding areas on the Eastern Shore. This is unfortunate because it is
one of the finest marshes in the entire area. Among the other birds I
saw there on August l6, 1970, were: 17 Little Blue Herons, 53 Cattle

Egrets, 39 Common Egrets, 106 Snowy Egrets, 8 Louisiana Herons, 1 Least
Bittern, 11 Glossy Ibis, 65 Blue -winged Teal, 2 Marsh Hawks, 5 Ospreys,

1 White -rumped Sandpiper, and 1 Blue Grosbeak. There are two roads
giving access to the marsh. Follow State Route 363 out from U. S. 13
at Princess Anne. After crossing the marsh for a mile or so, watch out
for the first road, a small paved road going off to the left (south) at
an angle of about 45 degrees to route 363- This takes one through a
couple of miles of marsh and Is marked with yellow signs as a public
hunting area. Farther down route 363* turn left at Dames Quarter and
follow the second road, an obscure dirt road, through several right
angle turns for about three quarters of a mile until it goes onto the
marsh again with a good half mile or so of access to the impoundment
on the left and natural salt marsh on the right.

There is a dirt road connecting these two roads, but I have found it
to be closed by the State on occasion. During the hunting season, I
should guess that birders might be persona non grata along the first road.
But the second road is used a lot by crabbers and fishermen and should be
all right for birders anytime. It would be interesting to see how Deal
Island compares with Elliott Island In terms of Black Rails. The sail and
other boats at Deal Island proper are also worth looking at; they were
the subject of an article in the December 19^7 National Geographic .

September 1970

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

81

References

American Ornithologists ' Union. 1957. Check-List of North American
Birds. 5th ed. Baltimore, American Ornithologists' Union,

Bull, John. 1964. Birds of the New York Area. New York, Harper & Row.
Finch, Davis W. 1969. Audubon Field Notes 23 (5): 639.

Lesser, Frederick H. I963T Waterbirds of Little Creek. Cassinia hj:
22-32.

Scott, F. R. and D. A. Cutler, i960. Audubon Field Notes l4 (5): Mt-0.

, 1961. Audubon Field Notes 15 (5): 456.

, 1968. Audubon Field Notes 22 (5): 595 -

1969, Audubon Field Notes 23 (4): 577.

Stewart, Robert E. and Chandler S. Robbins. 1958. Birds of Maryland
and the District of Columbia. North American Fauna 62, U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.

39 Benezet Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

FIVE YEARS' EXPERIENCE WITH A BLUEBIRD POPULATION

Sister Barbara Ann

In July, 1966, I took a guest for a walk around the grounds of All
Saints Convent at Catonsville, Maryland. We passed the oak grove outside
of chapel, followed the road as it ran the ridge separating the front
meadow from the back pasture, and stopped by the vineyard at the fork of
the road. On the telephone wires overhead, the male Eastern Bluebird
( Sialia sialis ) as usual was saying, "Cheery. . .cheery. " The guest,
Frances Nevins, gasped, "You've got a bluebird] " I was Surprised that
she thought anything of it. The bird books all said that they were
friendly, common, even abundant birds of door yards, open fields, or-
chards, pastures and rolling countryside. That was a perfect descrip-
tion of our birds and of our land.

Gently she explained that the situation had changed since the books
were written. Suburbs had taken much of the former open country on the
east coast. Bluebirds were insect eaters, and were deprived of food, and
possibly even poisoned, by the indiscriminate spraying of insecticides.
They formerly nested in natural cavities in trees or fence -posts, but
farmers have been clearing out dead wood and using metal posts. Worst of
all, bluebirds now have to compete with two imported enemies. Starlings
and House Sparrows, for the few natural nesting places left. In 1955
there had been an unusually severe winter in the bluebirds ' wintering
grounds which coincided with heavy spraying for fire ants in the South-
east. Losses had been high and the birds had not been able to regain
their former numbers. In short, she said, we should consider ourselves
very blessed to have bluebirds at all.

The nest was spotted several days later by Fr. James Dorsey, who
spends his vacation every July in the Priest's cottage, the Hermitage.
Four powder -blue eggs lay in an old Downy Woodpecker hole in the outer-

82

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol. 26, No. 3

fa)

most post of the vineyard v '. Vines completely concealed the opening,
but Father saw one of the parents entering, and investigated. The hole
was about five feet seven or eight inches from .the ground, and about six
inches deep. Father kept watch every day and finally, at nine o'clock
one morning, the announcement was made: "I saw it J I saw every bit of
it.' One egg was cracking open at 6:4 5 a.m. , and I saw them all hatch out
after breakfast."

A stone was rolled to the foot of the post so almost all of us. Sis-
ters, Novices, Postulants, and assorted visitors could check in on the
birds every day. The parents were most accommodating, and somehow, be-
tween peeks, the young birds got enough to eat, grew, and after an un-
eventful infancy left the nest. Not until the following years did we
realize how unbelievably lucky those young birds had been.

September came, and with it the grape harvest. The vines were get-
ting old; the grapes were few and of poor flavor, and so it was decided
to do away with the vineyard and to give the land a rest.

This was fine, except for the bluebirds. I wrote to my own father,

¥. E. Underhill, who in turn got in touch with an old friend, Dr. Lawrence
Zeleny. Dr. Zeleny had been working for several years on a project to
increase bluebird populations. When he heard that we had bluebirds, he
sent three nest boxes, #55> #5^; forms to keep filled in; advice;

encouragement; and the offer to help any time we needed it. The direc-
tions said to get the boxes out by the latter part of February, as blue-
birds like to pick out their nesting boxes early. The boxes were de-
livered as soon as the roads were clear of snow, the first week of March.
The ground was still frozen on March 5, 1967, but somehow we managed to
pound into the ground one 1" water-pipe, and on March 7 one 1" fluted
metal awning -rod and one l/2" solid copper curtain-rod, and to wire the
boxes onto them.

Number 54 was set up right where the bluebird post h
Number 55 about 100 yards away at the edge of the woods tb

(a)

been before
and, the third

box, number 56, in the apple orchard far in back of the Convent

( 6 )

By

March 18, to our utter ecstasy, a pair of bluebirds arrived, and investi-
gated all three boxes. We named the birds Big Ben Blue and Sapphire.

They settled on the old homesite where the grapevines had been. By the
17th of April the nest was completed. At the same time a pair of Caro-
lina Chickadees had set up housekeeping in the box by the woods. On April
26, the villains arrived — a pair of House Sparrows who took over the as
yet eggless bluebird nest. Big Ben Blue and Sapphira in turn moved in on
the chickadees (also eggless thus far), who relocated in an hollow oak
limb nearby. By May 2, there were four bluebird eggs in the chickadees'
unremodeled nest' 13 '. I threw out the House Sparrows' nests daily. They
decided, after being dispossessed five days in a row, that the bluebirds '
new home might be nice for them too; but Big Ben Blue, with four eggs to
defend, sent them packing while Sapphira cheered him on from the bird-
house door. Things seemed to be going well, but we noticed one morning
that Ben and Sapphira were sitting too quietly on the telephone wires.

We checked their nest. The eggs were gone. On the ground in the bushes

September 1970

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

83

AH Saints* Convent
Territory. A S_

Territory 8

Territory C <-***>»>
Territory D~

Not to scale

Fig, 1. Map of Convent grounds showing location of bluebird boxes

nearby was an egg, uneaten, but with two small puncture -holes in it, I
wrote to Dr. Zeleny. He said that since the nest looked undisturbed, a
snake probably had taken the. eggs; other predators usually disturb the
nesting materials somewhat The House Sparrows were gone, but House
Wrens had taken over the box where the grapevines had been. We cleaned
out the old nesting materials, as Dr. Zeleny had written that this pro-
cedure seemed to increase the chances of birds ' renesting in the same
box. He also stated that bluebirds very sensibly will generally not re-
nest in the same box which a predator has disturbed, so the box was
moved a few yards ^ K From the telephone wires, Ben and Sapphira watched
intently. As soon as we had retired a discreet distance up the road,
they flew in, and began building immediately.

Again, four eggs were laid, starting on May 2k. The first one
hatched on June 10, and the second the next day. But the day after, one
of the unhatched eggs had disappeared and the other was lying at the foot
of the pole. It was cracked half open and we could see a fully developed,
but dead, embryo within. Ben and Sapphira did not seem upset or concerned,
but busied themselves in feeding and brooding the newly hatched twins.

MARXIAN]} BIRDLIFE

Vol. 26, No. 3

84

Dr. Zeleny's answer to a letter I wrote the following year about an-
other problem probably has much to do with the failure of the eggs to
hatch. He wrote, "in regard to lethal temperatures in bluebird houses
during hot weather, I am making a study of this problem. The best infor-
mation available indicates that the eggs are usually killed if they are
subjected to temperatures of about 108° F. or higher for any appreciable
length of time. Boxes of the type I furnished you (l/2 n plywood) when
exposed to the full sun will reach that temperature when the outside
shade temperature reaches 96° F* These boxes, therefore, are reasonably
safe in this area, but they could prove lethal. under extreme conditions
that may sometimes be encountered. Boxes made of heavier wood are some-
what cooler, especially if they are painted a very light color, although
there is some evidence that white boxes are somewhat less acceptable to
the bluebirds.

"A number of people working with bluebirds have reported heavy los-
ses to second broods (usually raised during July) from unknown causes,

I suspect that excessive heat is often the cause. In the future I plan
to recommend that bluebird houses be made of at least 3/4" lumber and
that they have a natural wood finish. These houses may be safely put in
the full sun at any temperature up to 100° F.

"Nothing seems to be known about the maximum temperature that can
be tolerated
for the eggs.

The twins prospered and flew on June 29- We removed the nesting ma-
terial and building began in the same box on July 1, the day Fr. Dorsey
arrived for his vacation. On July J the second brood was begun, but the
three eggs laid disappeared the night of the tenth. "That snake, that
dirty venomous snake.'" Fr. Dorsey sputtered. "What does the bluebird man
say to do about that?" Dr. Zeleny said to grease the pole^ , Father
jumped into the car and sped to the gas station. From the attendant he
demanded, "Tour greasiest grease, please.'" Feeling that he should give
further explanation, he added, "It's not for me, it's for a Sister who
has just got to grease a pole — bluebirds, you know." The startled at-
tendant filled a paper coffee-cup with automobile lubricating grease,
and with wonder watched Father speed off again.

Back at the Convent, I had cleaned out the nest, pulled the pole
out of the ground and leaned the box against \ a railing while I went for
a hammer to pound the pole into the ground^ . I returned in less than
three minutes. Big Ben Blue was already taking grass into the box. As
I pounded the pole in, Ben flew round my head, either protesting or en-
couraging loudly. When Father D. returned and greased the pole, Ben and
Sapphira retired only a few feet away, watched carefully and continued
building as soon as he stepped back. "You know," Father commented, "I
think those birds really want to be saved."

The four eggs hatched between August 4 and 7; and the chicks flew
on August 23. As long as we kept the poles thoroughly greased we never
had any further trouble with snakes or four-footed predators.

by^uebird nestlings, but it is probably about the same as

September 1970

MARYIAND BIRDLIFE

85

Back in the middle of June, 1967, another Bluebird had been seen
sitting on the box in the apple orchard' 1 c ' . As no female had been sight-
ed, we didn't pay much attention to "the Bachelor", until one day he dis-
appeared, and a Sister, weeding near the base of the pole, found two light
blue eggs on the ground which looked as though they had been sawed in
half. The nesting materials seemed undisturbed, so we thought a snake
was probably the culprit. We cleaned out the box and moved it a few feet
away' , but the Bacholor and his shy bride did not reappear. Later on,
this nest was also used by House Wrens.

That autumn, for the first time in years, we had a flock of about
twenty-five bluebirds stay with us for several days, presumably on their
way south. Most seemed to be young birds. It looked as though the blue-
birds were making a comeback.

A few bluebirds remained all winter. We would see them mainly in the
hedgerow by the power lines, where persimmons, dried wild grapes, sumac,
viburnum and other wild food plants were abundant. There was no way of
knowing whether they were "our" birds, or strangers from farther north,
but we put the nesting boxes out February 27, 1968, on the chance of in-
ducing as many as possible to stay. From the day they were set up, male
bluebirds were spotted sitting on the boxes, but the actual nest -building
did not begin until the middle of April.

(e)

I think Big Ben and Sapphira returned to their old nest . At any
rate, the behavior of the two birds was much the same, the same perches
and approaches to the nest were used, the same materials were used in the
nest (mainly coarse grasses and rootlets, no grapevine bark or feathers),
and Sapphira continued to be very casual about keeping the nest clean.

House Sparrows again attempted to commandeer the nesting box, but
Ben and Sapphira made short work of them; they actually beat the male
sparrow to the ground and gave him a thorough pecking.

This time there were five eggs in the first clutch, begun on April
23. They all hatched on May 12, but there was a terrific storm which
lasted from the 27th to the 29th of May. We worried about the young and
finally went out in the rain to check on them. Three were all right,
but two lay dead in the bottom of the nest. One Sister held the three
survivors while I pulled out the sodden nesting material and replaced it
with dry grass. We returned the young birds and they seemed to accept
their new nest. They flew three days later.

An examination of the nesting material that had been removed re-
vealed about a dozen puparia of some insect, and I wondered if a parasite
had been responsible for weakening the dead birds. Several of the pu-
paria were sent to the Systematic Entomology Laboratory of the Department
of Agriculture. Dr. Curtis W. Sabrosky wrote, "Two adults had emerged
from the puparia in the box, but had died before fully expanding. As I
suspected, they are Protocalliphora sialia S.& D., a common Calliphorid
parasite of nestling birds. The larvae are obligatory blood-sucking
parasites, but do not remain attached to the birds, feeding intermittently

MARYLAND BIKDLIFE

Vol. 26 , No. 3

and then dropping bach into the duff or nest material. One cannot say
for sure that they caused the death of the two young birds. It- is of
course possible that death resulted from some other cause. In cases of
extreme infestation these maggots probably do cause the death of young
birds, but experience has shown that healthy young birds can support a
considerable number of larvae and still fledge without any difficulty.

The death of the two little ones probably resulted from a combina-
tion of factors: a certain amount of weakening from the blood-sucking

parasites, prolonged chill owing to the three-day cold rain, and probably
Ben and Sapphira had had difficulty finding enough food, as there would
be fewer insects in evidence in the rain. From then on, the nesting ma-
terial removed after the young had fledged was burned to prevent a build-
up of parasites.

A second brood was begun on June 17, 1968. Four eggs were laid,
hatched and fledged without any trouble at all. In 1967, it had taken
Ben and Sapphira five attempts to raise six young; this year, because of
the simple expedient of greasing the pole, they raised seven in two
nestings.

(f )

Back in the apple orchard again , bluebirds were first seen on
the box on February 28. Unfortunately, House Sparrows drove them off
and tried to take over in spite of the daily removal of their nesting
materials. I had heard that a rubber snake purchased from a practical
joke store had frightened sparrows from Purple Martin nesting compart-
ments, so I thought that it might be worth trying on the bluebird boxes.

I wrapped a yard of redoubled telephone wire with black yarn and sewed
on gold button eyes. The apple orchard box was mounted on the 1/2"
copper curtain -rod, which swayed in the slightest breeze. The fake
snake was placed in the box so that his head was on a level with the
entrance hole. Telephone wire is not very stiff, so he, too, swayed.

We stood about twenty feet away and watched. The cock sparrow landed
on the doorway of the box; it swayed backward under the impact, bringing
the fake snake 1 s head forward into the face of the sparrow. The gold
button eyes glittered in the sun; the sparrow uttered an unsparrow-like
squawk and fell backward to the ground. The sparrows never touched that
box again, so we removed the fake snake before it should frighten the
bluebirds too.

With the sparrows disposed of, the bluebirds returned and began
building on the last day of May. Eight days later the first egg was
laid. The clutch consisted of four, but only two of the eggs hatched.

The two unhatched eggs were sent to the long-suffering Dr. Zeleny. I
wondered if the heat had made the first two eggs hatch before the in-
cubation period was over for the other two. He replied: "Examination of
these eggs indicated that they were probably infertile, although it is
possible that they were fertile and that for some reason the embryos died
in their very early stages of development. Had the eggs progressed beyond
this point it would have been very easy to see the embryos .

'Although the female bluebird lays only one egg a day until the

September 1970

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

87

clutch is complete, she does not begin to incubate them until after the
last egg is laid. Thus all eggs usually hatch on the same day -which is
usually the l4th day after incubation starts. It is true, of course,
that in very warm weather incubation may proceed somewhat without the
bird being on the nest. This might cause the first -laid eggs to hatch a
day or two before the last. If this should happen, the later eggs would
still almost surely hatch since the mother bird broods her young suffi-

ciently during their
hatched viable eggs

r f

A

i^st few days to complete the incubation of any un-

The two grew and flew. A second brood was not attempted, and the
third box was again occupied by House Wrens; so the score for 1968 was
nine young fledged, half again as many as in 1967.

Late in the winter, February 28, 1969, Dr. and Mrs. Zeleny brought
out four new bluebird boxes, constructed of 3 A” lumber, and retrieved
box #54, which was falling apart. This was the first time we had met,
and they were just as warm and wonderful people as Dr, Zeleny's letters
would lead you to expect.

I had hunted through all the buildings on the grounds for suitable
poles, but most of those that I found were old pipes around 4 l/2 to 5
feet long, necessitating the boxes being mounted at four feet from the
ground or less. The bluebirds accepted the boxes readily, but the low-
ness proved highly unattractive to the House Sparrows and they have not
been a serious problem since.

Sapphira did not return in 1969* Big Ben Blue, or a successor, sat
on the old box (now #262) practically from the day it was set out, and
called gently and mournfully. From time to time he would fly over to
the new box (#250 ) Ah' by the parking lot and call from that one to
a matter of fact, he also claimed the box in front of chapel (#55)
and the new box in front of the Convent (#264 ) A). On April 7 a lady ar-
rived. She looked over the various boxes, took in a few straws and tried
them for size, only to change her mind and leave the nests unfinished.

At last, probably to Ben’s relief, she settled on the old homestead^).

It had been hard work for Big Ben to defend four boxes at one time.

Her nest was quite different from Sapphira *s; it was tight, compact;
a higher proportion of tidy thin grasses, fewer rough rootlets, and here
and there a small downy feather was tucked in the grasses. On April 18
the first egg was laid. The clutch grew to five. Good Mamma began
brooding immediately. She wouldn’t even leave the eggs when we lifted
the lid to look in. All five babies hatched on May 8. Good Mamina was a
good housekeeper, too. She removed the fecal sacs of the young at each
feeding. The nest remained clean almost to the last day. She was prob-
ably just a young bird, maybe one of last year's babies, but a bom
mother. We were disappointed when she decided not to raise her second ,
brood in the boxes, but moved to a Downy Woodpecker hole in a fence post v
If it was privacy she wanted, she chose well. The hole was too deep for
us to see into it, even with a flashlight; and the post was well covered
with poison ivyJ

MARYLAND BIRD LIFE

Vol. 26, No, 3

Ben took the older young ones into the woods, fed and cared for them,
leaving Good Mamina to raise the second brood by herself. Another pair of
bluebirds took advantage of Big Ben Blue's preoccupation to nest in the
box by chapel that he had been formerly defending from all comers. Build-
ing began May 6; the first of four eggs was laid on June 9* All hatched
on June 2 6 and were safely fledged on July 13 .

Still another of the new boxes (#249) had been attached to a metal
utility pole 2 3/4" in diameter, which was greased only lightly, as there
was a very large area to be covered. It was in the Bachelor's old terri-
tory, in the middle of Sister Fidelia's rock garden but there was no

way of knowing whether it was taken by the same or a different couple.

Four eggs were laid, beginning on April 25, but when they had been brooded
for nine days, tragedy struck. One shell with two small punctures was
found at the foot of the pole, and the other three eggs had completely
disappeared. The lesson imparted was that the grease job has to be very
thorough. A little is not enough.

An interesting side point is that the box was remounted on an un-
greased U-shaped metal post, which snakes are supposed to be unable to
climb, but which had little hooks on it through which to attach wire.

Wrens took over the box, but after the eggs had been laid my attention
was called to the box by an unusually vehement scolding from the wrens.

I arrived just in time to see a chipmunk run down the post. The eggs had
been eaten and the fragments left had that sawed-off appearance noted in
the shell found below the Bachelor's original nest, back in June, 1967 .

About this time, activity resumed again in the pasture. A/ nest had
been completed in the box by the septic tank in the old pasture^ ' on
April 7- The box, which had not been tightly affixed, slid down the
thoroughly greased pole, resting about a foot from the ground. It didn't
seem to bother the birds, but the woods nearby abound with raccoons,
skunks, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks and other creatures who would welcome
an egg or two for breakfast, so I slid the box up the pole again. The
bluebirds promptly abandoned the nest. After several days of inactivity,

I removed the nesting material.

On April 20, nest building began again. Pinkie and Blueboy raised
five young there without any trouble, took a two-week vacation with the
babies, then relocated in the rose garden' 111 , where box #250 had been
moved when it became evident that Big Ben Blue was not about to let any-
body else use it while it was still in his territory. Blueboy and his
gang of five stayed close to the Convent. The older chicks were seen
several times checking in on their three younger siblings, and twice ac-
tually bringing food into the box. Every afternoon between three -thirty
and four-thirty, Blueboy and the little ones gathered at the birdbath
outside the sacristy, drank and bathed. One sight I shall never forget
from this year happened on August 28, when the three youngest left the
nest. We looked 'out the window to see Pinkie and Blueboy on the sacristy
balustrade, the five sophisticated adolescents spaced evenly around the
edge of the shell -shaped cement birdbath, and the three almost tailless
new ones wobbling precariously on the telephone wires above. One of the

September 1970

MARYLAND BIKDLIFE

82

adolescents chirped and the babies simultaneously launched themselves
plunk into the center of the bath, showering their siblings. They re-
mained around until mid-October, then all left together for the South.

The score for 1969 "was seventeen fledged.

Table 1. Summary of Eastern Bluebird Nesting Success

Bax

First seen

First egg

Total

Hatched

Fledged

No.

Terr

Loc

Height

Mounting

nesting

laid

eggs

Date

Total

Boases

Comments

Date

NO.

-

B

(a)

5 '7"

6 " wood

early July '66

7

4

early July 4

0

late July 4

1966 total

0 boxes, 1

nest

4

IT

0

IT

54

B

<«0

4-7"

metal

Mar.

16 , 1967

.

0

House Sp.

55

B,

00

4*1"

metal

Apr.

27, 1967

Apr. 2?

4

-

0

4 eggs

Snake

0

55

B

(a)

4*1"

metal

May

10 , 1967

May 24

4

June 10-

11 2

2 eggs

1

June 29

2

55

B

(a)

4*1"

metal

July

1, 1967

July 7

3

-

0

3 eggs

Snake

_

0

55

B

(e)

4*1"

metal*

July 10, 1967

July 227

4

Aug 4.5,7 4

0

Auk 23-24 4

56

A

(c)

4*9"

metal

June

19, 1967

June 20?

2 ?

-

0

2 ?

Chipmunk

_

0

1967 total

3 boxes, 2

"families 1

17

E

11 +

S'

55

B

00

4*0"

metal*

Apr.

15, 1968

Apr. 23

5

May 12

5

2 yg

See text

May 31

3

55

B

( e )

4*0"

metal*

June

15 , 1968

June 17

4

July 1?

4

July 17

4

54

A

(f)

4*0"

metal*

May

31, 1968

June 8

4

June 22

2

2 eggs

See text

July 8 ?

2

1968 total.

, 3 boxes, 2

"families "

13

11

T

9

249

A

00

4*2"

metal*

Apr.

4, 1969

Apr. 25

4

_

0

4 eggs

Sn. or Ch.

0

56

A

{O

3 r o"

Pipe*

Apr.

7-, 1969

-

0 :

_

.

Box fell

_

56

A

( 1 )

3’P"

pipe*

Apr.

20 , 1969

May 24

5

June 13

5

0

June 29

5

250

A

Cm)

4'ii"

pipe*

July 17, 1969

July 25

3

Aug. 10

3

0

Aug. 28

3

262

B

0 )

3'2"

pipe*

Apr.

7, 1969

Apr. 18

5

May 8

5

0

2 nd br @j

May 25

5

55

B

(J)

3 '3"

pipe*

Apr.

9, 1969

-

-

-

_

Too near t

| -

55

B

(j)

3'3"

pipe*

May

6 , 1969

June 9

4

June 26

4

0

July 13

4

264

B

(g)

3’ 3"

pipe*

Apr.

11, 1969

-

0

-

_

_

Wrens

1969 total.

, 6 boxes, 3-5 "families"

21

17

T

Ff

297

A

00

3*4"

pipe*

7

, 1970

Apr. 20

5

May 7

5

0

May 25

5

294

A

(n)

3' 7"

pipe*

May

20 , 1970

May 28

3

-

0

3 eggs

Wren

0

294

A

(s)

3'if

pipe*

May

30, 1970

June 5

5

June 22

4

1 e 6 g

Wren

July 7

4

295

A

(u)

3 4

pipe*

7

, 1970

July 22

3

Aug. 6-7

2

1 egg

Infertile

Aug. 24

2

250

B

(t)

3 1 1 "

pipe*

Apr.

20, 1970

May 1

5

May 17

5

0

June 4

5

250

B

(t)

pipe*

June

5, 1970

June 8

5

June 26

5

0

July 10

5

298

C

(p)

3'$

pipe*

May

5 , 1970

-

-

-

Man, wasps

298

C

(p)

3'6t

pipe*

June

8 , 1970

June 27

5

-

0

5 eggs

Abandoned

_

0

296

C

(q)

4*1"

pipe*

July 22, 1970

-

0

-

-

Abandoned

_

264

A,D

(g)

3 * 10 "

rod*

May

25, 1970

-

0

_

_

-

Abandoned

_

249

D

j 1 !

3'5"

pipe*

Apr.

19, 1970

-

0

-

-

_

Abandoned.

_

_

293

D

( 0 )

3’2"

pipe*

Apr.

19, 1970

Apr. 26

5

May 12

5

0

5 / 21 - 6 / 1 ;

: 5

249

D

1

3’5"

pipe*

May

22, 1970

May 29

5

-

0

5 eggs

Wren

0

293

D

3*2"

pipe*

June

5, 1970

Je 9 or 10

5

June 27

4

le,lyg

July 11

3

55

B-D

00

3'9"

pipe*

Apr.

20 , 1970

-

0

_

_

Abandoned

1970 total,

12 1

boxes, 4-6 "families "

5T

30

if

29

Five-

■year total

101

68

36

65

At ten o'clock on the morning of February 28, 1970, a bluebird call
came from the orchard, followed by another and another. Nine bluebirds
flew to the walnut tree by the rose garden. One after another, calling
softly, they dove,. and hovered at the spot where the nesting box had stood
the year before^* One of them saw the box in its new position about
thirty feet away' n , and flew to the lid. Two more landed on the top of
the box and another in the entrance. The remaining five perched in the
mimosa about ten feet away. It had to be the old family, minus one, re-
turning home for the summer.

The family stayed together for a few days, but soon broke up as some
moved on and others chose their prospective territories. The problem

90

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol, 2 6 , Mo. 3

seemed most acute in the front meadow. This territory was last occupied,
by Ben Blue and Good Mamma, and included the box by the daffodils (#264 )( S',
a new box in the, center of the field (# 293 )^°', the old homestead by the
Hermitage (#262 )' e ', the box outside of the chapel grove (#249)'^' and old
#55 'k now the edge of the woods. Two males, seemingly perfectly

matched, fought over the territory, and over the same seemingly modern
Jezebel of a female. Wild battles raged for more than a week. Jezebel
eggedthem on, favoring first one male's choice of nesting box, than the
other's. One male emerged victorious, or at least his nesting box was
finally chosen. Hubby and Jezebel began building in earnest on April 20
in the center-field, box (# 293 )^° , and the first of the five eggs was
laid on April 26. The Other Man still lingered around, especially in the
chapel grove which appeared to be considered neutral territory by all the
bluebirds. Occasionally, Hubby and Jezebel would fly off in one direc-
tion; the Other Man would appear from the other direction, land on the
box, call softly and wistfully, then high -tail it before he got caught by
the rightful owners.

The five young were banded by Mr. Stephen Simon of the M.O.S. on May
18. Three left three days later with Hubby, and Jezebel resumed the
flirtation with the Other Man. Even though there were still two young in
the, n^st to be fed, she built a new nest in the Other Man's chapel-grove
box' 1 ^, and had laid two eggs before the last nestling in the center field
left on June 1. Unfortunately a wren, of whom I shall say more later,
punctured the five eggs in the chapel -grove box. Jezebel and the Other
Man built a second nest in the center field. Five eggs were laid, and
Jezebel was very reluctant to leave them. Unlike Good Mamma who cowered
over her eggs when anyone looked in, she glared up defiantly. Thus when
I checked the box on June 27 and found three babies newly hatched, one in
the halfshell and one egg, I assumed all was well. It upset her, so I
didn't check again. When Stephen Simon banded them on July 8, he found
three young only and one egg. One must have died shortly after hatching,
for at that time the parents would have been able to remove the body. The
remaining egg was infertile. The three last young flew on July 11.

Two new boxes were erected in the upper hayf ield^ bounded by

the hedgerow and the powerlines. It would seem to be ideal bluebird
country, but there were no successful nestings there. In the first place,
wasps settled in the boxes. Rotenone was sprinkled in lightly, and worked
temporarily. Then one of the boxes was wrenched off the pole by vandals
and thrown into the bushes two week-ends in a row^ p '. Fortunately, it
was not taken far and was undamaged. Bluebirds began building in one box
on May 5, hut abandoned the unfinished nest. There,, was activity again on
June 8, but the nest was abandoned with five eggs 'P -A By July 29, a nest
was built in the other box, but it, too, appeared abandoned' 1 ^ . The nests
were built of a curly type of grass and had an inner lining of grapevine
bark with a few feathers, so it was probably the same female, but I have
not caught a glimpse of her.

I have noticed that, like people, all bluebirds are individuals, and
some are even more individual than others. The most individual of all is
Gainsborough. He has taken over Pinkie (i or II ), and Blueboy's old

September 1970

MARYLAND BIRD LIFE

91

territory. Nothing particularly .stood out about him as he helped with
his first brood down by the barn' r ^. Five eggs were laid, beginning on
April 20. They hatched on May 7, were banded on May l8, and left the,,
nest, May 25- It was when Gainsborough moved up to the rose garden'
for his second brood that we got the full impact of his personality. He
is not a tame bird, he simply considers us to be large, harmless, rather
stupid but occasionally useful creatures to be given the respect one
would afford a brontosaurus —simply because of size. Like Blueboy before
him, he brought the young ones up to the Convent to raise them near his
mate and second brood. A House Wren had been in possession of the box in
the rose garden, but while Gainsborough tackled the wren, I cleaned the
sticks and twigs of the wren out of the box; and building proceeded. In
one week. May 28, the first egg was laid. The afternoon of the 30th, I
was a short distance away in the wildflower garden in the woods. Gains-
borough flew down the path, hovered about twelve feet away, chirped, and
flew up the path again. I simply stared in amazement. Gainsborough
turned, hovered, called again and flew on. This time I followed. Pinkie
sat mutely in the mimosa. Gainsborough flew to the top of the box, cal-
led, went inside, came out, then flew up next to Pinkie in the mimosa.

I opened the box and looked in. One egg had a gaping hole through which
the albumen and yolk were draining into the nest, the other two were
neatly punctured. From the depths of the holly tree rose the gay, bub-
bling song of the wren. I could cheerfully have murdered him.

Gainsborough, however, had the situation under control. Again cal-
ling. he flew off to the back of the Convent, hovered near the clothes
line' 3 ', then flew up and waited in the silver maple. I got the idea
this time, pulled out the nesting materials, unfastened the box, yanked
up the greasy pole and followed. As I went for the hammer and pliers.
Pinkie joined him in the maple tree, a strand of grass In her beak. The
nest was built in record time, but Pinkie waited until June 5 to lay the
first egg. The day before, the same wren, I am sure, with the lust of
egg yolk upon him, had punctured the five eggs of Jezebel and the Other
Man; eight bluebird eggs destroyed. I borrowed the maintenance man's
.22, caught the wren coming out of Gainsborough's new nest with a wet
beak, and fired the gun. (A fire -cracker would probably have frightened
him as well.) This time, the wren got the message. We put up a wren
box in the chapel grove, and he left the bluebird boxes strictly alone
after that. We shall see if the truce lasts.

Gainsborough and Pinkie did not abandon the new nest even though
the first egg had been punctured. In fact, later they defended the nest
from an entire .horticultural class which had gathered to watch the young
being banded ' 3 K The clutch was completed, and the four hatched June 22.
In the meanwhile, with the first brood so close to the house we were able
to make some very interesting observations. For example, on June 22, the
five fledglings sat on the roof of the summer house near the clothesline
box where their siblings were hatching. One seized something round from
the gutter and flew to the top of the roof with it, released it, and it
rolled down. Two others chased it. One caught it, flew to the top of
the roof, and did the same thing. This behavior was repeated continually
while we were at breakfast. I can explain it only as play. Gainsborough

92

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol. 2 6 , No. 3

and Pinkie returned to the "box by the bam^ and raised a third brood,
of two, dutifully aided by the nine older siblings. On August 24, the
last two left the box.

Last of all, Good Mamma did return. She and Ben Blue (II or III as,
the case may be) set up housekeeping in a box near the poison-ivy post^',
which I purposefully plugged during the nesting season. The two of them
raised two broods of five eacht^). Good Mamma was lifted off the nest-
lings, which she refused to leave, during the banding operations, and was
banded as well. Her nests were built with the same style and the same
materials as they had been the previous year, and the first brood at-
tended with the same tidiness. The second brood, which she probably was
caring for by herself, seemed to get ahead of her housekeeping. I won-
dered if she was getting old.

In the evening of July 26, 1970, the puppy from our St. Gabriel's
School proudly brought her in, minus a tail, but still alive. We force-
fed her and took her to the vet the next day. Vitamin drops were pre-
scribed, and continued force-feeding until she would eat by herself. One
wing appeared injured in some way, but not broken. After two days of
cold cuts, which she detested, but on which she was thriving, she accepted
various live wiggling insects. In particular, she ate five small live
crickets before bedtime, and we were considering a trial release the next
morning; however, in the morning she was dead. We just don't know why.

The score for 1970 is 29 fledged and one Good Mamma lost. It has
definitely been worth the effort, and in the future, with luck, we will
probably raise about forty young bluebirds each year. This is only a
drop in the bucket, but if others in this area will maintain boxes, in a
short time the bluebird will again be the ''friendly, common, even abundant
bird of dooryards and open country." And since "a thing of beauty is a
joy forever", something redemptive is working in bluebird boxes too.

Footnotes

1. Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, personal correspondence of August 3 ±, 1967.

2. Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, personal correspondence of August 2, 1968.

3. "Bluebird House Plans and Instructions", issued by the National

Association for the Protection and Propagation of Purple Martins
and Bluebirds of America, Inc. (now defunct)

4. Dr. Curtis Sabrosky, personal correspondence of June 19, 1968.

Letters in the text refer to the
shown in Figure 1.

position of the individual boxes as

#

All Saints Convent, Catonsville

HELEN MILLER SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Each year MOS offers a scholarship that covers the cost of tuition,
housing and meals for a two -week leadership training course at an Audubon
Nature Camp in July or August. Each Chapter may sponsor an applicant.
Apply in writing before Feb. 1, 1971* stating your plans to put the
training to use upon completion of the course.

September 1970

MARYLAND BXRDLIFE

93

UNUSUAL BLUEBIRD BEHAVIOR IN THE CARE OF NESTLINGS

Lawrence Zeleny

Certain unique observations in connection with the rearing of a brood
of Eastern Bluebirds ( Sialia sialis ) seem worthy of recording. This
brood was raised in one of the nesting boxes of a "bluebird trail" oper-
ated by the writer and consisting of 47 nesting boxes located on the
grounds of the Agricultural Research Center at Beltsville, Maryland.

Fig. 1. Two female bluebirds feed
brood of four in nest box. One
immature (not shown) also helps
feed the brood. Aug. 3? 19 TO

The nesting box in question
was designated as #224 of the Audu-
bon Naturalist Society series. It
was of the design recommended by
the writer (see Maryland Birdlife
25: 138-142, 1969). The box was
mounted at a height of 58 inches
on top of a T-shaped metal post of
a fence on Sheep Nutrition Road at
the Center. A first brood of five
young bluebirds fledged from this
box on June 20, 1970. Both the
male and female parents had been
seen feeding the nestlings on sev-
eral occasions before fledging.

As part of an experiment to
determine the minimum size of en-
trance hole acceptable to blue-
birds, the l-l/2-inch diameter opening of this box was reduced to 1-3/8
inch on June 22, two days after the young of the first brood were fledged
The old nest was removed from the box at the same time.

On July 4 it was observed that bluebirds had started to build an-
other nest in this box in spite of the small entrance hole, and on July
11 the nest was found to be complete and to contain 3 of the 4 eggs of
the ultimate clutch. The eggs hatched on July 26 after the normal l4-
day incubation period.

On August 2, when the nestlings were J days old, the writer watched
the nesting box with binoculars from a distance of about 50 feet for a
time long enough to observe what difficulty, if any, the adult birds
might have in going in and out of the substandard 1-3/8 inch diameter
entrance. Prior to this date all observations of this nesting had been
so brief that neither of the adult birds had been seen. Within a few
minutes an adult female bluebird arrived with food. She made numerous
abortive attempts to enter the box but each time backed away, still
holding the food in her bill. About two minutes later a second adult
female bluebird arrived with food and almost immediately entered the box
to feed the nestlings. While this second female was still in the box,
the first female flew again to the entrance and passed her food in to

9k

MA.RYIAND BIRDLIFE

Vol. 26, No, 3

the female in the box. The same sequence of events was repeated four
times during the half-hour period of observation. No male bluebird was
seen during this period.

On August 3 'the nesting box was observed for about one hour. The
actions noted on the previous day were repeated with almost no variation.
Again no male bluebird was seen.

On August 8, when the nestlings were 13 days old, the box was again
watched for about one hour. Again two adult females brought food to the
nest, but this time both birds entered the box in turn to feed the young
and remove fecal sacs. On several of their visits both adult females
were in the vicinity of the box at the same time so that there could be
no doubt about two birds being involved. On one occasion during this one
hour period a juvenile bluebird, judged also to be a female, also ap-
peared at the box with food. After making a few abortive attempts to
enter the box it flew off without delivering its food. No male bird was
seen.

On August 9 "the box was again observed for a half-hour period. This
time both adult females and the juvenile bluebird made repeated visits
to the nest to feed the nestlings, always entering the box with a minimum
of difficulty, considering the tight fitting small entrance. On several
occasions all three were seen perched on the fence with food within a few
feet of one another, fluttering their wings and "conversing" in a friend-
ly manner.

The nestlings were still in the nest on August 12, but the nest was
empty on August 15 . Thus they were presumably fledged successfully be-
tween the 17 th and 20 th day after hatching, well within the normal range.

Various observers have reported seeing juvenile bluebirds of an
earlier brood assisting the parent birds in the feeding of nestlings.

Even so, this is not considered to be the usual practice. To the best of
our knowledge, however, no other instance of two adult bluebirds or other
passerine birds of the same sex caring for a single brood of nestlings
has been reported.

One might wonder if one of the presumed adult females in this in-
stance could possibly have been a juvenile bird of the first brood.

This seems very unlikely for the following reasons:

1. The plumage of juvenile bluebirds is quite distinct from that of
the adults, and all three birds were observed carefully and repeat
edly at close range with binoculars. No vestiges of juvenile plum
age could be seen on either of the adult birds, and August 2 is
too early for the completion of the post juvenile molt.

2. If two juvenile birds were feeding the nestlings they would almost
surely have been siblings of the same first brood and similar in
appearance. The one obviously juvenile bird seen feeding the
nestlings had lost none of its juvenile appearance.

3. Adult and juvenile bluebirds have similar call notes, but quite
different voice characteristics . The two birds judged to be adult

September 1970

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

25

females had none of the juvenile voice characteristics, while the voice
of the juvenile bird was typically juvenile.

Another possibility is that one of the presumed adult female birds
was actually a male which, through some strange quirk of nature, had
plumage characteristics of the female. This seems quite unlikely, but
perhaps not impossible.

The most likely explanation would appear to be that the male bird
had been killed or that he might have deserted the brood because he
found it difficult or impossible to enter the subnormal size entrance
hole. (Some bluebirds have been observed entering a 1-3/8 inch opening
only with great difficulty. ) In the event of the male bird ' s death or
desertion it would seem that his share of the duty of caring for the
nestlings may then have been taken over by an unmated female in partial
fulfillment of her maternal instinct.

^312 Van Buren St.,

. University Park, Hyatt sville

T

SPRING RECORD OF THE YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD IN MARYLAND

Brian Sharp

Late in the morning of April k , 1970, my wife and I discovered an
adult male Yellow-headed Blackbird in Adelphi, Prince Georges County.

The bird was first noticed sitting in a willow bush at the edge of a
stream, over-looking a small (l/8 acre) alluvial marsh of sedges, cat-
tail and arrowhead. At our approach it flew into the top of one of the
red maples in the nearby bottomland woods. This was the last it was
seen, even though I looked for it several times the following week.

This sighting represents the second spring record (and the seventh,
regardless of season) of this western species in Maryland.

Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel

OKEY E. MCCOURT

Okey E. McCourt, known to many in MOS, passed away on August 8,

1970. For four successive years, he presented slide programs at the
Ocean City conventions, and twice his pictures were featured on the
front cover of MARYLAND BIRDLIFE.

By profession, he was an educator, having done pioneer work in
vocational education in two States. The study, observation and photog-
raphy of birds was a life-long hobby, with especial attention to the
photographing of nesting birds, notably the warblers.

Kind and gentle, he was a great teacher, an artist and a friend to
all, V.E.U.

96

MARYIAND BIRDLIFE

Vol. 2 6 , No. 3

CHRISTMAS SUGGESTIONS from the M.O.S. Book Store
Phyllis Ravesies - 1523 Pentridge Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21212
Phone 323-5426 After 6 P.M.

Billing will include sales tax, oostage
and 25$^ handling charge oer order.

FIELD GUIDES AND REFERENCE BOOKS

Peterson Field Guide Series: Eastern Birds ($5.25); Western Birds (#4.);
Mammals ($5.25); Birds of Britain & Europe ($6.); Insects ($5.25);
Animal Tracks ($5.25); Trees & Shrubs ($5.25); Wildflowers ($5.25);

Western Reptiles & Amohibians ($4.); Birds of Texas ($4.);

Butterflies ($4,); Ferns ($5.25).

Birds of Mexico - Blake $ 7.50

The Life of Birds - Welty 13.25

Animal Worlds - Bates 12.95

Trees of North America - Brockman (Paner-$2.50) 5.25

Life in Fresh Water - Brown 1.80

Exoloring Our National Wildlife Refuges - Butcher 7.25

Handbook of Birds - Chaoman 2.50

The Birds of E. Sr Central Africa - Williams (Field Guide) 5.50

The Moth Book (A Guide to the Moths of North America) - Holland 4.25

Handbook of Nature Study - Comstock 8.50

The New Handbook of Attracting Birds - McElroy 4.25

Attracting Birds: from the Prairies to the Atlantic - Davison 5.95

Bird - Darling 4.75

Beginning Guide to Wildflowers - Hausman 3.25

Birds' Nests - Headstrom 4.00

Our Northern Shrubs - Keeler 3.25

New Field Guide of Freshwater Life - Klots 4.25

Ducks, Geese and Swans - Kortwright 6.50

Field Book of Insects - Lutz 3.50

American Wildlife & Plants - A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits 3.25

The Great American Forest - Platt 5.95

Seashore Life - Miner 7.00

A Guide to Bird Finding East of the Mississippi - Pettingill 7.50

A Guide to Bird Finding West of the Mississippi - Pettingill 8.50

The Birdwatcher's America - Pettingill 6.50

Birds of NoEth America - Robbins 5.25

North America Birds of Prey - Sprunt 4.25

Autumn Across America - Teale 5.95

Wandering Through Winter - Teale 5.95

Journey Into Sdmrner - Teale 5.95

Before Nature Dies - Dorst 7.50

The Dancing Bees - Von Frisch 1.75

The World of the Wolf - Rutler 4.80

The World of the Red-Tailed Hawk - Austing 4*15

The World of the Raccoon - Rue 4.15

The World of the Beaver - Rue 4.15

Wings in the Meadow - Brewer 4.00

Owl - Service 3.25

The Bird- Its Form and Function - Beebe 2.35

September 1970

MAEYIABD BIRDLIFE

97

Hie Life of the Forest - McCormick $ 4.00
The Life of the Seashore - Amos 4.00
The Life of the Desert - Sutton 4.00
The Life of the Cave - Mohr 4.00
The Life of the Marsh - Nierlng 4.00
The Life of the Ocean - Berrill 4.00
The Life of Prairies and Plains - Allen 4.00
The Life of Rivers and Streams - Usinger 4.00
The Life of the Pond - Amos 4.00
The Life of the Mountains - Brooks 4.00

SPECIAL GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Wildf lowers of the United States (Northeast) - Rickett $33.50
Shorehirds of North America - Stout 19.00
Birds of the Northern Forest - Livingston 18.00
Birds of the Eastern Forest- Livingston 18.00
Birds of the Eastern Forest, Book 2 - Livingston (On order)

Living Reptiles of the World - Schmidt 13.50
Living Insects of the World - Klots 13.50
Wild Sanctuaries - Murphy 19.50
Birds of America - Audubon 10.50
Birds of the World - Austin 9.95

RECORDINGS

Sounds of Nature: Songs of Soring; A Day in Algonquin Park;

Birds of the Forest; Warblers; A Day in Flores Morades;

Finches; Prairie Soring; Thrushes, Wrens and Mockingbirds;

Each record $ 5.00

American Bird Songs - 2 vols. Each vol. 6.75

A Field Guide to the Blrd^Songs of the East 10.00

A Field Guide to the Bird Songs of the West 10.95

The above records arranged to accompany Peterson's F.G.

Florida Bird Songs 3.00

Voices in the Night (Frogs) 5.00

An Evening in Sao sucker Woods 4.00

Bird Songs in v 0 ur Garden 5.50

Song Birds of America In Color, Sound, and Story 5.50

Dawn in a Duck Blind 5.95

Songs of Insects 6.95

Common Bird Songs 2.50

MISCELLANEOUS

Gwen Frostlc Stationery and Note Paoer Si. 25; $1.50 8e $2.00
Gwen Frostlc Books: My Michigan ($3.); A Walk With Me ($4.);

These Things Are Ours ($4.); To Those Who See ($4.);

A Place On Earth ($4.); Wingbourne (#4.); Wisos of Mist ($4.).

Field List of Birds of Maryland - Robbins A Van Velzen
Placemats - Set of 6 different scenes 8.00

Hand Carved wooden Bird Pins - Wllhelmina Taylor 3.50

Leather Bird Pins - Dottie Mumford 1*25

98

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol. 26, No. 3

THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE

V. Edwin Unger

We 11 -qualified writers constantly tell us not to attribute human
traits and reactions to birds and other animals, but I find it hard to
refrain from doing so at times. After all, what is one to do when he
sees a bird doing just what he would do in a like circumstance?

Many times have I found a Tufted Titmouse at or near my feeder,
uttering a most plaintive whistle. In every case that I can recall, the
feeder has been empty when this occurs, and filling it stills the voice.
Can I be wrong in calling it ’'scolding"?

You have seen House Wrens, bluebirds, martins and Carolina Chicka-
dees examining nesting boxes in the spring. How like their human
counterparts making a tour of model homes. Haven't you noticed one enter
a box, emerge and say to his mate, "come look at this one"?

Or, take the Red -eyed Vireo. As he goes about his daily routine,
he never ceases his patter, so like a boy whistling a tune as he goes
about his work or play. It sounds mighty like contentment to me.

We are told that birds sing, not for joy, but to proclaim their
territory, and who am I to take issue with men of science and of letters?
But when Mr. Robin pours forth his song from a perch as his mate broods
the eggs nearby, it sounds awfully like he is pleased and content to have
her perform the chore. I've noticed too, that birds of some species con-
tinue to sing in late summer and on migration. Only yesterday (mid-
September), I observed a sizeable number of Pine Warblers, too many to
be residents of so small an area, feeding in the tree -tops on a migration
stop. One or more individuals sang repeatedly over a considerable period
of time.

Again, we are told that only man can reason. Yet Donald Culross
Peattie has related many incidents wherein individuals of the mammal and
avian worlds have displayed a cunning that makes us ask what reasoning
is if this be not such. We see a gull drop a clam from considerable
height to a bridge or to a pavement, then proceed to eat the contents.
This happy consequence may have been discovered by accident (in human
affairs such learning is called "serendipity"). Be that as it may, the
information is retained and seemingly passed on. Furthermore, the gull
seems to have no difficulty in differentiating between hard and resilient
surfaces.

The Common Crow is a pretty wily customer, but then he has probably
learned from man's treatment of him that he had better be. If he and
his feathered friends do not engage in abstract reasoning, maybe they
know that they can get along without it and thus avoid the mental strain.
If so, then doesn't that make them sort of "human"?

Federalsburg

September 1970

MARYIAND BIRD LIFE

22.

THE SEASON

APRIL, MAY, JUNE, 1970

Chandler S. Robbins

Spring is the season most eagerly anticipated by the bird watcher.
There certainly are not more individual birds in the woods and fields in
spring than in fall, but they are, on the whole, more brightly colored,
easier to identify, and, perhaps best of all, most species are in full
song. Furthermore, after observers have been cooped up indoors by winter
weather, they are most eager to venture afield with binoculars or camera
and enjoy nature’s spring spectacle to the utmost.

Some M.O.S. members keep daily bird lists, some go afield each week
end, some watch for at least a short period each day from their windows
or gardens and note only the new arrivals or the departure of winter resi-
dents from their feeding stations. Still other birders follow the weather
maps and forecasts and make their own predictions as to when and where
the birding will be most productive. It is largely for this last group
that we include as part of the SEASON report a brief summary of weather
conditions, especially those that had a direct bearing on major migratory
movement .

March, you will recall, was cold except for the last week. Dis-
tinctly subnormal temperatures predominated in Maryland and in the states
to the south of us through the first half of April, holding up the de-
parture of winter residents and delaying the major northward push of
tropical transients. Some indication of the likelihood of encountering a
heavy migration is gained by noting the wind direction that is shown on
the daily weather maps --but note that these maps now show surface condi-
tions as recorded at 7 a.m. , E.S.T., instead of at 1 a.m. as they had
prior to Apr. 15, 1965". In general, songbirds tend to migrate with, or
at least not against, the wind; so in spring a southwest or south wind is
much more favorable than one from the north or northwest.

The weather maps show that winds over Maryland were from a northerly
quadrant on April 5, 7> ll-l6, 18-20, 24, and 27, and on May 3, 4, 6, 7,
14, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27-30. These are the days on which we would not
expect heavy flights, although many conditions besides temperatures play
an important part in determining when and where the greatest movements
take place and situations under which the movements are most readily
observed. My main objective in listing these dates is to point out that

Table 1. Spring Arrival Dates, 1970

Median

Species

10 -yr

1970

Garr

Alle

Wash

Fred

Balt

Harf

Howd

Mont

Pr.G

Anne

5. Ml

Cecl

Kent

Caro

Talb

Pore

Somr

Wore

Common Loon

—

4/20

5/ 2

4/11

0

0

__

4/19

4/20

4/11

0

4/20

4/29

4/21

0

4/ 1

4/l8

Double -cr. Cormorant

--

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

—

0

0

4/30

5/ 2

0

4/13

0

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

3/27

5/ 2

5/ 2

Green Heron

4/23

5/ 2

?/ 2

4/12

--

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/12

5/ 2

4/ 9

5/ 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/23

4/25

4/18

4/18

Little Blue Heron

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

__

4/ 1

5/ 8

Cattle Egret

—

4/24

0

0

0

0

0

0

6/ 2

0

4/28

4/21

4/27

0

4/17

4/28

4/18

4/ 4

5/ 2

3/23

Common Egret

—

4/i4

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

3M

0

4/ 6

0

5/ 2

■0 r

5/ 2

4/21

5/ 2

3/23

4/ 1

3/23

Snowy Egret

--

4/i8

0

0

0

0

5/ 1

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

4/18

3/27

4/ l

3/23

American Bittern

—

4/24

5/ 2

4/16

0

0

0

0

0

4/13

5/ 2

4/16

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

Glossy Ibis

—

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

4/25

5/ 5

5/ 2

Broad -winged Hawk

4/22

4/21

4/18

4/17

0

0

4/18

4/25

4/25

4/21

4/21

4/21

4/ 3

4/29

0

0

4/12

0

0

0

Spotted Sandpiper

V30

4/30

5/ 2

4/20

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

4/27

5/ 2

4/21

5/ 2

4/30

TTS"

5/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

0

Solitary Sandpiper

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

4/14

0

5/ 2

5/20

0

0

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

__

Lesser Yellowlegs

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

0

5/ 2

4/ 9

0

0

4/12

0

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

4/20

5/ 2

Pectoral Sandpiper

—

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

4/ 4

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/26

5/ 9

Least Sandpiper

--

J lL

0

0

0

0

5/2°

0

0

■?/ 2

0

—

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/30

Semipalmated Sandpiper

—

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

—

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

5/12

5/ H

Laughing Gull

—

4/l8

0

0

0

0

--

—

0

0

0

4/20

4/23

__

5/ 2

4/11

4/17

4/18

4/18

Bonaparte’s Gull

—

4/12

0

4/12

0

0

4/12

0

0

4/ 4

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

4/ 5

0

0

Caspian Tern

—

—

0

0

0

0

5/ 1

5/ 2

0

0

0

—

0

4/19

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

jJJl.

?/ ^

?/ 2

W. 2

6/ 6

?/ 2

5/ 2

?/ 5

ft 2

4/28

5/10

5/10

5/ 2

4/29

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

Black -billed Cuckoo

5/ 5

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

~tjTT

0

5/ 9

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

0

6/13

0

0

0

0

0

0

Chuck-will ' s -widow

—

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

6/ 3

0

5/11

0

0

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

4/23

5/ 2

5/ 2

Whip-poor-will

4 /si

4/24

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

—

4/24

--

4/12

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/21

0

0

4/22

0

4/18

0

Common Highthawk

5/ 5

5/ 5

—

5/ 1

5/ 2

—

5/ 5

0

5/14

5/18

5/11

5/19

5/20

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

Chimney Swift

w

V17

?/ 2

V 2 .3

—

4/10

4/17

Vi?

5/ 2

4/!l

4/ 5

4/16

4/12

4/ C,

4/25

4/22

4/17

4/12

4/30

4/25

Ruby-thr, Hummingbird

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

4/23

5/ 2

5/ 5

TyiB

V23

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 1

4/22

T7IT

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/23

5/ 2

Eastern Kingbird

4/26

4/28

5/ 2

4/18

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

4/25

4/21

4/21

4/20

4/27

5/ l

5/ 1

5/ 2

4/24

4/28

5/ 2

4/19

5/ 2

Gt. Crested Flycatcher

4/20

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/26

--

4/28

4/26

5/ 2

4/21

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/24

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 7

Acadian Flycatcher

5/ 4

5/ 2

0

—

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/29

5/ 2

4/25

Traill's Flycatcher

—

5/ 3

—

0

0

0

6/ 6

0

6/ ?

?/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Least Flycatcher

—

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

5/ 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Eastern Wood Pewee

5/ 4

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

4/26

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/29

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

Bank Swallow

—

4/28-

0

0

0

5/ 2

4/26

4/19

4/29

0

4/ 9

5/ 2

4/ 4

4/30

4/ 9

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/19

__

Rough -winged Swallow

4/14

4/18

4/l8

4/20

—

3/30

—

4/io

4/20

4/ 5

4/18

4/21

4/ 1

__

5/ 2

0

Barn Swallow

4/ 8

4/ 4

4/17

V30

—

4/ 4

—

4/~4

4/ 5

3/3°

V 5

y 3

4/l8

V 3

4/ 1

3/28

4/ 4

4/ l

—

Purple Martin

3/27

4/ 5

5/ 2

V29I

—

T7“T

—

—

4/ 5

3/31

4/ 5

4/ 3

4/30

4

"Wl

w -

TTIH"

—

Blue Jay

4/27

4/24

W

w

w

w

4/22

4/25

4/24

4/29

4/22

w

4/19

4/29

4/20

w

4/26

W

w

w

House Wren

4/21

4/24

4/18

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/24

4/25

4/22

4/18

4/l6

4/23

5/ 5

5/ 1

4/24

4/23

4/18

4/19

Long-billed Marsh Wren

—

5/ £

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

0

5/10

5/ 2

4/28

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

Catbird

j+/ 2 7

4l . 2

V23

5/ 2

?/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

4/25

4/25

4/29

4/24

4/16

5/ 1

5/ 2

4/24

4/28

5/ 2

4/22

4/25

Brown Thrasher

4/ 7

4/15

4/17

4/12

3/2B

4/15

4/15

4/ 8

WT-

T7ir

T725"

4/13

■4710“

T7T -

Wood Thrush

4/25

4/24

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/22

4/24

4/23

4/24

4/24

4/22

4/25

4/28

4/28

4/21

4/28

4/18

__

Hermit Thrush

—

4 /is

4/10

4/19

3/31

—

4/16

w

w

w

4/25

w

Swainson's Thrush

5/ 6

5/ 8

5/17

0

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 8

0

5/10

0

5/ 2

5/l4

5/ 9

Gray -cheeked Thrush

—

_5Z_L

_5/i!L

?/ ?

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

0

5/10

Veery

5/ 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

4/26

5/ 2

4/28

4/30

~WT

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

TTB"

0

"irs -

5/ 9

Blue -gray Gnatcatcher

4/l4

4/18

4/18

4/16

—

4/18

4/25

4/ 5

4/11

4/17

4/16

4/12

4/28

5/ 2

4/11

4/18

4/18

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

4/122 4/15

4/18

4/12

—

—

4/ 4

4/19

4/ 7

4/11

4/20

—

4/16

4/15

w

w

w

Cedar Waxwing

—

4/20

—

5/ 2

—

...

3/23

5/ 2

4/11

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/11

0

3/ 5

5/ 1

0

0

0

White -eyed Vlreo

4/26

,1Z 2 5

-5Z.a_

0

0

?/ 2

5/ 2

4/24

4/21.

JtZSL.

5/i

4/21

4/16

jl 2

5/ 2

tylfl

4/28

4/18

4/i8

Jt/25

100 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 26, No

Median

10-vr

1210

Garr

Alle

Wash

Fred

Balt

Harf

Howd

Mont

Pr.G

Anne

S.Md

Cecl

Kent

Caro

Talb

Pore

Somr

Wore

Yellow -throated Vireo

4/28

4/28

5/ 2

4/26

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/26

4/26

4/28

4/26

4/25

__

__

5/ 1

5/ 2

4/25

Solitary Vireo

4/26

5/25

4/18

0

0

0

4/26

4/25

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/22

&

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Bed-eyed Vireo

4/28

5 / 2

5/ 2

5/ 7

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/29

4/25

4/28

4/26

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ £

4/24

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

Warbling Vireo

5/ 2

5 / 2

0

5/12

4/29

5/ 2

4/30

4/25

5/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

4/26

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

Black -&-white Warbler

4/22

f/gj

5/ 2

5/ 2

3/ 2

2

4/ 9

5/ 2

4/25

4/18

4/20

4/21

4/16

5/ 2

4/15

4/23

5/ 2

4/18

4/25

Prothonotary Warbler

4/26

4/26

0

0

5 / 2

4/ 5

4/19

0

4/19

4/22

5/ 2

4/25

0

5/ 2

4/27

5/ 2

5/ 2

“4725

Worm-eating Warbler

5/ 2

4/28

0

—

—

--

4/29

—

5/ 2

4/26

4/25

4/21

5/10

0

0

5/ 2

4/28

5/ 2

4/25

Golden -winged Warbler

5/ 4

5 / 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

--

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/30

5/ 5

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Blue -winged Warbler

5/ 3

5 / 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ £

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/29

4/30

5/ 2

5/ l

5/ 3

0

0

5/ 1

0

0

0

0

Tennessee Warbler

-■*

?/ 2

0

0

0

0

0

4/24

0

4/26

3/ 7

5/ 2

3/i4

0

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

5/ 9

Nashville Warbler

5/ 3

5/ £

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

4/25

vtr

5/ 2

4/28

0

5/ 2

0

5/ 8

ir^

0

0

0

0

5/ 9

Parula Warbler

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/26

4/25

5/ 5

4/18

4/17

4/22

4/18

5/ 3

5 / 2

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 9

5/ 2

4/25

Yellow Warbler

4/27

4/29

5/ 2

4/22

4/30

5/ 2

4/ 5

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/26

5/ 1

4/30

4/26

4/27

4 / 5

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/22

4/25

Magnolia Warbler

5/ 4

5/ 7

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

4/29

5/ 2

5/ 9

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 9

5/10

0

5/12

5/ 7

Q i

0

5/ 9

5/ 9

Cape May Warbler

3/ 4

5/ 2

3/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 8

0

5/ 2

4/2 6

5/ 2

3/ l

0

0

5/ 8

4/28

O

0

0

5/ 9

Black-thr. Blue Warblei

5/ 2

5/ £

1/ir

5/ B

0

5/ 2

4/29

0

4/29

4/25

5/ 2

5/ l

5 / 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/30

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 9

Myrtle Warbler

4/16

4/i8

4/18

4/13

—

4/18

4/19

4/25

4/ 4

4/17

w

4/18

4/28

4/24

w

W

w

4/i8

w

Black-thr, Green Warblei

5/ 2

5/ 1

5/ 2

--

5 / 1

--

4/25

0

4/29

4/2 6

5/ 1

5/ 2

5/ 3

0

0

4/28

0

0

0

5/ 9

Cerulean Warbler

5/ 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 7

5/ 2

4/29

4/25

5/ 2

4/18

5/ 1

5/ 2

0

5/ 8

0

0

0-

0

0

0

Blackburnian Warbler

3/4

5/ 2

5/ 2

--

5/ 2

3/ 2

0

5/ 6

4/19

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 3

0

0

5/8

0 .

0

0

5 / 8

Yellow-thrtd. Warbler

Xjw

4/27

0

—

0

0

0

0

0

5/ 2

4/29

0

4/l8

0

5/ 2

0

—

4/ 5

“4725"

Chestnut -sided Warbler

5/ 4

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

--

5/ 2

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 1

5/ 6

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

0

5/ 9

Bay-breasted Warbler

—

5/ £

5/17

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

0

0

5/16

0

0

0

5/ 9

Blackpoll Warbler

5/ 6

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 6

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 9

4/28

--

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 9

5/16

5/ 2

Pine Warbler

3/3 0

3/?l

5/ 2

4/l6

|r

0

0

0

4/ 3

--

3/13

4/22

3/28

3/30

—

4/ 4

3/27

3/3i

3/23

Prairie Warbler

4/25

4/25

5/ 2

—

--

5/ 2

'4/29

—

T725

4/22

4/24

4/26

4/18

--

4/24

--

5/ 2

4/20

Palm Warbler

—

4/l6

0

0

0'

--

4/15

0

4/18

4/ 4

0

4/18

4/i6

c

0

—

Ovenbird

4/27

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

4/25

4/25

4/23

5/ 2

4/20

4/25

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 8

4/25

5/ 2

4/18

4/22

4/25

Northern Waterthrush

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

4/20

Q

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/25

4/25

4/26

0

0

5/ 2

—

0

0

0

5/ 8

Louisiana Waterthrush

4/l4

4/16

4/18

4/ 1

a

4/12

4/19

4/26

4/ll

4/ 9

4/16

4/ 5

5/ 2

0

4/28

0

0

—

Kentucky Warbler

5/ 3

5/ 2

0

0

0

5/ 2

4/29

5/ 2

4/26

4/26

4/30

4 / 26 "

5/ 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

~ih

Mourning Warbler

—

5/11

—

0

0

0

5/19

0

5/22

0

5/11

0

5/ £

0

0

0

0

0

0

5/10

Yellowthroat

4/21

4/21

5/ 2

4/26

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/18

4/25

4/21

4/11

4/19

4/ 5

4/18

4/28

5/ 2

4/16

4/24

4/18

4/18

Yellow-breasted Chat

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

4/30

5/ 2

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/29

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/30

5/"s

Hooded Warbler

4/2?

4/30

5/ 2

--

5/ 2

4/26

—

4/25

4/26

4/30

4/25

4/25

3/ 2

0

5/ 1

0

0

5/ 2

Wilson 1 s Warbler

5/ 2

0

5/19

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

—

0

5/ 2

0

0

0

0

5 / 9 "

Canada Warbler

5/ 6

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 7

0

5/ 2

4/29

0

5/ 2

4/30

5/ 8

4/28

5/10

0

5/ 2

5/n

0

5/ 9

0

5 / 9

American Redstart

4/29

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5 / 2

5/ 2

4/26

4/25

5/ 2

4/19

5/ 1

5/ 2

5/ 3

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

__

4/25

Bobolink

5/ 6

5/ £

5/ 2

0

0

--

5/ 2

0

5/16

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ll

5/ 9

0

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 9

0

0

Orchard Oriole

jz_L

3/ 2

0

3/ 2

0

..3/ 2 ,

3/ 2

3/2

4/25

4/26

3/ 2

4/25

3/ 2

4/2?

4/26

4/22

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/24

5/ 2

Baltimore Oriole

4730 ^

V30^

5/ 2

4729 “

* 1 _7_

5/ 2

4/22

5/ 2

4/28

V25~

5/ 2

4/26

5/ 3

4/30

5/ 2

4/2l

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/27

Scarlet Tanager

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/15

5/ 2

4/19

4/26

4/22

4/26

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/28

4/28

5/ 2

Summer Tanager

5 / 3

5/ £

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

4/26

5/ll

--

5/ 9

0

4/24

4/29

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 9

Rose -breasted Grosbeak

5 / ^

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/29

0

4/29

4/25

5/ l

5/ 2

5/ 7

0

5/ 2

5/ 6

5/ 2

0

0

5/ 9

Blue Grosbeak

4/30

3/ 2

0

0

0

0

3/ 2

3/ 2

3/ 2

—

***

4/28

3/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/23

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

4/19

Indigo Bunting

5/ 1

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 9

5/ 2

4/22

5/ 2

WW

4/26

4/23

iTir

4/25

4/28

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/21

5/ 9

Savannah Sparrow

4/17

—

—

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

0

5/ 2

4/ 4

--

4 / 7

4/12

0

—

—

W

4/22

3/23

Grasshopper Sparrow

4/30

5/ 2

5/ 2

—

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/28

4/12

5/ 2

Vll+

4/21

4/25

5/ 2

__

Vesper Sparrow

3/30

4/10

4/18

4/17

0

4/ 9

3/27

4/il

3/28

0

White -crowned Sparrow

5 / 4

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

0

4/25

5/ 2

5/ 2

5/ 2

4/23

w

—

4/18

5/ 2

3/27

0

Swamp Sparrow

V^3

4/18

. 4/13,

4/19

4/13

4/ 4

4/9.

4/16

w

W

4/25

--

September 1970 MA.RYIAND BIEDLIFE 101

102

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol, 26 , No. 3

because of cold temperatures In the first half of April and unfavorable
winds during nearly all of the middle third of the month, migration was
delayed. The early and mid -April species were the ones affected. A grad-
ual warming trend in the states to the south of us, on the other hand,
accelerated the phenology and probably had considerable effect on tele-
scoping the peak migration of insectivorous birds. For example, in the
third week of April, when the temperature averaged about 3° below normal
in most of Maryland, it was 3° to 6° above normal from Texas to Florida.

In the fourth week, 'then the mercury in Maryland finally reached normalcy
for the first time since February, it was 6° to 9° above in a band from
Texas and Florida into the Carolinas — the area in which our incoming mi-
grants were located. Thus, a good sprinkling of the mid -May migrants
were moving into Maryland in the closing days of April and the first week
of May. This explains the appearance of Swainson's Thrushes in 7 counties,
Blackpoll Warblers in 9> Wilson's Warbler in 4, Tennessee Warbler in 3 and
Philadelphia Vireo and Traill's Flycatcher in 2 counties on the early date
of May 2.

There were many good nights for migration in the first half of May,
with the result that most northbound birds had left the Free State before
the last week of May. Late May birders found almost nothing but summer
resident species. The Blackpoll was the only transient species of warbler
to be identified in Maryland after May 29* In summary, April averaged a
degree or two below normal and May averaged 3 degrees above normal. Pre-
cipitation was above normal in April, only half of normal in May, and then
above normal in June. Ground water conditions were excellent in June. On
top of excellent growing conditions there was a bonus crop of 17-year
cicadas; so the nesting birds should have fared better than in a "normal"
year.

The extreme migration dates reported for each county are summarized
in Tables 1 and 2. The counties are arranged from west to east along the
Pennsylvania border, then southward through the Western Shore, and fi-
nally from north to south through the Eastern Shore. All but 5 of Mary-
land's 23 counties are included in Table 1. Washington and Harford
Counties were omitted from Table 2 for want of sufficient records; and for
the same reason Allegany was combined with Frederick, and Cecil with Kent.

The median date for each species in the tables was obtained by
arranging the dates chronologically and taking the middle date; any ex-
ceptionally early or late date does not affect the median to the extent
it would the arithmetic mean. The median is computed only if there are
significant dates for 5 or more counties. The ten-year median given in
the left column is the middle date from among the median dates for ten
years. For the more common species the ten-year period used was 1956-
1965; for other species, dates for earlier or later years were included
until a sample of ten years was reached. A zero in the table means that
no report was received; a dash means that the species was reported, but
not on a significant migration date; and a "W" signifies that the be-
ginning of migration could not be detected because of the presence of
wintering birds. Departure dates for summer resident species such as the
American Redstart are obtained from banders who capture birds that have

September 1970

MARYLAND BIHDLIFE

103

Table 2. Spring Departure Dates , 1970

Species

Median
LO-yr 1970

Garr Al&F

5/ 2 -
4/18 0

0 0
0

5/ 2 -

Balt Howd

6/15 5/ 2
4/10 4/20
5/20 0
5/ 2 -
5/24/6

Mont Pr.G

5/9 0

5/ 2 4/21.
5/95/2

4/ll 4/ 8

5/25/2

Anne S.Md

5/95/9
5/95/2
0 5/9
5/15 5/ 2
- 3/25

Ce&K Caro

Talh Dorc

Somr Wore

Common Loon
Homed Grebe
Double -cr. Cormorant
Whistling Swan
Canada Goose

5/ 95/9

- 5/2

- 5/9
4/21 5/ 2
4/30 5/ 2

4/30 0

0

5/ 2 0

5/25/7
5/ 8 5/21

5/22 5/24
5/25/2

5/ 22 5/ 9

5/ 2 5/17
5/ 2 5/17

5/16 5/10

- 5/ 9
5/ 2 5/10

- 5/10

Pintail

Green -winged Teal
Shoveler

Ring -necked Duck
Lesser Scaup

-- 5/ 2

- 5/2
-- 5/ 2
-- 4/l4

- 5/ 2

0

0

5/ 2 0
0 4/ 5
4/17 4/ 5

4/l8 —

0 0

4/ll 4/21

5/20 4/ 5

- 4/ 9

- 4/ 9

- 4/17

- 5/ 2

- 5/ 9
5/2 5/9

5/ 2 t/20

4/ 8 -

5/ a 0

5/ 2 5/ 2

- 5/ 2
5/ 2 5/17

0 5/9

- 4/ 5
5/ ^ 3/ 9

- 5/ 9

- 5/ 9

4/22 —

Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
American Coot
Semipalmated Plover
Common Snipe

-- 5/ 2

- 5/ 6

- 5/ 2

- 5/17
5/ 25/2

5/2 4/ 5
0 0
0 3/24
5/ 2 0

- 5/ 2

5/ 2 0
5/20 0

5/ 2 4/13
0 0
5/ 2 . q .

0

4/ 4 -

5/10 5/ 2
5/9 0

5/9 5/2

5/ 2 4/ 4
-- 5/ 9
5/25/2
5/17 0

5/95/2

'5/ 2 0

5/ 2 0

5/ 2 -
0 0
5/9 5/S

5/ 2 --

5/25/9

5/25/9

0 5/17
0 5/2

4/22 5/ 9
- 5/10

0 6/7

Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper

- 5/6
" 5/9

- 5/ 2

- 5/2

- 5/10

5/ 2 5/ 2
0 5/ 2
0 5/2
0 5/2
0 0

5/20 5/11
5/20 0
5/20 5/ 2
5/2 0
5/20 •#

5/ 9 5/ 2
5/ 9 0
5/ 9 5/2
5/9 0
5/9 0

5/9 5/9
5/ 9 5/ 9
5/9 5/2
5/9 5/2

5A7 5/ 2

5/25/2

5/25/2

5/ 25/2

5/25/2

5/ I 5/ 6

5/ 2 -
5/25/9
5/ 2 5/17
5/ 2 5 /lT
0 5/17

O 5/10

0 5/23

5/30 5/10
5/16 5/10
5/12 5/10

Semipalmated Sandpiper
Gt. Blk -backed Gull
Ring -billed Gull
Caspian Tern
Yellow -bell. Sapsucker

- 5/1*

- 5/2

- 5/ 2

4/24 5/ 2

O 0

0 0

— 4/12
0 0

- 5/ »

0 0
0 0
5/20 —
5/20 0

5/ 5 4/gi

0 0
0 0
5/ 95/2
0 0

imp

5/ 9 5/ a
5 / 9 5/ a
5/17 0

57 T 9 4/n

5/ 25/2
5/ 2 4/16
5 / 25/2
5/3 0

5/ a -- ..

- 5/17
5/22 5/ 2
5/ 25/2
0 0

5/12 6/ 7
- 5/io
5/ 2 5/10
0 5/10

Blue Jay

Red -breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush

5/14 5/10
-- 5/ 2
4/22 5/ 2
— 5/ 2
4/28 5/ 2

— 6/ 6
5/ 2 5/17
5/2 -
5/ 2 --

5/ 2 5/jT
5/ 9 4/26
5/ 2 -
4/18 -
5/ 2 -

5/13 6/ 1

5/16 4/27
5/6 -
5/i6 -
4/28 -

5/ 9 5/10
5/9 5/9
5/2 4/4
- 3/28
5/9 5/9

5/ 2 5/ 2

5/ 2 5/ 2
— 4/10
5/2. -

5/2 - _

5/ 2 -
4/12 —

— 4/18

4/23 -

— 5/10

- 5/ 9

5/ J --

Swains on's Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Veery

Golden -crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

5/24 5/21

— 5/22

— 5/15
4/11 4/12
5/25/2

5/17 0

5/17 —

- 4/14

5/ 2 4/23

5/21 -

5/26 0

- 5/15

- 4/12
5/85/2

5/22 5/27
5/31 5/29
5/14 5/27
— 4/12
5/25/2

— 5/24

0

5/27 5/ 9

- 4/ 9
5/ 2 4/25

- 5/28

O 0

- 5/16
-- 4/11

5/25/8

•0 5/9
0 5/9

— 0

— 4/18
5/ 2 4/18

5/14 5/10
0 5/10
— W 9

— 5/10

Water Pipit
Cedar Wax wing
Blue -winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler

I- 5/11

' — 5/10
5/12
-- 5/ 6

0 5/2

5/17 0

5/17 5/ 2

0 0
5/U -
5/ 2 5/23
0 0

5/ 25/2

5/ 2 -
5/20 -
5/ 9 5/16-
5/ 5 5/16
5/8 0

- 5/ 2
6/ 2 4/19
5/ 9 5/15

5/ 9 5,/ir
5/9, 0

5 / 2 0

0 5/2
0

5/20 0

0 0

5 / 2 #

0 0"

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0
0 5/ 9
0 .

Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Blk-throated Blue Warb
Myrtle Warbler
Blk-thr. Green Warbler

5/19 5/20
5/10 5/ 9
■5/14 5/16
5/10 5/10
5/11 5/16

- 6/ 6
5/17 5/ i
5/17 -
5/ 5 -•
5/17 -

5/20

5/ 8 --
5/20 5/ 8
5/12 5/13
5/20 5/25

5/80 5/19
5/95/7
5/16 5/16
5/ 9 5/14
-- 5/19

5/20 5/16
5/9 0

5/95/9
5/17 5/9
5/ £ 5/. 9.

0 5/20

- 5/16

- 5/17

1. -o 3/15

0 0

0 O'

0

- 5/ 9
0 #

5/14 5/10
0 5/10

0 5/10

5/ 2 5/io
0 5/10

Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut -sided Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler

- 5/ 9
5/13 5/10

- 5/13
5/28 6/ 4
5/4 5/2

5/17 -
5/17 -
5/17 -
0 0
0 5/ 2

5/9 5/ 5
5/ 5 -
5/20 0
6/6 5/28

4/19 -

5/ 9 5/12
5/ 9 5/3 6
5/ 9 5/19

6/ 56/4

0

5/25/9
5/95/9
5/95/9
5/30 6 / 6
5/2 5/9

0 3/12
- 5/17
0 5/16
6/ 7 5/28
_5Z..L5/ 2.

0 0
0 0
0 0
- 5/ 9
0

0 5/23
0 5/10
0 5/10
5/16 6/ 4
— 5/l0

Northern Waterthrubh
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
American Redstart
Bobolink

5/17 —

- 5/16
5/20 5/20

- 5/30

- 5/16

0 5/19

5/17 -

5/20

5/20 5/28
5/21 5/15
-- 5/30
5/16 5/22

5/18 5/29
5/15 5/18
5/19 5/29
- 6/ 5

0

5/i4 5/ 9
5/21 5/24
- 6/ 6
5/ 2-5/23,

0

- 5/20

- 5/29

0 0

0 0

05/9

- 5/ 9
05/9

0 5/10
0 5/9

0 5/10
5/16 -
0 0

Rusty Blackbird
Rose-br. Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak
Purple Finch
House Finch

- 5/ 2
5/12 5/10
5/ 65/6
5/3 5/2

4/lfJ 5 / 2 :

5/25/8
- 5/10

0

5/ 2 -
6 / 6

5/ 3 4/25
5/25/2
5/2 0

57 2 5/ 2 '
5/ 9 .5/14
5/10 5/12
5/9 5/2
4/12 --

5/ 2 4/19
5/95/0
5/ 6 5/14
5/95/2
0

5/ 2 -

5/20 5 / 6
5/ 3 5/U

5 / 2 5/27

5/ 2 -

— 4/18

0

5/ 2 3/27
0
0

0 5/10
~ 5/ 9
0 0

0 0

Pine Siskin
Red Crossbill
White -winged Crossbill
Savannah Sparrow
Slate -colored Junco

" 5/u

— 5/20
5/6 5/9

5/15/2

5/ 2 5/16
5/17 -
0 2/28

4/18 -

5/15 5/ 2
6/22 5/ 2
2/8 0

5/25/2

5/ 2 4/26

5/12 5/12
6/15 6/ 2
4/ 4 -

5/95/2
5/ 9 4/29

5/17 4/25
6/21 6/ 8
2/1 0
5/9 5/9

5/25/2

5/ 1 5/13
5/ l 0
0

5/ 25/2

5 / 85/2

- 5/ 2
5/2 5/9

0 0

- 5/ 9
4/26 4/18

- 5/io
5/i4 5/23
0 0

5/14 5/10

Tree Sparrow
White -crowned Sparrow
White -thr. Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow

5/13 5/12
5 /i 4 5/10
4/ 4 4/ 4
5/7 5/9

- 5/ 3
5/ 2 5/9

- -5/ 2

4/ 7 4/lb
5/16 5/16
5/12 5/16
4/18 4/16
5/20 -

— 4/16

5/16 --

5/13 5/15
3/7 4/4
5/ 9 5/16

4/ 7 -

5/10 5/ 9
- 3/23
5/. 9 5/ 9

5/15 5/ 9
5/15 5/i6

5/ 2 5/10

5/ 2 5/ 2
4/26 5/ 9

4/26 5/ 2

0

5/ 8 5/10

5/3 5/9

104 MARYLAND BIRD LIFE Vol. 2 6, No. 3

heavy fat deposits and so are clearly migrating rather than nesting in-
dividuals .

The 1,500 or more dates shown in these tables were gleaned from many
thousands of individual records from scores of observers. Unfortunately,
it is not practical to acknowledge the reports individually, but we do
wish to acknowledge those cooperators who furnished the lion's share of
the reports for each county represented in the tables. Garrett County--
Carl W. Carlson, Glenn Austin; Alleg any — Janes Paulus; Wash ington — Mrs.
Alice Mallonee, Dr. Ralph Stauffer; Frede rick — Dr. John W. Richards, Mr.
and Mrs .Edwin T. McKnight; Baltimore City and County- -Douglas Hackman,

David Holmes, Haven Kolb, Stephen W. Simon, Mrs. Richard D. Cole; Harfo rd —
Dr. Edgar E. Folk, Douglas Hackman; Howa rd --Mrs. Dorothy Rauth, Mrs.
Rosamond Munro, Chandler and George Robbins; Montg omery — Mrs. John Frankel,
Robert W. Warfield, Dr. Fred Evenden, Nell Cooley, Mrs. Sarah Baker, Robert
W. Pyle, Catherine and Carroll Pinckard; Prince Georges --Mr. and Mrs.
Chandler S. Robbins, John H. Fales, Danny Bystrak, Glenn Austin, C. Edward
Addy; Anne Arundel --Prof. Harold Wierenga, Dr. Lawrence Murphy, Danny and
Paul Bystrak; Southern Maryland (mostly Calvert County — John H. Fales,
but including a few observations from Charles — Edward H. Schell and
Catherine and Carroll Pinckard, and St. Marys --James M. Banagan); Ceci l--
Dr. Edgar E. Folk; Kent --Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mendinhall; Carol ine - -Marvin
W. Hewitt, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Fletcher, Wilbur Rittenhouse, Alicia Knotts,
Ethel Engle; Talbo t — Jan Reese, Richard L. Kleen; Dorch ester — Harry T.
Armistead, Carl W. Carlson; Some rset — Mrs. Richard D. Cole, Mr. and Mrs.
Gordon Hackman, Paul and Danny Bystrak; Worcester --Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Bohanan, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Bryan, Robert W. Warfield, Carl W. Carlson,
Vernon M. Kleen, David W. Holmes.

Shearwaters and Petrels . At least 7 Sooty Shearwaters and 20 Wil-
son's Petrels were seen off Ocean City on May 23 by Bob Pyle, Fred
Evenden and other participants in the Montgomery Chapter boat trip; and
on June 20, 127 Wilson's Petrels and 1 Sooty Shearwater were counted 10
miles off Ocean City by Carl Carlson.

Cormorants and Pelican . The now famous White Pelican at Blackwater
Refuge ( Maryland Birdlife 26:3-4) was seen again on Apr. 12 (Carl W.
Carlson), and for the last time in the first week of May (W. H. Julian).
Double -crested .Cormorant migration was observed again over Irish Grove
Wildlife Sanctuary on May 2, when Mrs. Cole and Gordon and Betty Hackman
estimated 150 individuals.

Herons and Egrets . The first Yellow-crowned Night Heron of the
season was spotted at Lake Roland in the Baltimore suburbs on Apr. 12
(Rosalie Archer). From Apr. 22 on at least 3 were found there regularly.
Note an all-time high tally of 8 in the Baltimore column of the May 2
Statewide Bird Count (Hackman, Maryland Birdlife 26 : 39-51 )* A
Louisiana Heron identified on May 2 at Elliott is the first spring obser-
vation for Dorchester County (Armistead). Cattle Egrets turned up in ten
counties between Mar. 23 and June 2, with most of the reports concentrated
in the period Apr. 17 to May 2. The only spring sightings west of Chesa-
peake Bay were near Coltons Point in St. Marys County (25 on May 2 by

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

10 ^

September 1970

James Banagan), at Plum Point in Calvert County (Apr. 27, John H. Pales),
Sandy Point State Park (Apr. 21 to May 4, Harold Wierenga), Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center (2 on Apr. 28, Elwood Martin), and Fulton in
Howard County (l on June 2 "by Mrs. John Janney). As many as 32 Snowy
Egrets were counted at Irish Grove Sanctuary on Apr. 1 (Bystraks), and
from 1 to 5 individuals wandered as far north as Baltimore (May 1,

Douglas Hackman), Queen Annes, Caroline and Talbot Counties before re-
treating to their nesting colonies. In addition to the Glossy Ibis
sightings in five counties on the Statewide Bird Count, 5 were seen at
Blackwater Refuge on May 28 by Refuge Manager Bill Julian. As an example
of how poorly we know the nesting dates of some of our egrets and ibis,
Mitchell Byrd and Robert Kennedy banded young Glossy Ibis at the South
Point colony on May 23 , a whole week ahead of the earliest published egg
date for Maryland. On the same day they estimated 80 pairs of Common
Egrets, some with nestlings that were nearly half grown. On June 27, Dr.
Robert L. Pyle estimated 200+ Common Egrets, 50+ Black-crowned Night
Herons, 15+ Little Blue Herons and 20+ Cattle Egrets at the St. Catherines
Island heronry in St. Marys County.

Waterfowl . By checking various points along the Potomac River, James
Paulus discovered a good concentration spot for diving ducks on the lagoon
in back of the glass plant just above lock 75 on the C & 0 Canal near Old
Town in Allegany County. His list for Apr. 5 included 11 Canvasbacks, 58
Lesser Scaup, 17 Ring -necks, 3 Buffleheads and 4 Hooded Mergansers as well
as several dabbling ducks and a dead Whistling Swan.

Kites and Hawks . One of the big surprises of the season was the
Swallow-tailed Kite carefully studied in flight over Brooklandville in
Baltimore County on May 2 by Dr. Walter E. Dandy, Jr. and Dr. Jerry
Johnson and previously remarked upon by Hackman in his writeup of the
Statewide Bird Count ( Maryland Birdlife 26: 4l). Also of interest on
the Statewide Count was the total of 21 Bald Eagles, 12 of which were
found in Dorchester County. An Osprey that returned to Talbot County on
Feb . £8 broke the State arrival date for this species (jan Reese). The
Rough-legged Hawk that wintered at Irish Grove Sanctuary was last observed
on Apr. 1 (Bystraks), and the last for the State were found in Dorchester
County on Apr. 4 (Armistead) and at Annapolis on Apr. 25 (Carlson).

Robbins and Carl Buchheister were astonished on May 7 to see a Harris '

Hawk at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. It seems that 2 birds of
this South Texas species have recently escaped from Maryland falconers.
Watch for them.

Rails and Gallinules . According to Armistead, Soras were more in
evidence than usual this spring. Doug Hackman heard 6 calling in the
Gunpowder Marsh on May 2 and Jim Roelle and Robbins found at least 3
still present at Carroll Island in Baltimore County on May 20. A Common
Gallinule, obviously a transient, was discovered under a yew bush in the
garden of Mrs. Sanford Kotzen in Glen Arm, Baltimore County, Apr. 20.

Shorebirds . Harold Wierenga had the good judgment to visit Sandy
Point during the stormy morning of May 17 while an energetic cold front
accompanied by a wide band of rain was passing by. He was rewarded by

io 6

MARYLAND BIRD LIFE

Vol. 2 6 , No. 3

250 Dunlins, 24 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 15 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Least
Sandpipers, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, 2 Knots (probably the first for Anne
Arundel County), a Black -bellied Plover, and 150 Dowitchers (presumably
all Short -billed ) . On the following day only 8 peep and 1 Black-belly
remained. The only other spring sightings of dowitchers away from the
coast this year were single Short -bills in Dorchester County on May 17
(Armistead) and at Carroll Island on May 20 (Roelle and Robbins). Purple
Sandpipers remined in full force at Ocean City Inlet through May 16,
when 127 were counted by Edwin T. McKnight and Robert L. Smith; an un-
specified number were still present on May 23 (Pyle). One of Maryland's
rarest birds, the Black-necked Stilt, was identified at Blackwater Refuge
on May 1 by the William Baumanns of New York City. A new species for the
Dorchester County list was a Wilson's Phalarope noted in the Blackwater
River marsh south of the Refuge on May 17 by Armistead.

Gulls and Terns . Marcia Lakeman had the good fortune to spot 2 Little
Gulls at Ocean City on Apr. 7- These were the only European gulls to be
identified in Maryland in the winter of 1969-70. A huge concentration of
Bonaparte's Gulls for Allegany County (l6l individuals) was checked by
Jim Paulus at the glass plant above lock 75 near Old Town on Apr. 12. By
May 23 the gull nesting season on Robins Marsh in Chincoteague Bay was
well under way. Dr. Byrd and Robert Kennedy estimated 1,200 pairs of
Laughing Gulls, most with full clutches of 3 eggs. Although only 7 nests
of Herring Gulls were found with eggs on this date, a repeat visit on May
31 revealed 28 occupied Herring Gull nests, 4 of which contained either
newly hatched young or pipped eggs. On June 27 Dr. Pyle saw a Royal Tern
at St. Catherines Island.

White -winged Dove . New for Maryland's Hypothetical List was a White -
winged Dove seen 1 mile north of Marumsco, Somerset Co., on June 10
(Robbins ) .

Chuck-will ' s -widow . For some unknown reason this species, so common
in the loblolly pine woods of Maryland's lower Coastal Plain, is rarely
heard north of its breeding range, even during the peak of migration. And
those few records from farther north have all been in the Coastal Plain.
This ye&r Charles Buchanan heard a Chuck-will's -widow singing for 7
minutes at 4 :45 on the morning of June 3 at his home adjacent to Bryn
Mawr School in Baltimore. And on May 11, Mrs. Rosamond Munro heard one
in full song at her home on Rocky Gorge Reservoir at Fulton (elevation
370 feet) in Howard County — well up in the Piedmont.

Flycatchers and Swallows . A real rarity for the Eastern Shore in
spring was an Olive -sided Flycatcher sighted on the May 2 count in Kent
County by Kay McAlpin and documented by a detailed written account. I
would like to mention in this connection that many reports of rarities
go forever unmentioned because the observer fails to submit sufficient
documentation. Cliff Swallows had built new nests under Browns Bridge
at the upper end of Rocky Gorge Reservoir by Apr. 29 (Mrs. Harry Rauth),
and 30 to 4o nests were under the Rt. l4o bridge over Patapsco Reservoir
on May 2 (Mrs. Elmer Worthley). It is encouraging to see this species
spreading into new areas of the Maryland Piedmont after it was nearly

September 1970

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

107

extirpated from the State with the passing of unpainted harns a few de-
cades ago. Its relative the Tree Swallow is another species "benefiting
from man’s activities. Following a report from Bob Smith that the Tree
Swallow was nesting in an artificial structure at Hughes Hollow, 4 miles
up the Potomac from Seneca, Edwin McKnight investigated on May 31 and
found 2 occupied nests. When he and Mrs. McKnight returned on June l4
they saw young in both nests. This is the first nesting of the Tree
Swallow in the Maryland Piedmont, the nearest known nests being 32 miles
away at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

Ravens and Jays . Common Ravens were sighted in all three of the
western counties: 2 at Hagerstown Community College on Apr. 18 (Dr.

Lawrence Murphy);, 1 at Cumberland the next day (Mel Garland) and 3 be-
tween Herrington Manor and Accident on May 2 (Carlson). Did you notice
the Blue Jay total of l4 , 591 on the May 2 Statewide Bird Count? Tallies
of 1,000 or more were reached in Montgomery, Prince Georges, Anne Arundel,
and Baltimore Counties, with a maximum of 4,564 in Baltimore (2,269 of
which were enumerated by Doug Hackman as they flew over the Gunpowder
Marsh between 6 and 9 a.ra. ). This year the flight ended rather abruptly
and in several counties no confirmed transients were encountered after
May 2 . In only two counties were flocks of stragglers still moving
northward in early June.

Wrens and Thrushes ♦ Short -billed Marsh Wrens were missed by almost
all observers this spring, but Carlson found one at the impoundment at
Herrington Manor in Garrett County on May 2 and the Gibson Island counters
discovered another on the same day. Only 2 were located by Armistead in
the vast Dorchester County marshes on May 2 . The report of 9 in Somerset
County on May 2 was a misprint; the 9 birds were all Long -bills. However,
there was a Short -bill in full song at Irish Grove Sanctuary in that
county on June 9 (Robbins). Mel Garland reported a Bewick's Wren singing
at his mother's home in Cumberland on Apr. 18. Several observers ex-
pressed concern over the small numbers of Swainson'.s and Gray -cheeked
Thrushes — evidently a continuation of the scarcity that was so widely
noticed last fall. One of the most active birders in the State asked
whether these two species are in danger. A study of the migration tables
will show they were restricted to a shorter migration period than is nor-
mal and my banding totals for the last week of May (the only period for
which I have comparable data for the past decade) show both species at
close to the lowest figure in ten years. A very late Hermit Thrush was
banded at Irish Grove on May 7 (Mrs. Cole).

Warblers and Yireos . Professor Wierenga declared that May 9 was the
best day for warbler migration in the Annapolis area. Observers at the
Ocean City Convention also enjoyed a fine variety of warblers on this
day, including a Brewster's Warbler in the Pocomoke Swamp near Whaleys -
ville. May 2 was also an excellent day, as we all remember. The early
appearance of the "May" warblers and their early departure has been dis-
cussed in the introduction. Of special interest were a Cerulean Warbler
at Annapolis (May 23, Prof. Wierenga), a Blackburnian Warbler that
landed exhausted aboard the Montgomery Chapter's boat off Ocean City on
the same day (Dr. Pyle), a Mourning Warbler in Charles County on May 2

io8

MARYLAND BIRD LINE

Vol. 2 6 , Wo. 3

(Schell), and a Mourning Warbler and Philadelphia Vireo at the site of
the former Ocean City handing station on May 10 (Carlson).

Tanagers . Six Scarlet Tanagers, 3 females and 3 males in mottled
plumage, showed up at the Baltimore home of Robert and Alice Kaestner on
the very early date of Apr. 19 and fed on sunflower seeds for more than
5 minutes. Another early individual was studied at the Patuxent Research
Center on Apr. 22 (Charles Loveless). More extraordinary was the third
(and first spring) record of a Western Tanager in Maryland. This bird
was discovered at Gibson Island on May 1 by Ann Schmeisser and seen again
the following day by Burton Alexander.

Crossbills . The only White -winged Crossbills that remained into
April were 2 reported at Great Falls on Apr. 4 (Dr. Evenden). Red Cross-
bills, on the other hand, were detected in more than half of Maryland's
counties in the month of May, and lingered in at least five counties into
June .' The June records were as follows : 3 at the Patuxent Research Center

on June 2 and 13 near Bryantown in Charles County on June 8 (Robbins), 2
females at Rossmoor Leisure World near Wheaton daily through June 15 (Dick
and Sally Rule), and singles at Odenton on June 21 (Danny Bystrak) and
Towson on June 22 (Lola and Herbert Strack).

Other winter finches . Evening Grosbeaks and Pine Siskins lingered
into May in most counties. And 2 Common Redpolls were last seen at the
feeder of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bostick at Ashton on the record-breaking
date of Apr . 12 .

Dickcissels . Erana and Carl Lubbert banded a Dickcissel at their
Baltimore home on Apr. 27 and Phyllida Willis saw another at Frederick on
May 1. An immature male in full song woke Dr. and Mrs. Elmer Worthley at
Owings Mills on May 3, and on the same day a full adult male visited Mrs.
Fastie's feeder on Greenspring Valley Road in Baltimore County. On the
Eastern Shore, one bird was viewed at Hew Bridge in Caroline County on
June l4 (Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Fletcher), both a male and a female on June
17, and a male was still singing on June 20. Seven Dickcissels were
counted on June 28 along New Design Road near Buckeystown and 1 near Doubs
on the same day (Carlson).

Sparrows . The only Bachman's Sparrow discovered in Maryland this sea-
son was a singing bird on Green Ridge Mountain south of US 40, seen on May
30 and June 6 by Carl Carlson. Also noteworthy in the sparrow department
was the lingering of a few retarded Tree Sparrows well into April. Ordi-
narily most reports after early April are dismissed as overly hasty identi-
fications by observers not familiar with the migratory habits of this
northern species. But when Earl Baysinger, Chief of the Bird Banding
Laboratory, bands a Tree Sparrow at his home near Ellicott City in mid-
April and recaptures it as late as Apr. l8, we dutifully inscribe the date
in the official records.

Migratory Bird Populations Station

Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Laurel

September I 97 O

MARYLAND EIRIXIFE

109

COMING EVENTS

t. 7

8

9

KENT

BALTIMORE
ANNE AHJNDEL

9

BALTIMORE

10

ALLEGANY

11

13

TALBOT

BALTIMORE

14

ANNE ARUNDEL

15

MONTGOMERY

16

TALBOT

17

ANNE ARUNDEL

17-18

ALLEGANY

BALTIMORE

18

21

MONTGOMERY

TALBOT

ALLEGANY

24

ANNE ARUNDEL

24

CAROLINE

2*1-25

BALTIMORE

•24

25

27

MONTGOMERY

TALBOT

BALTIMORE

2?

PATUXENT

Monthly meeting

Lake Roland 9 A.M. Leader: Mrs. Gerringer
Audubon Wildlife Film Lecture, "Designs for
Survival," with Mr. William A. Anderson
Annapolis Junior High School, Forest Drive.
Tickets $1.25, Students 75^

Audubon Wildlife Film Lecture. Charles
Hotchkiss, "Tidewater Trails". Dumbarton
Junior H. S. , Dumbarton Rd. 8 P. M.

Season Ticket $5.00. Single admission $1.50.
Hawk Count at Wills Mt. 8 A.M. Leader:

Dale Fuller
Breakfast hike 7 A.M.

Sparrow Identification Class. 8 P. M.

Cylburn. Mr. Chandler S. Robbins
C & 0 Canal Towpath. Leader: Mrs. Anna
Paradee. Meet Parole parking lot, Riva Rd.
entrance 8:30 A.M.

Monthly meeting 8 P. M. "Birds and Radar" ,
Mr. Jeff Swinebroad

Monthly meeting, 8 P. M., Library. "Western
Birds and Their Surroundings", C. C. Lasher
7*45 A.M. Corcoran Woods. Leader: Mrs.
Neville Kirk. Meet at Rte. #50 Service Road,
near Anglers Inn, just beyond McDonald’s.

Trip to Hawk Mountain. Leader: Dale Fuller
" " " Leaders: Mr. & Mrs,

William Schneider
Hawk Mountain weekend
7 A.M, Breakfast Hike

Monthly meeting at Board of Education Bldg.
700 P. M, Speaker: Gus Johnson, "Fall Wild
Flowers" .

7*45 A.M. Rolling Ridge Farm. Leaders: Mr. &
Mrs. Wendell C. Phillips, Jr. Meet at Parole
parking lot, Riva Road entrance.

Field trip to Blackwater Refuge, Dorchester
Co. Meet at Visitors' Center. 3; 30 P.M.

Irish Grove Wildlife Sanctuary weekend.

Marion Station, Md.

South Mountain and Hughes Hollow, Md.
Breakfast hike, 7 A.M.

Duck Identification Class, 8 P. M. Qylbum
Mr. C. Douglas Hackman
Monthly meeting

110

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Vol, 26, No. 3

Nov.

Dec.

1

BALTIMORE

Bombay Hook National midlife Refuge and Cape
Henlopen State Park. 7:00 A. M, Leaders:

Mrs. Phyllis Ravesies and Miss Ono Lescure

4

KENT

Monthly meeting

5

FREDERICK

Monthly meeting

6

ANNE ARUNDEL

Monthly meeting 8 P. M. at Anne Arundel County
Library. "Adventures Through the Window" with
Dickson Preston.

6

TALBOT

Audubon Wildlife Film. Prentice K. Stout
"Audubon's Labrador", 8 P. M. , Easton H. S.
Mecklenburg,

7

BALTIMORE

Beaver Run, Carroll County, Leader: Mrs.
Elmer Worthley. Meet 9 A.M. at Acme Market,
east side of Reisterstown Rd. , Owings Mills.

8

MONTGOMERY

Bombay Hook, Del.

10

BALTIMORE

Conservation evening, Maryland Squirrels, by
Dr. Vagn Flyger. Qylburn 8 P. K.

13

CAROLINE

Monthly meeting 700 P. M. at Federalsburg
School. Maryland Dept, of Fish & Wildlife
Lecture.

14

ANNE ARUNDEL

7:40 A.M. Trip to Rock Run Sanctuary. Leader:
Mr. John Symonds. Meet at A & P parking lot in
Severna Park on Ritchie Highway

1?

BALTIMORE

Conservation evening. Endangered Species
program of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and
Wildlife.

18

ALLEGANY

Monthly meeting. Social hour 6 P.M. ; Dinner
6:30 P.M. Kaplehurst Country (Hub. Reservations
with Mrs. Gordon Taylor. Don Elnersom slide
lecture on "Conservation".

18

ANNE ARUNDEL

Hillsmere and Thomas Point. Meet at Mrs. Anna
Faradee's, 126 Bayview Dr. Hillsmere 8:30 A.K.

19

MONTGOMERY

Monthly meeting 8 P. M. "While There Is Still
Time", film presentation. Discussion leader:
James H. Glazier

20

TALBOT

Monthly meeting 8 P. M. at Easton Library

22

BALTIMORE

Perry Point and Otter Point on Bush River
Leader Mr. Rodney Jones 8 A.M.

MONTGOMERY

Blackwater Refuge, Md.

TALBOT

Work trip at Mill Creek Sanctuary

24

BALTIMORE

Enrichment Seminar: Habitats of Birds. First

of two lectures. Mr. Chandler S. Robbins.

8 P. M. at Colburn

PATUXENT

Monthly meeting

1

BALTIMORE

Seminar: Habitats of Birds

2

KENT

Monthly meeting

3

FREDERICK

Monthly meeting

4

ANNE ARUNDEL

Monthly meeting 8 P. M. , A. A, County Library
"Africa", with Mr. David Smith

4

BALTIMORE

Audubon Wildlife Film Lecture. Harold Pollack:
"Wanderings of a Naturalist in The Australian
Bush". 8 P.M. , Dumbarton Junior High School,

September IQ70

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

111

Dec.

5

BALTIMORE

7

TALBOT

12

ANNE ARUNDEL

12-14

BALTIMORE

12-13

MONTGOMERY

17

MONTGOMERY

Sandy Point and Kent Island. Leaders: Mr. &
Mrs. John W. Poteet, Jr. Toll Gate 9*15 A.M.
Audubon Wildlife Film. Harold J. Pollock,
"Australian Bush", 8 P. K. at Easton H. S.,
Mecklenburg.

7:^5 A.M. Sandy Point Area. Leader: Mr. Harold
Wierenga. Meet at Toll Gate to Sandy Point
State Park.

Nags Head, N. C. Leaders: Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm
Thomas

Back Bay Refuge and Fisherman* s Island
Monthly meeting, 8 P. M. "Where I Was This
Summer". Members night. Slide presentations
and talks by Chapter members.

1971

Jan.

22

- Jan. 3 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT PERIOD

Dates for Catoctin, St. Michaels, Seneca

and Rock

Run, not yet

announced.

26

Allegany County

Compiler, Ken Hodgdon

26

Baltimore

n

David Holmes

26

Denton

n

Jerry Fletcher

26

Triadelphia

n

Vernon Kleen

27

Annapolis and Gibson Island

it

Edward Wilson

27

Lower Kent County

27

Salisbury

28

Chincoteague, Va.

n

Fred Scott

29

Ocean City

n

Chan Robbins

30

Crisfield (Irish Grove)

n

Mrs. R. D. Cole

31

Southern Dorchester Co.

n

Chan Robbins

6

7

8

KENT

FREDERICK
ANNE ARUNDEL

16-17 BALTIMORE

Monthly meeting

ft H

Monthly meeting. Assembly Room, State Office
Bldg. 8 P. M. Speaker: Dr. James Gilford.
Subject: "Changing Environment".

Eastern Heck Island National Wildlife Refuge,
near Rock Hall, Kent County. Leader: Mrs.
Richard Cole.

JUNIOR PROGRAMS

ANNE ARUNDEL - Meet at Annapolis Senior High School flag pole.

Sat. Sept. 12 9 A. M. Youth hike at Thomas Point. Co-ordinator.

Mr. Richard Heiss.

" Oct. 31 8:30 A.M. Youth trip to Sugar Loaf Mountain, near

Stronghold, Md, Bring lunch.

" Nov. 21 9 A.M. Youth hike to Lake Waterford.

BALTIMORE Programs at Colburn, alternate Saturdays. All talks

begin at 10:00 A.M, and are followed by bird and nature walks at
10:45 A.M.

112

MARYLAND BIRDLIFE

Yol. 26. No. 3

Baltimore Junior program (continued)

Sept.

19.

Trees. Mr. Francis H. Gay

Oct.

3

Bats Dr. Edwin Gould

it

17

Insects Dr. Gene Wood

n

31

Birds of Prey Mr. David J. Smith

Nov.

14

Detectives at Work. Come and explore

it

28

Bird Banding Demonstration. Mr. Douglas Hackman
8 A.M. and 900 A.M.

Dec.

12

Decorating the Birds 1 Christmas Tree.
Conservation film

1971 -

Jan.

9

The Origin of Some of Maryland's Geology
Mr. Laurence Bruns.

MONTGOMERY

Youth

Field trips

Oct.

10

Mason Neck Refuge, Va. Banding demonstration

Nov.

15

Bombay Hook Refuge, Delaware

Dec.

6

Sandy Point and Kent Island

1971

Jan.

16

Potomac, Md. Feeder birds and banding

demonstration.

CONTENTS, SEPTEMBER 1970

First Maryland Breeding of American Coot

Henry T. Armistead

79

Five Years ' Experience with Bluebirds

Sister Barbara Ann

8 l

Helen Miller Scholarship Announcement

92

Unusual Bluebird Behavior

Lawrence Zeleny

93

Spring Record of the Yellow -headed Blackbird

Brian Sharp

95

Okey E. McCourt

V. Edwin Unger

95

Christmas Suggestions from MOS Bookstore

Phyllis Raves ies

9 6

The President's Page

V. Edwin Unger

98

The Seas on- -April, May, June, 1970

Chandler S. Robbins

99

Coming Events

109

Junior Programs

111

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* Editor*

C. Douglas Hackman, 208A Donnybrook, Tows on, Md. 21204

Art Editor*

William N. Schneider

Production*

Mildred F-. Cole, Phyllis D. Raves ies

Mailing*

Mr* & Mrs. Herbert P. St rack

J^astlnaA -^YJi

iramar

Phone: Ocean City :
Atlantic 9-7417

9 *

Ocean City, Maryland
On the Boardwalk — Open All Year

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