Category Archives: Maryland birding

Maryland Wrap-up

As we watch snow squalls move through our backyard, it is nice to think back to earlier this week when I was birding in Maryland in temperatures in the 70’s.  I took a look at the eBird data from my outings and realized that I logged 49 species — without really doing a lot of driving.  Here’s the report:

Screen Shot 2013-04-14 at 2.50.49 PM

It is interesting to note that the last bird I logged in Maryland, a Dark-eyed Junco, is a species that is over-running Vermont this week.  As I look outside right now, I can see about 20 DEJU’s feeding on the deck and the lawn. Birders across Vermont have been reporting large gatherings of these northern birds that should be heading out any day.

As I mentioned in a previous post, this is likely the last time I’ll bird Anne Arundel County.  I’ve met some neat people there and gotten a few life birds: Yellow-breasted Chat and Blue Grosbeak among the highlights.  It’s a great place to bird — I’m glad to have had the opportunity to experience it.  Good birding, y’all.

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Birding Greenbury Point

Each time I come to Maryland, I try to get over and bird the Navy’s Greenbury Point Conservation Area, an environmental treasure is located underneath the familiar radio towers you can see on the Annapolis skyline. Greenbury Point has lots of grassland, a variety of other habitats including wooded coves, shallow wetland ponds, forests and scrub/shrub areas.  It is a wonderful 231 acre peninsula at the mouth of the Severn River and popular with birders, runners, dog walkers, while being a training ground for midshipmen.  I went there yesterday morning for a few hours of leisurely birding in near-80 temperatures.

My FOY Chipping Sparrow greeted me as I walked in the access road.

My FOY Chipping Sparrow greeted me as I walked in the access road.

As I was trying to find the CHSP in my camera lens, this Eastern Bluebird landed in a nearby tree, with nesting material in his beak.

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A Field Sparrow was trilling away, partially hidden in some brush. I pished it and got it to climb a little higher.

A Field Sparrow was trilling away, partially hidden in some brush. I pished it and got it to climb a little higher.

There is a network of trails weaving throughout the property and as I started down the paved path which I’ve birded many times, a Carolina Chickadee sang away.  I usually hear a lot of chip sounds but this was a clear morning song.

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I saw numerous birds on the interior loops including a Marsh Wren, my first Eastern Towhee in several years, and a number of Rough-winged Swallows.

This American Goldfinch was singing away, high up on a bare tree, as I walked by.

This American Goldfinch was singing away, high up on a bare tree, as I walked by.

As I approached the water, dozens of Ospreys circled and swooped.  There are dozens of nesting platforms available and all seemed to be in use.  Buffleheads, Scaup, gulls, terns, and cormorants made their appearance while a pair of grebes — I’m calling them Horned Grebes — dove and hid in the morning sun as I tried to photograph them.

This Carolina Wren watched me as I stopped to photograph it.

This Carolina Wren watched me as I stopped to photograph it.

This is likely the last time I’ll bird in this area but I highly recommend it.  It is free, easy to access, and full of neat grassland, woodland, and water birds.  It’s a favorite of local birders and it’s easy to see why.  I saw 35 species this morning and enjoyed the easy walking, the nice breeze, and the warmth.  It is wonderful to see a former military site being conserved and used by such a diverse group of people.

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Birding with Robb & Dane

My son, grandson, and I went out to the National Wildlife Visitor Center at Patuxent Wildlife Refuge yesterday for a few hours of great birding in 60 degree temperatures.  We saw 24 species including our FOY Eastern Bluebird and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

The bare trees made spotting birds easy. Here Dane (l) and Robb search for a house finch up ahead.

The bare trees made spotting birds easy. Here Dane (l) and Robb search for a house finch up ahead.

 

There were hundreds of Barn Swallows feeding and nesting. The air was full of them.

There were hundreds of Barn Swallows feeding and nesting. The air was full of them.

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As we finished, a noisy Red-bellied Woodpecker greeted us.

As we finished, a noisy Red-bellied Woodpecker greeted us.

Since my gang is leaving for California soon, this is probably the last East Coast outing with them.  Next birding stop will be San Diego County which I’m looking forward to exploring with Dane.

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Urban Birding in Annapolis

We are down in Maryland for a short trip to see our son Robb and his family before they leave for San Diego.  The temps are about 20 degrees warmer than Vermont, the forsythia is blooming as are the cherry blossoms, and there are all sorts of birds singing their hearts out.  What’s not to like?

I had just unloaded our luggage and went out to the back door where two Fish Crows welcomed me (FOY) as well as a House Finch and several Cardinals.  It was a foretaste of the local birding — a good sign.

I’ve taken a couple of long walks with the camera to get some exercise and some camera practice.  Here are a few shots with the SX-50 from those outings:

Northern Mockingbirds, while pretty rare in our county, are all over the place -- showing off their repertoire of songs and calls -- delightful to listen to and to observe.

Northern Mockingbirds, while pretty rare in our county, are all over the place — showing off their repertoire of songs and calls — delightful to listen to and to observe.

Perhaps the most common song is from the Song Sparrow. They are everywhere and delightful.

Perhaps the most common song is from the Song Sparrow. They are everywhere and delightful.

Just as common are House Sparrows which seem to monopolize the area bird houses. Since they are relatively sparse up my way, they are fun to watch.

Just as common are House Sparrows which seem to monopolize the area bird houses. Since they are relatively sparse up my way, they are fun to watch.

Northern Cardinals are also everywhere, singing away. A morning walk is just filled with Cardinal music.

Northern Cardinals are also everywhere, singing away. A morning walk is just filled with Cardinal music.

Annapolis harbor was filled with boats and Mallards which are well fed by visitors. The charter sailboat was readying for a brisk Saturday morning excursion.

Annapolis harbor was filled with boats and Mallards which are well fed by visitors. The charter sailboat was readying for a brisk Saturday morning excursion.

It was nice to see some Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead -- and hope we'll be getting them in VT in a few weeks.

It was nice to see some Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead — and hope we’ll be getting them in VT in a few weeks.

This Turkey Vulture with his buddies, was working the open Dumpster after the Navy/Maryland lacrosse game. Good pickin's!

This Turkey Vulture with his buddies, was working the open Dumpster after the Navy/Maryland lacrosse game. Good pickin’s!

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Birding with Dane

As I noted last month, birding with grandchildren is one of my joys.  I’m appreciating it even more as I read the number of “What sparked your interest in birding?” posts where so often, birders say that they first got interested at age 8, or nine, etc.  In any case, yesterday Dane and I went on a Saturday morning birding expedition which started poorly but ended up great.

We are in Annapolis for a few days and enjoying the diversity of birdlife here.  It’s like seeing old friends that moved away from Vermont a month or two ago. The sparrows and kinglets are here and since most of our lakes are frozen, the loons and ducks are nice to see again.

Dane and I left to visit the Patuxent River Research area.  He had been there with his dad on a great visit this Fall but we wanted to check out the southern section.  So we launched into an early morning stream of traffic on busy Highway 50 (it take a while to get used to the people on the move here after Vermont) and worked our way northwest for 40 minutes.  Fog, mist, and heavy traffic and poor directions on my part brought us to the north tract.  It was closed for hunting.  We drove in looking for someone to ask directions of but nothing doing.  (In retrospect, I found out that I could have worked my way around to the south area, which was open.)

I decided on a fallback plan — nearby Oxbow Lake Refuge — where Tundra Swans had recently been reported.  We wove our way over, navigating through the massive housing development of which the refuge is part (looks like the developer set aside some wetlands as part of the deal).  We found a spot with what appeared to be visitor parking and as soon as we got out of the car, we could hear the geese.  As we poked through the woods and saw the marsh, I could see a few dots of white and getting the scope on them, saw two Tundra Swans hanging out with hundreds of Canada Geese.  These were life birds for both Dane and me.  We saw some hoodies, some Mallards, and decided to head back to another site nearer home.

Greenbury Point is a 231 acre peninsula at the mouth of the Severn River that is one of the best birding spots in the area.  It’s pretty busy on the weekend with runners, dog walkers, and birders.  It was cool to spot a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a tree on the access road — we pulled the car off to the side and got it in the telescope until it got sick of the attention.

This Red-bellied Woodpecker posed and chattered away as it fed on an old tree at Greenbury Point.

We walked a loop that features a lot of low brush and berries bushes and immediately ran into a batch of White-throated Sparrows.  These are great for young birders since they have distinct field marks, are pretty cooperative unlike some of their frenetic cousins, and often are at eye level.  Dane got some great looks at them.

Another cooperative bird was a Red-bellied Woodpecker, who was not only colorful but noisy.  We watched one through the scope for some time and took a few photos.  We ran into several others as we moved on.

There were hundreds of Cedar Waxwings in the high trees.  They were not easy to identify in the mist and lousy light until we got them in the scope.  As we  departed, we saw about a dozen Eastern Bluebirds foraging along the golf course.  They were a vivid ending to a nice outing.

Dane uses eBird so as soon as we got home, he reviewed his notepad and entered the birds that we saw.  He then shared the reports with me.  Another perk of birding with grandchildren.

Preparing for Maryland Birding

We are leaving for a brief visit to our family in Maryland  this Thursday.  Annapolis is always a great place to bird and I’ve had some nice outings in the general area.  I’m not too interested in finding rarities this trip – I want to spend some time with my grandson, Dane who is a budding birder and lister.  We’ve already visited several local hotspots during past trips and likely will do so again.

When we are traveling outside Vermont, I usually do some “electronic scouting” to check out the birding situation at our destination.    So here’s a few ideas on how I prepare.  Please feel free to add your ideas in the comment section.

Monitor Birding Groups

Before our trips to the Southwest, I rejoin list serves in Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas to monitor their reports and get a sense of what I might be able to see.  Likewise, in the East, where we travel to MA and MD periodically, I belong to various groups and read them.  I haven’t had much luck in the past with the MD list serve, which went through some turmoil, but joined the Facebook group for Anne Arundel County and watch their stuff closely.

Use iBird

I routinely check the hotspots for the area I’m going to visit, checking to see what has been reported in the last 30 days.  iBird uses eBird data but displays it graphically as shown below.  It’s also nice to be able to search for a particularly species to see where it has been recently seen.

Here’s the iBird map for hot spots around Annapolis. I click on each one and check to see what’s been reported recently. It’s a great planning tool.

Query Local Birders

I’ve been to Maryland several times and met a few birders.  I keep their names (and sometimes a short description) on my iPhone — just so I can greet them by name if I see them again.   Sometimes, I’ll email one and ask for help.  For this trip, I posted a question on the Facebook page and got some good feedback.

 Needs Alerts -eBird

eBird lets you set up alerts on rare birds or birds that you haven’t seen in the area you are visiting.  The reports, if you have never visited an area, can be lengthy but you can scan it for birds of special interest.  You can get daily or hourly reports listing birds seen in last seven days.  I noted that Tundra Swans are being reported at several locations — this would be a life bird.  One of the Anne Arundel Facebook birders posted a great photo as shown below.

Tundra Swans recently seen in the Annapolis area. photo by Hugh Vandervoort.

So, I’m looking forward to warmer weathers and some birds that we won’t see in Vermont until next Spring.  What I need to do first is make the eleven-hour drive.

What else to you do to prepare for a birding visit?  Tell us about it with a comment below.  You should sign up by RSS feed or via email to have future articles sent to you.  Thanks

Birding by the Dredging Containment Site

I’ve been birding in Maryland for a few days with my grandson, Dane, and seeing a nice array of mid-Atlantic birds.  Today, we drove up to the Swan Creek/Cox Creek Impoundment area outside of Baltimore to look for a Red Phalarope that had been reported yesterday — and dipped on it but had a great time.

I am part of a local FB group, the Anne Arundel Birding & Bird Club, and they kindly sent me directions and procedures to follow at the site.  This place is crazy — nestled between a chemical plant and a power plant, it has large diked areas for material dredged from Baltimore Harbor.

 It’s an active site with trucks, large backhoes, and assorted machinery working away while birders aim their scopes at the containment lagoons.  Some forward-thinking folks worked out an arrangement that keeps over a 100 acres in a conservation easement and a lot of restoration work and replanting has been done — and birds love it: over 160 species have been spotted there.  There’s a lot of debris and funky looking liquids but like many landfills and wastewater lagoons, it’s a great place to bird.

We showed up and signed in at the office and met a couple of birders who told us that no one had seen the Phalarope – that many of the “big guns” were there early with no luck.  (Early arriving construction workers reportedly flushed it.)  Still, looking at the ponds and then walking down to some reclaimed wetland, we did fine.  A Little Blue Heron flew right over us giving us good looks.  (It’s great when Dane can see stuff without fiddling with bins.)

Little Blue Herons nest on the property. 

I was on the lookout for an Orchard Oriole since I needed one for my life list and they had been reported by many birders over the last few days.  Just as a new acquaintance, Matt Grey, was giving me the details on Orchard vs Baltimore Orioles, we saw several and got some wonderful looks through the scope.  Of course, Dane comes to my chest so we have a fun time adjusting the telescope but he saw it well.

An Orchard Oriole was a life bird for me.

We saw some other good birds:  A diving Least Tern (another lifer), a couple of Snowy Egrets, a Belted Kingfisher, an Indigo Bunting, and others.  Returning to the ponds at the starting point, we scanned one last time and through the shimmer, picked out a Black Bellied Plover on the far shore.  

I left with a good feeling about the balancing act that folks have worked out between an active waste disposal site and a rich environment for birds, and birders.  It’s a place we’ll come back to again.
Site and Blue Heron photo from The Maryland Yellowthroat.
Orchard Oriole photo by Charles & Clint

Maryland Birds

I had forgotten what a wonderful vocalist Catbirds can be

Visiting Maryland in summer is like visiting a tropical island — heat, humidity, dense lush foliage, and bird calls everywhere each morning.  I had forgotten what songsters Grey Catbirds and Mockingbirds are and of course, the ubiquitous Northern Cardinals sometimes just take over the whole concert.

I birded with my grandson several mornings (prior post) but later in the week, the weather was just too hot for birders or birds.  However, on Saturday, I went out quite early and ended up with a nice mix of species and two new life birds.

Greenbury Point, a 231 acre penisula at the mouth of the Severn River, is part of the U.S. Naval Academy land. Much of it is managed as a wildlife habitat but as you walk the paths and trails, abandoned buildings and the two 600 foot towers remind you that it once was on of the most far reaching radio transmitter complexes in the world. First built in 1918 the station was used to communicate with U.S. forces fighting in WW I. The station was used for all communications with the Atlantic Fleet in WW II, including the submarine fleet. 

I was greeted by several Eastern Bluebirds and a House Finch as I parked the car.  It was already hot at 6:30 A.M. as I started out and immediately, I heard several bird calls I couldn’t identify.  The mix of wild grasses and trees was being crisscrossed by birds and within a few minutes, I saw a flash of yellow and was able to find the bird with my glasses in the heavy foliage.  A Yellow-breasted Chat — a bird I’ve been looking for — gave me a couple of decent looks and then vanished.  (Later, I saw two more flirting or fighting.)

I was also noticing butterflies as I walked, since it was T-shirt weather and they were flying early.  A Viceroy and a beautiful Spicebush Swallowtail distracted me.

This Blue Grosbeak is my 291st Life Bird

As I finished my loop, I decided, even though it was uncomfortably humid by now, to take one more short trail I had missed.  A bird, which I thought was a robin, flew in front of me and perched, very unrobin-like, on a stalk in the field.  I got my binoculars on it and voila, a Blue Bunting posed for me.  What a pretty bird — I was too far away for a good photo but I shot this one.  It was a great finish to my birding during this Maryland trip.

Now, off to Massachusetts for a few days where I hope to bird the Parker River refuge again. 

Birding with Grandchildren

Looking for birds – sort of

One of the advantages of growing older is that you have more time to bird — none of the grab a quick session before work or wait until the weekend.  For me, another perk is the chance to introduce grandchildren to an activity I waited nearly seventy years to start. 

Our Maryland grandson Dane has taken a real interest in nature and is fast becoming a birder.  Last fall, when we visited I brought my scope and we went out to the Severn River and looked a ducks and gulls.  He seemed interested but I didn’t push it at all — so it was a pleasant surprise this trip when his folks told me that he wanted to go birding. 

So, the first morning we packed up and took along his younger sister and my spouse, Mary and had a delightful outing back at Greenbury Point, part of the U.S. Naval Academy.  We walked a short trail (Maeve got bored rather quickly) and saw about a dozen birds.  Dane learned how to identify Turkey Vultures and Northern Mockingbirds and was first to see a Great Blue Heron cruising by.

We dropped Maeve and Mary at a nearby playground and went back to the river for a little more birding.  Ospreys were everywhere and we saw about a dozen including some active nests. 

Returning before it got sweltering, we had 18 species.  Dane was psyched, as was I.

That evening, his Dad got him set up with an eBird account and the next day I showed him how to enter the data.  We birded again, picked up another 10 new ones, and he came home and entered them. 

So, I have a nearly 10 year-old grandson who is ranked 87th in his county and seems, at least for now, hooked on birding.  We are already talking about the possibilities when he vacations this summer in New York state and then comes to visit us in Vermont.  Young eyes, enthusiasm, and a nearly blank bird list makes Dane a wonderful birding companion.