I ventured down to Dyke Marsh to work on the breeding bird survey at sunrise
only to find a few hours later that we were leaderless for the Sunday
morning walk. So Bob Beard and I took on the role as leaders. Unfortunately
I didn't have a checklist with me, so today's list is a creation from
memory. And most of the highlights were breeding related since that is why I
was there.
Highlights included a pair of Purple Martins checking out a nest box at the
end of the marina (no nesting material) and recently-hatched Osprey
nestlings at the marina nest beside the boat launch. Before the walk I found
a Northern Parula singing in the north picnic area where a nest had been
discovered last week. Both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles are in full
breeding mode and a pair of Cedar Waxwings appeared to be checking out
potential nest locations near the bridge on the Haul Road peninsula. Two
male Yellow Warblers appeared to be engaged in a territorial dispute and a
recently fledged chickadee was being fed by its parents. In non-breeding
news, the Ring-necked Duck seems to have been replaced by a Lesser Scaup.
Canada Goose 87 (including 2 breeding pairs with 3
goslings and 1 pair with a single gosling -precocial young- PY)
Mallard 63 (including a hen with 6 1
week-old ducklings and a hen with 7 ducklings a few days old- PY)
Lesser Scaup 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Osprey 14 (including 2 recently
hatched nestlings in marina nest- Nest with Young- NY)
Red-tailed Hawk 1 (before official walk)
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Ring-billed Gull 1 (few gulls- high tide)
Mourning Dove 6
Chimney Swift 4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 6
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 7
Blue Jay 5
Fish Crow 6
Crow sp 2
Purple Martin 2 (investigating nest box at end
of marina)
Tree Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 4
Carolina Chickadee 7 (including fledged young being fed
by parents- FY)
Tufted Titmouse 5
Carolina Wren 7
Marsh Wren 1
American Robin 15 (nest building-NB, on nest- ON)
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 30
Cedar Waxwing 2 (possibly investigating nest
sites)
Northern Parula 3 (ON)
Yellow Warbler 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 (north picnic area before walk)
American Redstart 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 20
Indigo Bunting 5 (all on Haul Road)
Red-winged Blackbird 30 (including birds carrying food- CF
and fecal sacs- FS)
Common Grackle 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Orchard Oriole 7 (ON)
Baltimore Oriole 5 (ON)
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow 4 (including a pair nesting in the
base of the marina Osprey nest!)
Larry Cartwright
prowarbler@xxxxxxxxxxx
