Monthly Archives: February 2013

PVAS Eastern Shore Bird Trip – 108 Species for the Weekend

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Four members of PVAS just completed a fantastic 3 day trip to the Eastern Shore starting at Bombay Hook NWR (BH) and working south to Fowler Beach (FB), Silver Lake (SL), Indian River Inlet (IRI), Ocean City Inlet (OCI), Chincoteague NWR (CH), Cambridge (CA) and finishing at Blackwater NWR (BW). The weather may have been cold but the birding was hot. The trip resulted in 108 species. This included 24 duck species, 13 shore bird species, 5 Gull species, 6 woodpecker species, 20,000+ Snow Geese and 40+ Bald Eagles. We had 84 species on the first day. Every stop had something new to offer. We almost gave up on the Redhead duck, #24, until Sandy yelled “REDHEAD” at the entrance ponds to BW. Typically 20 duck species on this trip is achievable, but 24 is normally out of the question. This was a trip we’ll never forget. One member of the team logged over 30 lifers.

Below are other notables:
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Cats a menace to the bird world?

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For anyone who missed it, here’s Washington Post columnist Charles Lane’s take on the recent study identifying cats as a major culprit to bird deaths:What shall we do with these killer cats?

He raises some interesting points:

“Scientific though it may be, the report is not contradiction-free. It brands cats an ‘invasive’ species, imported to North America by humans and unchecked by natural predators. Yet three of the 11 most-victimized bird species in the study are also invasive: the house sparrow, the rock pigeon and the European starling.

In my book, that means every time a cat takes out one of those winged pests, it’s a case of justifiable avicide.”

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C&O Canal birdwalk – Harpers Ferry – ducks, gulls, et. al.

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The bald eagles were not on their nest, nor did the peregrine falcon appear, but this morning’s PVAS-sponsored birdwalk along the C&O Canal at Harpers Ferry held other surprises. Six birders (incl. Bill Hale & Steve Hartman, two of my “regulars”) joined me on this rather dreary morning. The songbirds were esp. quiet – and hardly woke up even on our return walk, but the ducks delighted; plus we got to witness a huge kettle of Ring-billed gulls forming on the opposite ridge up & along by the Hilltop House hotel. That swarm occurred after 27 of the long & skinny-winged gulls flew closer to us over the Potomac – it was awesome to behold.

Here’s our list of 34 species:
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