Today I went to Point Lookout State Park in southern Maryland which has been closed for the past couple weeks due to damage sustained from Hurricane Isabel. Many of the loblolly pines on the waterfront were brown from damage sustained in the storm surge and parts of the park are still closed.
Still it was a good birding day. On the water there were numerous Common Loons, Double Crested Cormorants, Forster Terns, Brown Pelicans, and four gull species, Ringed-Bill, Herring, Greater Black Back and Laughing. A good complement of winter birds were found including Winter Wren, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Dark-Eyed Juncos, White-Throated, Savannah, White-Crowned, Song, Swamp, and Field Sparrows. Warblers were limited to Yellow-Rumped (Many!), Pine and a single Black and White. Raptors included Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin,Northern Harrier, Red-Shouldered and Red-Tailed Hawk with a late Bald Eagle that had us hoping for a time that it was a much rarer Golden.
A couple of Swainson Thrushes showed up as well as a female Scarlet Tanager who may be the last of the season for me. I would say that the highlight were the nuthatches as this is one of the only parks in our area which hold Brown-headed and Red Breasted Nuthatch as well as the more common White-Breasted. A trip to find a Kelp Gull on the river which has been famous for four years while hanging out in the vicinity of a Crab-House proved fruitless but doubtless the bird will be back for another free meal. No rare birds were seen but the light was excellent and I am wishing I didn't have to go to work tomorrow.
Still it was a good birding day. On the water there were numerous Common Loons, Double Crested Cormorants, Forster Terns, Brown Pelicans, and four gull species, Ringed-Bill, Herring, Greater Black Back and Laughing. A good complement of winter birds were found including Winter Wren, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Dark-Eyed Juncos, White-Throated, Savannah, White-Crowned, Song, Swamp, and Field Sparrows. Warblers were limited to Yellow-Rumped (Many!), Pine and a single Black and White. Raptors included Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin,Northern Harrier, Red-Shouldered and Red-Tailed Hawk with a late Bald Eagle that had us hoping for a time that it was a much rarer Golden.
A couple of Swainson Thrushes showed up as well as a female Scarlet Tanager who may be the last of the season for me. I would say that the highlight were the nuthatches as this is one of the only parks in our area which hold Brown-headed and Red Breasted Nuthatch as well as the more common White-Breasted. A trip to find a Kelp Gull on the river which has been famous for four years while hanging out in the vicinity of a Crab-House proved fruitless but doubtless the bird will be back for another free meal. No rare birds were seen but the light was excellent and I am wishing I didn't have to go to work tomorrow.
