Eighteen participants joined me for the Mother's Day edition of the Dyke Marsh
walk. Some may want to refer to it as the "adult" edition of the walk for the
breeding season is in full swing. Sex and violence everywhere! The highlight
for me was in the picnic area where two male Baltimore Orioles squared off over
a territorial dispute. As a female oriole watched from a nearby perch, the two
combatants rolled in the grass, literally jabbing at each other with their
bills. The birds grabbed and pulled feathers. The display lasted for almost
30 seconds until the defeated male retired from the scene. The victor flew off
with the female toward the marina.
For the breeding bird records, at least 3 Barn Swallows were gathering mud and
transporting it to nest sites under the new docks at the marina. Three
Swallows occupy two of the new nest boxes erected by Kurt Gaskill and Chip
Johnson. Well done guys! Four Osprey nests are occupied, one with 3 eggs, and
4 Canada Goose breeding pair have young in tow.
Not a great warbler day, but Blackpoll Warblers have arrived. Perhaps the best
warbler of the morning was a female Hooded observed at the end of the
boardwalk. Warbling Vireos are now present in the picnic area.
After the walk, Susan Haskew and I hopped in the canoe to search for Least
Bitterns. No luck but we did locate 2 Marsh Wrens.
Now the complete list for Kurt's records:
Great Blue Heron 13
Turkey Vulture 2
Canada Goose 50 (including 24 goslings)
Mallard 7
Lesser Scaup 1
Osprey 11 (including 4 on nests)
Cooper's Hawk 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 26
Ring-billed Gull 32
Herring Gull 17
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Caspian Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 2 (Flyover)
Mourning Dove 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker 9
Downy Woodpecker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 (Haul Road)
Eastern Kingbird 3
Warbling Vireo 2 (Picnic Area)
Red-eyed Vireo 7
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 2 (Comment: where are all the Crows?!)
Tree Swallow 12 (including 2 pair in nest boxes)
Barn Swallow 16 (nest building under docks)
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 1
Carolina Wren 10
Marsh Wren 2 (from canoe)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
Wood Thrush 3
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling 30
Cedar Waxwing 4
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 8
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 7
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Hooded Warbler 1
Scarlet Tanager 3 (including 1 pair)
Eastern Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 15
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Common Grackle 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 3 (all female)
Orchard Oriole 5
Baltimore Oriole 14
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 22
House Sparrow 10
PS, I feel I'm missing something. Any group participants on the listserve,
please help me out!
Larry Cartwright
prowarbler@xxxxxxxxx
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