January 19 program on Birds of Alaska and much more

A program about Alaska will be presented by our own Wayne Bell and Les Coble of the Talbot Bird Club at  7:30 PM, Caroline County Public Library, 100 Market St., Denton.  If you have never seen a program by either Wayne or Les, now is your chance! Photos and stories galore, including what happened to Wayne's camera!

2011 Caroline County Christmas Count totals 92 species including 5 unusual birds

The black-headed grosbeak might be considered to be the best bird we've ever seen on the count.   It was discovered in a yard on Market Street, Denton during the Christmas count and was seen by many birders from around the state.   It left after the bird club bought sunflower seeds and a squirrel guard for the feeder.

Two rose-breasted grosbeaks were reported near Greensboro and while it's very rare to see one, seeing two of them has to be very unusual.

We were also fortunate to get a red-headed woodpecker, Lapland longspur & Virginia rail--can't expect to do that every year.  

We got 92 species and that's pretty good.   We had 19 observers.  In 1954 they had 18 observers and with similar weather conditions they only got 70 birds.

Steve Westre, Caroline County Christmas Count Coordinator

Pied-billed Grebe	1
D C Cormorant	8
Great Blue Heron	17
Black Vulture	80
Turkey Vulture	261
Snow Goose	1490
* Snow Goose (blue form)                    2
Canada Goose	2886
Tundra Swan	103
Wood Duck	4
Black Duck	10
Mallard	214
Wigeon	1
Blue-winged Teal	3
Pintail	2
Ring-necked Duck	48
Bufflehead	7
Common Merganser	6
Hooded Merganser	10
Bald Eagle, ad	18
Bald Eagle, im	6
Northern Harrier	6
Sharp-shinned Hawk	3
Cooper's Hawk	10
Accipiter sp.	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	8
Red-tailed Hawk	25
Am. Kestrel	10
Wild Turkey	35
N. Bobwhite	6
Va Rail	1
Am. Coot	6
Killdeer	66
Wilson Snipe's	10
Am. Woodcock	2
Ring-billed Gull	1901
Herring Gull	12
Rock Pigeon	294
Mourning Dove	167
Eastern Screech-Owl	12
Great Horned Owl	8
Barred Owl	13
Belted Kingfisher	9
Red-bellied Woodpecker	55
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	10
Downy Woodpecker	34
Hairy Woodpecker	7
Northern Flicker	64
Red-headed Woodpecker                    1
Pileated Woodpecker	14
Eastern Phoebe	2
Blue Jay	130
American Crow	349
Fish Crow	11
Horned Lark	571
Carolina Chickadee	156
Tufted Titmouse	132
White-breasted Nuthatch	8
Brown Creeper	13
Carolina Wren	79
Winter Wren	20
Golden-crowned Kinglet	31
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	5
Eastern Bluebird	128
Hermit Thrush	34
American Robin	1700
N. Mockingbird	77
Brown Thrasher	5
Euro Starling	2251
Am. Pipit	77
Cedar Waxwing	188
Yellow rumped Warbler	42
Chipping Sparrow	36
Field Sparrow	35
Savannah Sparrow	13
Fox Sparrow	4
Song Sparrow	108
Swamp Sparrow	10
White-throated Sparrow	485
White-crowned Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	700
N. Cardinal	115
Towhee	16
Red-winged Blackbird	2083
E. Meadowlark	31
Rusty Blackbird	36
Common Grackle	5604
Brown-headed Cowbird	245
*blackbird sp.	360
Purple Finch	1
House Finch	166
Am. Goldfinch	75
Rose-breasted Grosbeak                    2
Black-headed Grosbeak	1
House Sparrow	270
Lapland Longspur	1

Black-headed grosbeak visits Denton - a first for Caroline County

photo by Mike Framptom-Price

A first winter male black-headed grosbeak has been seen in Bill Miller's yard since Dec 19 - 600 Market Street - south corner of Market Street and 6th street. You can view his feeders from the sidewalk on Market, so will not have to trespass. A first for Caroline County!

Happy Holidays from Caroline County Bird Club!

Looking for holiday gifts for the birder in your life?  Check out the Maryland Ornithological Society’s web site - http://www.mdbirds.org/ for links to their online nature store and link to Eagle Optics.

Just a reminder for you younger folks interested in birding and the environment, check out the Youth Division of Maryland Ornithological Society’s web site – http://www.ymos.org.  They have all sorts of activities throughout the state and year.

Got your feeders out this winter for the birds?  Check out the National Bird Feeding Society for more ideas - http://www.birdfeeding.org/ .

Dec 2011 - May 2012 schedule

More details will be added later --

 

Saturday, December 17, 2010 - Christmas Bird Count. Coordinator:  Steve Westre.   swestre26@comcast.net      

Thursday, January 19.  Program.   “Alaska” presented by Wayne Bell and Les Coble.   7:30 PM, Caroline County Public Library, 100 Market St., Denton.

Thursday, February 16 – Program.  Movie  TBA

Thursday, March 15 – Program.  “Using Hatcheries to help restore oysters to Chesapeake Bay” presented by Don Meritt. 7:30 PM, Caroline County Public Library, 100 Market St., Denton.

Thursday, April 19 – Program.  “A Year on the Road with North American Birds” presented by  Ron Gutberlet. 7:30 PM, Caroline County Public Library, 100 Market St., Denton.

Saturday, May 12 – May Bird Count.  Coordinator:  Debby Bennett.  dabennett1996@gmail.com

Thursday, May 17 – Program.  “Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage’s Monarchs Tagging program” presented by  Andi Pupke. 7:30 PM, Caroline County Public Library, 100 Market St., Denton.

CANCELED - Sunday, November 20 – Pelot Sanctuary cleanup

Sunday, November 20 – Pelot Sanctuary cleanup has been canceled due to wet conditions following the recent rain.

We will reschedule most likely in the Spring.

Thursday November 17 program - “Bird Photography in the Digital Age”

Wil and Donna Hershberger will present "Bird Photography in the Digital Age”

 

Time and Place:  7:30 PM, Caroline County Public Library, 100 Market St., Denton.

Wil Hershberger has been an avid naturalist most of his life. After becoming an accomplished and well-respected birder, photography skills learned in his Dad’s basement darkroom were rekindled. Today his photography has become an extension of his passion for the natural world. He has an innate ability to capture the natural world in an artistic way. A few years ago, Wil and his wife Donna formed Nature Images and Sounds, LLC. Together, they photograph everything from birds to bugs, participate in art shows and teach nature photography workshops. Wil is also an accomplished sound recordist. Most of his recordings, including birds and bugs are archived at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Macauley Library of Natural Sounds. Through their photography and sound recordings, they hope to instill in others the desire to protect and save these sacred natural treasures.

All Caroline County Bird Club events are activities are free and open to the public.

For more information about the club, go to:  http://carolinebirdclubmos.blogspot.com

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