Howard County Bird Club

A Chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS)


Field Trip: Saturday, November 13, 2010

Trip Leader: Schwarz, Kurt

Date of Trip: Saturday, November 12, 2011

Location: Howard Waterfowl Search

Details: Half day+. Clear weather, occasional wind gusts. An extraordinary day. We had good looks at a Winter Wren at Elkhorn, only to be topped by the Snow Bunting found by Allen Lewis.

Number on trip: 9

20111112A (144K)

Photo by Kevin Heffernan


(Numbers of individuals are shown if they were recorded.)

  • Canada Goose: 717
  • American Black Duck: 1
  • Mallard:
  • Northern Shoveler: 2
  • Ring-necked Duck: 11
  • Hooded Merganser: 2
  • Ruddy Duck: 2
  • Common Loon: 1
  • Pied-billed Grebe: 11
  • Horned Grebe: 1
  • Red-necked Grebe: 1
  • Western Grebe: 1
  • Great Blue Heron: 2
  • Black Vulture: 1
  • Turkey Vulture: 4
  • Bald Eagle: 2
  • Red-tailed Hawk: 4
  • American Coot: 3
  • Ring-billed Gull: 25
  • Mourning Dove: 1
  • Belted Kingfisher: 1
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker: 1
  • Downy Woodpecker: 6
  • Hairy Woodpecker: 2
  • Pileated Woodpecker: 3
  • Blue Jay: 7
  • American Crow: 12
  • Fish Crow: 3
  • Carolina Chickadee: 9
  • Tufted Titmouse: 9
  • White-breasted Nuthatch: 3
  • Carolina Wren: 3
  • Winter Wren: 2
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 2
  • Eastern Bluebird: 6
  • American Robin: 60
  • Northern Mockingbird: 2
  • European Starling: 2
  • Snow Bunting: 1
  • Song Sparrow: 11
  • Dark-eyed Junco: 3
  • Northern Cardinal: 23
  • American Goldfinch: 1
  • House Sparrow: 41

Comments: Lake Kittamaqundi and Wilde Lake were uninteresting. The Northern Shovelers continued at Centennial, two females were located. Also a small Canada Goose generated some excitement, but was judged based on bill length to be a Canada after all. The real highlight proved to be the so-called Pipeline at Greenbridge, Triadelphia Reservoir. A Red-necked Grebe had been found, but by the time the bulk of the group arrived, another controversial grebe was in site. An vigorous discussion and re-examination of the photos revealed that it was the second ever Western Grebe found in Howard County. A small number then continued on to Fulton Pond, where the American Golden Plover continued its stay for the fourth day.