Janet Crawford reports:
Location: Heislerville WMA
Observation date: 4/22/10
Notes: CMBO walk at Heislerville - In spite of the fact that the Matt's Landing Impoundment has not been drawn down much, shorebirds were using the sandbars that are now visible. Forsters Terns were doing courting displays. We had six Heron species, including Little Blue and Tri-colored. We saw a second year and an adult Bald Eagle. Between Heislerville and Thompson's Beach we tallied 17 Osprey, one of whom was carrying nesting material, being chased by another, and one that flew by with a fish, and perched on a nearby piling to eat it. At Thompson's Beach, we also got a good look at a Northern Harrier.
Number of species: 35
Canada Goose 2
Mute Swan 1
American Black Duck 3
Lesser Scaup 1
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 12
Snowy Egret 6
Little Blue Heron 1
Tricolored Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 10
Glossy Ibis 18
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 21
Killdeer 1
Greater Yellowlegs 32
Willet (Western) 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 35
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 250
Short-billed Dowitcher 9
Laughing Gull 15
Ring-billed Gull 4
Herring Gull 27
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Forster's Tern 39
Tree Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 3
European Starling 3
Red-winged Blackbird 23
Common Grackle 7
Location: Thompsons Beach
Observation date: 4/22/10
Notes: CMBO Heislerville walk
Number of species: 21
Canada Goose 4
American Black Duck 6
Mallard 4
Green-winged Teal 25
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 6
Osprey 14
Northern Harrier 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Clapper Rail 10
Laughing Gull 3
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Forster's Tern 18
Mourning Dove 3
Tree Swallow 14
Barn Swallow 9
European Starling 4
Eastern Towhee 1
Red-winged Blackbird 17
