Spocott Wildlife Management Area

Spocott Wildlife Management Area

Location: 38.583N, 76.175W

Habitat: Residential, Crop Farming, Meadow and Scrub, Young Pine Forest

Area: 250 acres

Target Species: Bobwhite, Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Prairie Warbler, Chat, Wood Duck

Breeding Species:

Most Common
Annual Breeder             Rare Breeder

GOOSE, Canada SWIFT, Chimney NUTHATCH, Brown-headed SPARROW, Chipping
DUCK, Wood HUMMINGBIRD, R-throat WREN, Carolina SPARROW, Field
MALLARD WOODPECKER, Red-bel WREN, House SPARROW, Grasshopper
TURKEY, Wild WOODPECKER, Downy BLUEBIRD, Eastern CARDINAL, Northern
BOBWHITE FLICKER, Northern ROBIN, American GROSBEAK, Blue
HERON, Great Blue FLYCATCHER, Great Crest CATBIRD, Gray BUNTING, Indigo
HERON, Green KINGBIRD, Eastern MOCKINGBIRD, Nor MEADOWLARK, Eastern
OSPREY JAY, Blue THRASHER, Brown BLACKBIRD, Red-winged
EAGLE, Bald – nearby CROW, American STARLING, European GRACKLE, Common
HAWK, Cooper’s CROW, Fish WAXWING, Cedar COWBIRD, Brown-headed
HAWK, Red-tailed LARK, Horned WARBLER, Pine ORIOLE, Orchard
KILLDEER MARTIN, Purple WARBLER, Prairie FINCH, House
DOVE, Mourning SWALLOW, Barn CHAT, Yellow-breasted GOLDFINCH, American
CUCKOO, YB SWALLOW, Tree OVENBIRD DICKCISSEL
SCREECH-OWL, Eastern CHICKADEE, Carolina YELLOWTHROAT, Com SPARROW, House
OWL, Great Horned TITMOUSE, Tufted TOWHEE, Eastern

Management Practices:

  • 3 Ponds/Shallow Water Areas installed
  • 17 Bird Boxes maintained
  • 100 foot CREP grass strips planted around most agricultural fields
  • Brush piles
  • 30 acres maintained as transitional meadow/brush habitat – mowed every 2-3 years
  • Mowed area being reduced with tree planting creating greenways connecting small habitat areas

New Breeding Species in last 5 years:

  • Wood Duck
  • Prairie Warbler
  • Yellow-breasted Chat
  • Dickcissel

Questions:

  • Chat, Dickcissel, and Prairie Warbler are probable breeders. Can we confirm them?
  • Tree Swallows using bird boxes have fledged. Have they left the area?
  • Are Grasshopper Sparrows increasing in numbers on the property? Highest count last 2 years was 8 singing birds.
  • Are Bobwhites declining? Three singing birds was high count last 2 years.
  • Are Meadowlarks increasing? Three singing birds during breeding season was high count last 2 years.
  • Osprey Nests – 5 visible nests last year