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11 May Southern St. Mary's Co., May Count totals [Matt Tillett ] 11 May Laurel May Count results 5/10/08 ["Derek C. Richardson" ] 11 May Lake Waterford Pasadena [Saundra Byrd ] 11 May Cylburn Arboretum, 05/11/08 [Kevin Graff ] 11 May (OT): Wood Sandpiper updates [Rob Hilton ] 11 May Backyard excitement on Mother's Day [Cedar Waxwing ] 11 May Milford Mill - Summer Tanager [Steve Sanford ] 11 May PV State Park [Steve Schwemmer ] 11 May PV State Park [Steve Schwemmer ] 11 May Re: Wood Sandpiper-Yes-Extralim [Don Burggraf ] 11 May Bobolinks in Callaway, St. Mary's [James Tyler Bell ] 11 May World Series of Birding, Cape May 2008 [jim brighton ] 11 May Blue Mash Nature Trail ["Marko, Thomas L. GS BUMED" ] 11 May Jug Bay May Count (P.G. County); MIKI! [Jeff Shenot ] 11 May Sewells Orchard/Both Orioles [Jenny McClintock ] 11 May Washington County highlights 5/10-11 [Hans Holbrook ] 11 May White-headed White-Throated Sparrow [John McKitterick ] 11 May White-Crowned Sparrow in Bethesda (Mont. Co.) Backyard [Jim and Ann Nelson ] 11 May Rock Creek Park, DC, Sun., 5/11 [Wallace Kornack ] 11 May Re: Sewell's Orchard/Late Junco? [Jenny McClintock ] 11 May Re: Fairmount WMA & vicinity 5/10/08 [Bob Ringler ] 11 May Fairmount WMA & vicinity 5/10/08 [Bob Ringler ] 11 May Fort Smallwood: Seaside Sparrow, Summer Tanager [Matthew Grey ] 10 May Re: BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS, Beltsville [Colin Hebert ] 10 May Re: BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS, Beltsville [Douglas Bolt ] 10 May Re: BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS, Beltsville [Colin Hebert ] 10 May Sewell's Orchard/Late Junco? [Jenny McClintock ] 10 May IMBD: CVP & BZ, 05/10/08 [Kevin Graff ] 10 May Sandy Point State Park - Saturday [Eric Skrzypczak ] 10 May Spring Count in Calvert Co, 5/10/08 [Kurt Gaskill ] 10 May May Count Turkey Point [Patricia Valdata ] 10 May May Count at North Point State Park and Fort Howard [Taylor McLean ] 10 May Rose Breasted Grosbeak [George Lane ] 10 May Wood Sandpiper-Yes-Extralim [Winger and June West ] 10 May Blackpoll Warbler in my Oak Tree??? [Cathryn Reid ] 10 May Update from Hains Pt. + [Paul Pisano ] 10 May Upper Watts Branch Park for 5/10 [Paul O'Brien ] 10 May Pine Siskin and Grosbeak's [Sean McCandless ] 10 May Re: Greenbury Point strange sparrow [Scott Michaud ] 10 May Greenbury Point strange sparrow [Scott Michaud ] 10 May Re: Franklin's Gull continues in DC ["Gail B. Mackiernan ] 10 May Franklin's Gull continues in DC [Rob Hilton ] 10 May Re: Narthern Parula Prettyboy [Eileen Wise ] 10 May Narthern Parula Prettyboy [Eileen Wise ] 9 May Harford County, Little Big Day, 5/8 [Joel Martin ] 9 May Susquehanna SP [Lin Just ] 9 May Sorry -- it is a FIRST summer Franklin's Gull! ["Gail B. Mackiernan ] 9 May Re: rare visitor to Bethesda Yard, May 9 [Leo Weigant ] 9 May Re: More on Franklin's Gull in DC [Bob Ringler ] 9 May Re: rare visitor to Bethesda Yard, May 9 [Bob Ringler ] 9 May rare visitor to Bethesda Yard, May 9 [Michael Bowen ] 9 May Black-bellied, Semipalmated Plover, Other Shorebirds - North Branch C&O [David Yeany II ] Subject: Southern St. Mary's Co., May Count totals From: Matt Tillett <mentalmatt88 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 23:10:07 -0400 Hi all, Patty Craig, Anne Bishop, Jim Boxwell and I birded southern St. Mary's Co. from about Hermanville, to Point Lookout. We logged over 102 miles by car, and bit over four miles by foot. In spite of the early terrible weather, we logged 90 (of 118) species by 8:30am. The weather cleared by midday- here are a few highlights: Cornfield Harbor Rd.: two GREAT-HORNED OWLS VIRGINIA RAIL 500+ BOBOLINKS in the rye fields Private Land off Cornfield Harbor: WILLET BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS ORCHARD and BALTIMORE ORIOLES galore -1 baby Groundhog. The owner's Jack Russel Terrier munched on it as we left Elms: Lots of LEAST and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS Pt. Lookout: many BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES GLOSSY IBIS (two-ship fly-by) GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH VEERY two ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK I've posted a few pictures (www.flickr.com/photos/mattyfioner) and the full list below. Good birding! Matt Tillett Linthicum, MD Location: Southern St. Mary's County Observation date: 5/10/08 Notes: 2008 May Count, Southern St Mary's County with Patty Craig, Anne Bishop and Jim Boxwell Number of species: 118 Canada Goose 54 Mute Swan 6 Red-breasted Merganser 3 Common Loon 3 Great Blue Heron 46 Snowy Egret 1 Cattle Egret 38 Green Heron 1 Glossy Ibis 2 Black Vulture 12 Turkey Vulture 14 Osprey 26 Bald Eagle 9 Northern Harrier 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 Clapper Rail 6 Virginia Rail 2 Black-bellied Plover 1 Semipalmated Plover 6 Killdeer 7 Spotted Sandpiper 9 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Willet 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Sanderling 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper 22 Least Sandpiper 14 Short-billed Dowitcher 1 Laughing Gull 38 Ring-billed Gull 3 Herring Gull 55 Great Black-backed Gull 3 Caspian Tern 1 Forster's Tern 7 Royal Tern 5 Mourning Dove 14 Great Horned Owl 2 Barred Owl 4 Chimney Swift 6 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 6 Downy Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 3 Acadian Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 7 Eastern Kingbird 13 White-eyed Vireo 6 Red-eyed Vireo 13 Blue Jay 16 American Crow 65 Fish Crow 3 Horned Lark 3 Purple Martin 1 Tree Swallow 7 Barn Swallow 74 Carolina Chickadee 8 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown-headed Nuthatch 15 Carolina Wren 10 House Wren 3 Marsh Wren 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Eastern Bluebird 28 Veery 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 Wood Thrush 1 American Robin 15 Gray Catbird 10 Northern Mockingbird 26 Brown Thrasher 9 European Starling 36 Cedar Waxwing 44 Northern Parula 16 Yellow Warbler 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5 Pine Warbler 18 Prairie Warbler 9 Blackpoll Warbler 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 American Redstart 1 Worm-eating Warbler 1 Ovenbird 10 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Common Yellowthroat 15 Yellow-breasted Chat 3 Summer Tanager 1 Scarlet Tanager 3 Eastern Towhee 4 Chipping Sparrow 20 Field Sparrow 2 Savannah Sparrow 14 Grasshopper Sparrow 13 Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow 2 Seaside Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 80 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 Blue Grosbeak 8 Indigo Bunting 19 Bobolink 520 Red-winged Blackbird 350 Eastern Meadowlark 8 Common Grackle 75 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 Orchard Oriole 21 Baltimore Oriole 9 House Finch 11 American Goldfinch 17 House Sparrow 10 Subject: Laurel May Count results 5/10/08 From: "Derek C. Richardson" <dcr AT ASTRO.UMD.EDU> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 22:54:21 -0400 Sorry for the delay: it took a while to compile these results. I explored the greater Laurel region in PG county on Saturday as part of the May count. Pouring rain made for a lacklaster start, but things picked up eventually, especially once the sun came out in the afternoon. I identified 80 species at various locations, including my yard, Rocky Gorge Reservoir, and several "hotspots" around town. Here's my report (details available on request): Start time: 05h45 End time: 23h30 Time birding: 14h45 Time driving: 01h25 Miles walking: 6.9 mi Miles driving: 26.3 mi Time owling: 00h30 Miles owling: 0.2 mi Weather: 05h45: 50F, rain, calm; midday: 65F, mostly cloud, windy; 20h00: 59F, clear, calm Canada Goose 58 Mallard 25 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 4 Green Heron 4 Black Vulture 4 Turkey Vulture 4 Cooper's Hawk 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Solitary Sandpiper 3 Rock Pigeon 3 Mourning Dove 24 Chimney Swift 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 8 Downy Woodpecker 6 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 7 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Acadian Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 7 Eastern Kingbird 4 White-eyed Vireo 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 1 Warbling Vireo 3 Red-eyed Vireo 14 Blue Jay 12 American Crow 14 Fish Crow 3 crow sp 2 Tree Swallow 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Cliff Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 7 Carolina Chickadee 12 Tufted Titmouse 11 White-breasted Nuthatch 5 Carolina Wren 23 House Wren 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10 Eastern Bluebird 2 Veery 1 Swainson's Thrush 2 Wood Thrush 5 American Robin 44 Gray Catbird 16 Northern Mockingbird 7 European Starling 54 Nashville Warbler 1 Northern Parula 8 Yellow Warbler 1 Magnolia Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 10 Black-throated Green Warbler 4 Pine Warbler 2 Blackpoll Warbler 3 American Redstart 2 Worm-eating Warbler 2 Ovenbird 4 Common Yellowthroat 15 Yellow-breasted Chat 2 Scarlet Tanager 2 Eastern Towhee 12 Chipping Sparrow 8 Field Sparrow 3 Savannah Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 8 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 34 Blue Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 7 Red-winged Blackbird 5 Common Grackle 50 Brown-headed Cowbird 12 Baltimore Oriole 4 House Finch 16 American Goldfinch 12 House Sparrow 27 Thanks also to Frances, who helped bird the yard, Bob Elvander, who joined me for part of the survey at Rocky Gorge Reservoir, and Timothy Spahr and Ryan Farrell for assistance with some voice IDs. D -- Derek C. Richardson, Laurel, PG County, MD http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/Archives/Photos/birds.html Subject: Lake Waterford Pasadena From: Saundra Byrd <byrdwatcher5 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 21:31:51 -0400 Hi Everyone, Had a Mothers Day picnic at Lake Waterford . One of the uninvited guests that stayed all day was the Redshouldered Hawk. He stalked the area all day ! Staying low to the ground in the wooded area . Landed 3 different times about 15 feet up for close up photos . I did asked the Park ranger if there were nest in the area and he said there were. I seen a few possible nest but didnt see anything in them. Also here were Scarlet tanager , Baltimore oriole , and a Great crested Flycatcher close by the lake that also stayed the whole day. Saundra Byrd byrdwatcher5 AT yahoo.com baltimore Subject: Cylburn Arboretum, 05/11/08 From: Kevin Graff <whitemarlin2001 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 17:19:52 -0700 Hi all, It's one of the rare day at Cylburn and a big fallout near Circle Trail before Stump Dump Trail. Our normal average on weekly walk here at Cylburn is 42 species. Today we had 15 warbler species and 65 species total and the highest we had in a long time. 05/11/08 - 8am-1145am Cylburn Arboretum, Greenspring Ave., Cold Spring- Newtown section of Baltimore, MD WEATHER: Overcast, 53-60 degrees, calm- SE 10 mph LEADER: No designated leader for this Self-Guided Walk - sixth of the series weekly birdwalk. Next and last bird walk on 5/18/08 at 830am (I'll be at other birdwalk on the 18th) OBSERVERS: 8 Mallard - 2 Common Loon - 1 Black Vulture - 1 Turkey Vulture - 3 Red-tailed Hawk - 2 Solitary Sandpiper - 1 Rock Pigeon - 6 Mourning Dove - 6 Chimney Swift - 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 (seen by one observer) Pileated Woodpecker - 1 (heard by one observer) Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1 Acadian Flycatcher - 2 Eastern Phoebe - 1 Eastern Kingbird - 1 Warbling Vireo - 3 Red-eyed Vireo - 18 Blue Jay - 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 4 Barn Swallow - 4 Carolina Chickadee - 4 Tufted Titmouse - 3 White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 Carolina Wren - 3 House Wren - 2 (seen by one observer) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 3 Veery - 3 (seen by few) Gray-cheeked Thrush - 1 (seen by two observers) Wood Thrush - 4 American Robin - 45 Gray Catbird - 36 Northern Mockingbird - 3 European Starling - 5 Cedar Waxwing - 2 (seen by one observer) Blue-winged Warbler - 1 (heard by one observer) Nashville Warbler - 1 Northern Parula - 4 Yellow Warbler - 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1 (heard by one observer) Magnolia Warbler - 3 Black-throated Blue Warbler - 8 (one female) Yellow-rumped Warbler - 19 Black-throated Green Warbler - 2 (M & F) Blackpoll Warbler - 3 Ovenbird - 3 Common Yellowthroat - 2 Hooded Warbler - 1 (heard by one observer) Wilson's Warbler - 1 Canada Warbler - 1 Scarlet Tanager - 2 Eastern Towhee - 6 Chipping Sparrow - 4 Song Sparrow - 2 Northern Cardinal - 9 (one fledged) Indigo Bunting - 1 (heard by one observer) Red-winged Blackbird - 2 Common Grackle - 6 Brown-headed Cowbird - 6 Orchard Oriole - 2 Baltimore Oriole - 5 House Finch - 3 American Goldfinch - 6 SPECIES: 65 TOTAL BIRDS: 294 MAMMALS Gray Squirrel - 18 BUTTERFLIES Cabbage White - 1 Kevin Graff Jarrettsville, MD & West O.C., MD WhiteMarlin2001 AT yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: (OT): Wood Sandpiper updates From: Rob Hilton <aimophila10 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 16:55:56 -0700 Don et al -- Check here for updates on the Delaware Wood Sandpiper http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/DEBD.html ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Backyard excitement on Mother's Day From: Cedar Waxwing <waxwing AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 19:30:46 -0400 I wish I knew my raptors better, because then I could tell you what kind of hawk was involved in the excitement this afternoon. At around 2:30 this afternoon I heard a bird call I don't hear a whole lot. I thought about what it could be, then remembered -- blue jay. Ok, so blue jays are not that exciting, but I figured I'd go take a look anyway. I peered out into the back yard and was surprised to see a medium sized hawk with black stripes on its tail sitting on the top of our trampoline net. Then I saw, on the floor of the trampoline, three mourning doves. They looked, understandably, agitated. They'd try to fly up to escape, and the hawk would dive at them, but fly to the opposite side of the trampoline. Whenever the hawk moved, a pair of blue jays would dive at the hawk from branches above the trampoline. This happened several times and I wondered if I should go save the doves because it looked dire for them. Plus I wanted a photo or movie of the situation and sent my son to find my camera. After a few minutes (and before my son found the camera), the hawk flew away. The mourning doves were either exhausted or too scared to fly well, because they couldn't seem to fly out of the enclosure. My kids went out and opened the flap of the trampoline net and the doves walked out of the enclosure and flew away. Not a rare bird, but a rare event, at least for our house. Dona Huntington Terrace, Bethesda. Subject: Milford Mill - Summer Tanager From: Steve Sanford <scartan AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 19:19:55 -0400 This morning's Baltimore Bird Club field trip at Milford Mill Park (Baltimore Co) was pleasantly birdy despite the gray, late-winter-like weather. The star bird was a Summer Tanager, first heard singing and calling "ticky-tuck," and then seen. We had 13 species of warbler, and we even SAW a few of them, such as the Black-throated Green, although most remained heard-only. We had good looks at Scarlet Tanagers, several dueling Baltimore Orioles, and a few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Seven birders participated including myself as leader substituting for Bryce Butler somewhere out West. Location: Milford Mill Park Observation date: 5/11/08 Notes: Baltimore Bird Club Field Trip led by Steve Sanford. 7 participants Number of species: 49 Canada Goose 5 Mallard 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 5 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 2 swallow sp. 1 Carolina Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 2 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Veery 1 (heard only) Wood Thrush 4 American Robin 5 Gray Catbird 5 European Starling 1 Nashville Warbler 1 Northern Parula 3 Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 Magnolia Warbler 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 [well-seen] Black-and-white Warbler 2 American Redstart 4 Ovenbird 2 Northern Waterthrush 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Hooded Warbler 1 Summer Tanager 1 *** Male bird, red, but yellow in wing areas seen by most of us. Sang vigorously over 20+ minutes and gave ticky-tuck notes occasionally. Has been encountered here once or twice in recent years Scarlet Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3 Indigo Bunting 1 Common Grackle 10 Common Grackle (Purple) 1 [outstandingly purple!] Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Baltimore Oriole 3 House Finch 1 American Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 1 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) [I finally got started on ebird. Good, simple system!] Apres moi, le deluge, Steve Sanford Randallstown, Baltimore County scartan^at^verizon^dot^net Subject: PV State Park From: Steve Schwemmer <steveschwemmer AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 16:03:01 -0700 Sorry I hit the send button too early. There are two adult and one immature YCNH at Lost Lake in the Avalon area of the Patapsco Valley State Park, reported by Jenny McClintock a week ago. Just up the steep hill in the Glen Artney area several OVENBIRDS were calling yesterday. Several miles upriver on the trail called Alberton Road, I heard several WORM-EATING WARBLERS last weekend and saw one. There was a group of them about one-half mile up the path from Dogwood Road. Steve Schwemmer Catonsville, Maryland steveschwemmer AT yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: PV State Park From: Steve Schwemmer <steveschwemmer AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 15:48:30 -0700 YC NIGHT HERONS continue to roost at Lost Lake in the Avalon area Steve Schwemmer Catonsville, Maryland steveschwemmer AT yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Re: Wood Sandpiper-Yes-Extralim From: Don Burggraf <dburggraf AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 22:16:54 +0000 Hi The guidelines for MDOsprey do not include updates on extralimitals, I know. I *don't* know where to look for updates for this bird. Any suggestions? Don Burggraf Baltimore dburggraf AT hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Get Free (PRODUCT) RED™ Emoticons, Winks and Display Pics. http://joinred.spaces.live.com?ocid=TXT_HMTG_prodredemoticons_052008 Subject: Bobolinks in Callaway, St. Mary's From: James Tyler Bell <jtylerbell AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 15:03:32 -0700 Usually we get a dozen or so Bobolinks on May Count. I don't know if it was because of the rain or if the field was in perfect condition but I had at least 120 Bobolinks yesterday just south of Camp Casoma Rd. near the entrance to St. Mary's River State Park. Jane and I went back today and they were still there but much more vocal. When you pass the park entrance going south, keep an eye out on the left for Lily Lane. Shortly after that on the left will be a barn and a wooden fence. The field is there. We also found about 20 Bobolinks along Clark's Mill Rd. in California which is accessed from Mervel Dean Rd. across from the Outback Steakhouse. Other species of note were a Cliff Swallow in a feeding flock over the lake at SMRSP as well as a Tree Swallow sitting in a hollow standing dead tree near the floating dock. You could clearly see nesting material sticking out and the bird never moved both yesterday and today. Also, this morning, at St. Mary's College, Jane and I had a Cerulean Warbler. I don't know what other people's experiences were yesterday but it was certainly the wettest May Count ever. When it wasn't raining, there were lots of birds but when it started raining, it was very difficult to locate birds because so many leaves were in motion giving the idea that there were birds everywhere. And, they weren't singing during the rain. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?!    Tyler Bell jtylerbell AT yahoo.com California, Maryland ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: World Series of Birding, Cape May 2008 From: jim brighton <jdbrighton3 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 21:43:26 +0000 Hey everyone, Just wanted to let everyone know that the MOS Yellowthroats won again this year with a total of 187 birds. I will write a summary of the Big Day and post to MDOsprey in the next couple days. Thanks to MOS for sponsering us again this year and Matt Hafner who even though he wasn't able to join us this year kept us updated during scouting and gave us invaluable insights into planning and logistics. Jim Brighton Easton, MD jdbrighton3 AT hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Get Free (PRODUCT) RED™ Emoticons, Winks and Display Pics. http://joinred.spaces.live.com?ocid=TXT_HMTG_prodredemoticons_052008 Subject: Blue Mash Nature Trail From: "Marko, Thomas L. GS BUMED" <Thomas.Marko AT MED.NAVY.MIL> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 15:53:23 -0400 Blue Mash Nature Trail, Zion Road Section, Montgomery County, 11 May Apr 08, 0715-1000 Jeez it was cool this morning walking around Blue Mash. I wish I had a pair of gloves with me because my fingers were quite numb by the time I got back to the car. Birding was so-so with 45 species observed or heard. Best birds included: Greater Yellowlegs-1 Solitary Sandpiper-2 Spotted Sandpiper-2 Black-billed Cuckoo-1 (heard across Zion Road) Great Crested Flycatcher-1 (heard) Eastern Kingbird-3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-1 (on nest) Wood Thrush (1 seen, several heard) Ovenbird-2 (pair on branch) Yellow-breasted Chat (1 seen, 2 heard) Scarlet Tanager-2 LINCOLN'S SPARROW-1 Indigo Bunting-3 Tom Marko Olney, MD Montgomery Bird Club thomas.marko AT med.navy.mil Subject: Jug Bay May Count (P.G. County); MIKI! From: Jeff Shenot <jugbay AT MSN.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 15:25:34 -0400 Simply one of the best birdwatching days I’ve ever had, I was birding around Jug Bay (plus a short trip to the Brown Station landfill for a trash run) for the May Count. 110 species in 9.5 hours. Highlights were my first MISSISSIPPI KITE!!; plus a Sora; 7 shorebird species; Horned Lark singing at the airfield at Selby's Landing; 18 warblers including a brilliant Cape May (probably the same male I saw and reported on Thursday; it was singing in same location at PRP headquarters at Jackson Landing); and Bobolinks singing at Mt Calvert. Numbers for each will be provided to Prince Georges County compiler Fred Fallon after I tally all my little sheets up! The MIKI was seen at 1:35 pm. I saw it soring about 300 yards from me, and my immediate thought was KITE!! But when I got it in my bins, I was not sure it wasn’t a male harrier at first, and to my amazement and great fortune, it veered and came directly toward me. When it came directly over my head I almost fell over with excitement when I positively identified it. It came on a flight path directly down the Chesapeake Beach Rail (defunct) ROW, drifting SE toward me at Mt. Calvert Rd, and when it passed over Mt. Calvert Rd it began to circle and caught a thermal up. A crude estimate would be about 1250-1500 feet elevation. Then it began to tuck and seemed to be on a stoop, but when it got down to around 200 feet it untucked and pulled up, then resumed into a drift. This time it drifted back NNE back toward where it came from, approximately in the direction of Upper Marlboro. I quickly lost sight of it when it went over some tree tops out of my view. Seems like it was simply saying hello!; I had the birdwatching equivalent of winning the lottery! Loon sp. (fly-by; probably Common) Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Green Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Osprey MISSISSIPPI KITE Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Wild Turkey Sora Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Forster's Tern Mourning Dove Barn Owl Barred Owl Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great-crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Horned Lark Purple Martin Tree Swallow Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Marsh Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Wood Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Song Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow Cheers! Jeff Shenot Croom MD Subject: Sewells Orchard/Both Orioles From: Jenny McClintock <jennymcclintock AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 13:51:11 -0400 On my walk around Sewells Orchard Ponds in Columbia and the nearby bike path on this rain-threated Mother's Day, I watched a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE patrol the ponds, going from tree to tree, singing and chasing RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. Also, saw ORCHARD ORIOLES (a first-year male and female ) and watched a female COMMON YELLOWTHROAT make several trips carrying dried reeds to her nest in the tall grass at the dam end of the lower pond. I also discovered the "exploded" remains of a MOURNING DOVE on the path (obviously an attack by either our local red-shouldered hawks or the COOPERS HAWK I saw flying over) My JUNCO is still hanging around. Jenny McClintock Columbia, MD Complete list: Location: Sewell's Orchard Pond Observation date: 5/11/08 Number of species: 39 Canada Goose 7 Mallard 4 Green Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 American Coot 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Mourning Dove 6 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 3 Eastern Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 1 Barn Swallow 2 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 2 House Wren 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 American Robin 14 Gray Catbird 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 4 Cedar Waxwing 2 Yellow Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Song Sparrow 3 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Northern Cardinal 6 Red-winged Blackbird 12 Common Grackle 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 Orchard Oriole 2 Baltimore Oriole 1 House Finch 20 American Goldfinch 4 House Sparrow 40 Subject: Washington County highlights 5/10-11 From: Hans Holbrook <hansholbrook AT MSN.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 17:09:43 +0000 May 10th I spent most of the morning trying to relocate the Neotropic Cormorant without success. I worked back and forth from Weverton to Harpers Ferry. Lots of orioles, Warbling Vireos, swallows, and swifts. At Wverton there were 2 female Red-breasted Mergansers and a Prothonotary Warbler. Driving north on Rt. 67 I had a Great Egret, a Blue Grosbeak, and a Grasshopper Sparrow. Just off Mt. Carmel Church Road there was a Semipalmated Sandpiper in a storm water pond, a county bird for me. To the north along King Road there was 1 Lesser Yellowlegs. Boonsboro WWTP had 3 Least Sandpipers along with 22 Spotted Sandpipers. May 11th 1 Blackpoll and 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler singing in the yard when I woke up this morning. I decided to head west rather than look for the cormorant again. I stopped at the Hagerstown Center on Route 40 west of town for some breakfast. I decided to first check a pond behind the shopping center, 1 Stilt Sandpiper, county bird! Possibly a first county record. Jim Stasz and Ed Boyd showed up about twenty minutes later. Also at the pond were 2 Blue-winged Teal and a Least Sandpiper. Hans Holbrook hansholbrook AT msn.com Hagerstown, MD _________________________________________________________________ With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you. http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008 Subject: White-headed White-Throated Sparrow From: John McKitterick <jbmck AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 11:56:01 -0400 I had a brief look at a very odd sparrow at my feeder this morning. He had a completely white head, including a white throat, as if he were wearing a white football helmet, but the white throat and the look of the back said to me that it was a white-throated sparrow with no black on its head. Very odd looking indeed. --John McKitterick Columbia, MD Subject: White-Crowned Sparrow in Bethesda (Mont. Co.) Backyard From: Jim and Ann Nelson <Kingfishers2 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 11:48:18 -0400 We're only a few blocks from Mike Bowen, and we just had a nice White-crowned Sparrow visit our backyard this morning (Sunday). I guess it's been wandering the neighborhood. Jim Nelson Bethesda, MD Subject: Rock Creek Park, DC, Sun., 5/11 From: Wallace Kornack <wallace AT KORNACK.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 11:43:55 -0400 Large turnout of birders(25+) at Rock Creek Park this cool morning. The best bird of the day was the TENNESSEE WARBLER, spotted by Dave Bolton and seen by many. The BAY-BREASTED was reportedly seen by others in the maintenance yard; fellow birders and I heard it but could not track it down. Highlights: TENNESSEE WARBLER (Dave) Northern Parula 2 Yellow Warbler (Dave) Magnolia Warbler 2 Black-throated Blue Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 8 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (heard/seen) Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart 2 Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler (heard by P. DeAnna) Common Loon 2 (fly over--heard but seen by others) Red-shouldered Hawk Eastern Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher (heard) White-eyed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Eastern Bluebird Veery 2 Swainson's Thrush 2 Wood Thrush Scarlet Tanager White-throated Sparrow Baltimore Oriole 4 Have Fun Birding! Wallace Kornack Washington DC Subject: Re: Sewell's Orchard/Late Junco? From: Jenny McClintock <jennymcclintock AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 10:15:56 -0400 Sorry, I meant to list RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER not RED-HEADED. (oops) I will fix this in ebird too! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny McClintock" To: Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 9:25 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Sewell's Orchard/Late Junco? I took a walk around the ponds after the rain let up this morning. There seemed to be a YELLOW WARBLER convention - 6 at our small habitat. Still no BLACKPOLLS this year yet. There were SO many last year at this time. Also, there was a late JUNCO at my feeders. Is he not able to make the flight or is just lagging? Here is the complete list: Canada Goose 2 Mallard 6 Great Blue Heron 1 Green Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 1 American Coot 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Mourning Dove 4 Chimney Swift 1 Red-headed Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Eastern Kingbird 2 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Barn Swallow 4 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 4 House Wren 2 American Robin 5 Gray Catbird 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 2 Yellow Warbler 6 Common Yellowthroat 1 Song Sparrow 2 White-throated Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Northern Cardinal 10 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Common Grackle 10 House Finch 6 American Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 25 Jenny McClintock Columbia, MD -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.11/1422 - Release Date: 5/8/2008 5:24 PM Subject: Re: Fairmount WMA & vicinity 5/10/08 From: Bob Ringler <ringler1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 13:45:46 +0000 I managed to omit the rails from my list which should follow Red-tailed Hawk: Clapper Rail 25, including one swimming across a narrow boat channel, another next to the road Virginia Rail 9, including one walking in the open -- Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.net -------------- Original message -------------- From: ringler1 AT comcast.net For the second consecutive year I did the May Count at Fairmount WMA and surrounding area in Somerset County. In the morning there was intermittent rain, heavy at times, that began at dawn. Later there was partial clearing and more wind. Consequently there were many fewer passerines than last year to be found. In fact, I probably saw no transient migrant passerines. Canada Goose 37, many young Mute Swan 2 Black Duck 8 Mallard 5 Black Duck X Mallard hybrid 2, male paired with a Black Duck & female paired with a Black Duck Bobwhite 5 DC Cormorant 8 AMERICAN BITTERN 1, heard only, at Fishing Island, a possible breeder Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 8 Snowy Egret 4 Tricolored Heron 2 Green Heron 4 Glossy Ibis 13 Black Vulture 6, mostly at the landfill Turkey Vulture 20 Osprey 5 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Black-bellied Plover 1, at Rumbley Semipalmated Plover 23 Killdeer 9 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Solitary Sandpiper 3 Greater Yellowlegs 7 Willet 9 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Semipalmated Sandpiper 11 Least Sandpiper 20 Dunlin 19 STILT SANDPIPER 1, molting, in marsh on Frenchtown Road Laughing Gull 940 Ring-billed Gull 10 Herring Gull 340 Great Black-back 3 Forster's Tern 16 Royal Tern 15 Feral Pigeon 6 Mourning Dove 21 Great Horned Owl 2, heard only, Maddux Island Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, heard only Hairy Woodpecker 1, heard only Flicker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1, heard only Pewee 3, heard only Crested Flycatcher 6, heard only Kingbird 12 White-eyed Vireo 4 Red-eyed Vireo 12 Blue Jay 2, heard only American Crow 11 Fish Crow 16, mostly at the landfill Horned Lark 1, heard only, Revells Neck Purple Martin 39 Tree Swallow 12 Rough-winged Swallow 4 Bank Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 49 Carolina Chickadee 10 Tufted Titmouse 9 Brown-headed Nuthatch 4 Carolina Wren 27 House Wren 4 Marsh Wren 17 Gnatcatcher 9 Bluebird 5 Wood Thrush 1, heard only Robin 16 Catbird 7 Mockingbird 7 Starling 50 Cedar Waxwing 1 Parula 1, heard only Yellow Warbler 7 Pine Warbler 12 Prairie Warbler 1, heard only Ovenbird 12, heard only Yellowthroat 41 Chat 1, heard only Summer Tanager 7, no Scarlets Towhee 4, heard only Chipping Sparrow 22 Field Sparrow 3 Grasshopper Sparrow 2, Revells Neck Seaside Sparrow 54, outscoring all other sparrows combined Song Sparrow 12 Cardinal 20 Blue Grosbeak 9 Indigo Bunting 6 Red-winged Blackbird 90 Meadowlark 1, heard only, Revells Neck Common Grackle 32 Boat-tailed Grackle 15 Cowbird 7 Orchard Oriole 12 House Finch 1, a male on a lawn in Frenchtown Goldfinch 6, heard only House Sparrow 16 -- Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.net Subject: Fairmount WMA & vicinity 5/10/08 From: Bob Ringler <ringler1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 13:14:08 +0000 For the second consecutive year I did the May Count at Fairmount WMA and surrounding area in Somerset County. In the morning there was intermittent rain, heavy at times, that began at dawn. Later there was partial clearing and more wind. Consequently there were many fewer passerines than last year to be found. In fact, I probably saw no transient migrant passerines. Canada Goose 37, many young Mute Swan 2 Black Duck 8 Mallard 5 Black Duck X Mallard hybrid 2, male paired with a Black Duck & female paired with a Black Duck Bobwhite 5 DC Cormorant 8 AMERICAN BITTERN 1, heard only, at Fishing Island, a possible breeder Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 8 Snowy Egret 4 Tricolored Heron 2 Green Heron 4 Glossy Ibis 13 Black Vulture 6, mostly at the landfill Turkey Vulture 20 Osprey 5 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Black-bellied Plover 1, at Rumbley Semipalmated Plover 23 Killdeer 9 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Solitary Sandpiper 3 Greater Yellowlegs 7 Willet 9 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Semipalmated Sandpiper 11 Least Sandpiper 20 Dunlin 19 STILT SANDPIPER 1, molting, in marsh on Frenchtown Road Laughing Gull 940 Ring-billed Gull 10 Herring Gull 340 Great Black-back 3 Forster's Tern 16 Royal Tern 15 Feral Pigeon 6 Mourning Dove 21 Great Horned Owl 2, heard only, Maddux Island Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, heard only Hairy Woodpecker 1, heard only Flicker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1, heard only Pewee 3, heard only Crested Flycatcher 6, heard only Kingbird 12 White-eyed Vireo 4 Red-eyed Vireo 12 Blue Jay 2, heard only American Crow 11 Fish Crow 16, mostly at the landfill Horned Lark 1, heard only, Revells Neck Purple Martin 39 Tree Swallow 12 Rough-winged Swallow 4 Bank Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 49 Carolina Chickadee 10 Tufted Titmouse 9 Brown-headed Nuthatch 4 Carolina Wren 27 House Wren 4 Marsh Wren 17 Gnatcatcher 9 Bluebird 5 Wood Thrush 1, heard only Robin 16 Catbird 7 Mockingbird 7 Starling 50 Cedar Waxwing 1 Parula 1, heard only Yellow Warbler 7 Pine Warbler 12 Prairie Warbler 1, heard only Ovenbird 12, heard only Yellowthroat 41 Chat 1, heard only Summer Tanager 7, no Scarlets Towhee 4, heard only Chipping Sparrow 22 Field Sparrow 3 Grasshopper Sparrow 2, Revells Neck Seaside Sparrow 54, outscoring all other sparrows combined Song Sparrow 12 Cardinal 20 Blue Grosbeak 9 Indigo Bunting 6 Red-winged Blackbird 90 Meadowlark 1, heard only, Revells Neck Common Grackle 32 Boat-tailed Grackle 15 Cowbird 7 Orchard Oriole 12 House Finch 1, a male on a lawn in Frenchtown Goldfinch 6, heard only House Sparrow 16 -- Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.net Subject: Fort Smallwood: Seaside Sparrow, Summer Tanager From: Matthew Grey <matthew.grey AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 07:01:59 -0400 Hello all. Marty Miller found a Seaside Sparrow here at Fort Smallwood yesterday. It was found in the underbrush and phragmites of the pond edge along the trail between the pond and the Patapsco River shore. He found it in the morning and I re-found the bird in the evening. Two Common Nighthawks were present as well last evening. Also, just had a male Summer Tanager fly over. Matt Grey Pasadena Subject: Re: BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS, Beltsville From: Colin Hebert <cghebert AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 23:55:43 -0400 Doug, Thanks for the heads up. I did take that into consideration, as I ride my bike through that area quite a bit and see both the security vehicles and numerous No Trespassing signs. However, one of the security guys drove right by me today while I was checking out the bobolinks and barely even acknowledged my presence. I was somewhat surprised, since I at least expected him to slow down a bit and ask what I was doing, though perhaps the scope and binos gave it away. Still, it is definitely important to realize it is a government facility and that one should stay on the public roads. -Colin Hebert On Sat, May 10, 2008 at 11:45 PM, Douglas Bolt wrote: > Hi Colin, > > Just a word of caution regarding the BARC Security. They can sometimes get > rather unreasonable about folks getting out of their cars to look around on > BARC. I know it sounds unnecessary, but just a word to the wise. I nearly > froze one winter morning waiting for a guard's supervisor to arrive and say > I was not a threat because I was attempting to photograph some birds from > the ditch along Beaverdam Road (which is a public road). I had in my > possession an expired birding permit and a retired employee's ID, but that > didn't impress the guard. > > As to Bobolinks, we saw over a 100 on BARC at the May Count today. > > Douglas Bolt > DougandMarie.com > Beltsville, MD USA > > > > Colin Hebert wrote: > > I was able to locate the flock of BOBOLINKS this afternoon in the spot Derek > described. They were hanging out in some rather short trees in a cow field > (near the cows) to the northeast of the intersection of Beaver Dam and Sheep > Rd. I parked right across from the water treatment plant, walked east down > beaver dam for about 50 feet as Derek mentioned, and the field was to my > left. No MEADOWLARKS though, oh well. > > -Colin Hebert > Beltsville, MD > > On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 5:33 PM, Derek C. Richardson > wrote: > > > > The BOBOLINKS reported on MDOSPREY a few days ago were easy to find this > afternoon near the Beltsville water treatment plant in PG County (my GPS > indicated that the spot was around 7007 Beaver Dam Rd, about 50 ft east of > the intersection with Sheep Rd). A nice flock of 50 or so males and females > either chattering in the treetops or foraging in the tall grasses on the > opposite side of the road from the plant. Scope recommended but not > essential. As a bonus, there were 2 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS among them as well, > one singing loudly. Also plenty of swallows (I found TREE and BARN but > didn't search too carefully; I only had 20 mins). > > Enjoy, > > D > > -- > Derek C. Richardson, Laurel, PG County, MD > http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/Archives/Photos/birds.html > > > Subject: Re: BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS, Beltsville From: Douglas Bolt <dbolt AT BOLTASSOCIATES.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 23:45:43 -0400 Hi Colin, Just a word of caution regarding the BARC Security. They can sometimes get rather unreasonable about folks getting out of their cars to look around on BARC. I know it sounds unnecessary, but just a word to the wise. I nearly froze one winter morning waiting for a guard's supervisor to arrive and say I was not a threat because I was attempting to photograph some birds from the ditch along Beaverdam Road (which is a public road). I had in my possession an expired birding permit and a retired employee's ID, but that didn't impress the guard. As to Bobolinks, we saw over a 100 on BARC at the May Count today. Douglas Bolt DougandMarie.com Beltsville, MD USA Colin Hebert wrote: > I was able to locate the flock of BOBOLINKS this afternoon in the spot Derek > described. They were hanging out in some rather short trees in a cow field > (near the cows) to the northeast of the intersection of Beaver Dam and Sheep > Rd. I parked right across from the water treatment plant, walked east down > beaver dam for about 50 feet as Derek mentioned, and the field was to my > left. No MEADOWLARKS though, oh well. > > -Colin Hebert > Beltsville, MD > > On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 5:33 PM, Derek C. Richardson > wrote: > > >> The BOBOLINKS reported on MDOSPREY a few days ago were easy to find this >> afternoon near the Beltsville water treatment plant in PG County (my GPS >> indicated that the spot was around 7007 Beaver Dam Rd, about 50 ft east of >> the intersection with Sheep Rd). A nice flock of 50 or so males and females >> either chattering in the treetops or foraging in the tall grasses on the >> opposite side of the road from the plant. Scope recommended but not >> essential. As a bonus, there were 2 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS among them as well, >> one singing loudly. Also plenty of swallows (I found TREE and BARN but >> didn't search too carefully; I only had 20 mins). >> >> Enjoy, >> >> D >> >> -- >> Derek C. Richardson, Laurel, PG County, MD >> http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/Archives/Photos/birds.html >> >> >> > > > > Subject: Re: BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS, Beltsville From: Colin Hebert <cghebert AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 23:28:52 -0400 I was able to locate the flock of BOBOLINKS this afternoon in the spot Derek described. They were hanging out in some rather short trees in a cow field (near the cows) to the northeast of the intersection of Beaver Dam and Sheep Rd. I parked right across from the water treatment plant, walked east down beaver dam for about 50 feet as Derek mentioned, and the field was to my left. No MEADOWLARKS though, oh well. -Colin Hebert Beltsville, MD On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 5:33 PM, Derek C. Richardson wrote: > The BOBOLINKS reported on MDOSPREY a few days ago were easy to find this > afternoon near the Beltsville water treatment plant in PG County (my GPS > indicated that the spot was around 7007 Beaver Dam Rd, about 50 ft east of > the intersection with Sheep Rd). A nice flock of 50 or so males and females > either chattering in the treetops or foraging in the tall grasses on the > opposite side of the road from the plant. Scope recommended but not > essential. As a bonus, there were 2 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS among them as well, > one singing loudly. Also plenty of swallows (I found TREE and BARN but > didn't search too carefully; I only had 20 mins). > > Enjoy, > > D > > -- > Derek C. Richardson, Laurel, PG County, MD > http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/Archives/Photos/birds.html > > Subject: Sewell's Orchard/Late Junco? From: Jenny McClintock <jennymcclintock AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 21:25:07 -0400 I took a walk around the ponds after the rain let up this morning. There seemed to be a YELLOW WARBLER convention - 6 at our small habitat. Still no BLACKPOLLS this year yet. There were SO many last year at this time. Also, there was a late JUNCO at my feeders. Is he not able to make the flight or is just lagging? Here is the complete list: Canada Goose 2 Mallard 6 Great Blue Heron 1 Green Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 1 American Coot 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Mourning Dove 4 Chimney Swift 1 Red-headed Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Eastern Kingbird 2 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Barn Swallow 4 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 4 House Wren 2 American Robin 5 Gray Catbird 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 2 Yellow Warbler 6 Common Yellowthroat 1 Song Sparrow 2 White-throated Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Northern Cardinal 10 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Common Grackle 10 House Finch 6 American Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 25 Jenny McClintock Columbia, MD Subject: IMBD: CVP & BZ, 05/10/08 From: Kevin Graff <whitemarlin2001 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 17:37:12 -0700 Hi all, 05/10/08 - 730am-1155am - 13th May Count since '96 Cromwell Valley Park "Willow Grove Farm & Sherwood Farm" & below Lock Raven Dams, Cromwell Bridge Rd./Loch Raven Dr., Carney, Baltimore Co., MD WEATHER: Lt rain/Overcast, 51-57 degrees, WSW 5- NNW 8 OBSERVERS: 8 (in three groups) Wood Duck - 3 Mallard - 2 Great Blue Heron - 3 Cattle Egret - 4 (headed E) Black Vulture - 1 Turkey Vulture - 2 Osprey - 1 Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 2 Killdeer - 1 Spotted Sandpiper - 2 Rock Pigeon - 5 Mourning Dove - 6 Chimney Swift - 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2 Belted Kingfisher - 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Hairy Woodpecker - 1 Pileated Woodpecker - 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2 Acadian Flycatcher - 1 Eastern Phoebe - 5 Great Crested Flycatcher - 1 Eastern Kingbird - 4 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Warbling Vireo - 7 Red-eyed Vireo - 14 Blue Jay - 2 American Crow - 7 Tree Swallow - 12 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 2 Cliff Swallow - 1 Barn Swallow - 18 Carolina Chickadee - 3 Tufted Titmouse - 7 White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Carolina Wren - 6 House Wren - 16 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 15 Eastern Bluebird - 8 Wood Thrush - 4 American Robin - 29 Gray Catbird - 7 Northern Mockingbird - 4 Brown Thrasher - 2 European Starling - 8 Cedar Waxwing - 21 Northern Parula - 1 Yellow Warbler - 4 Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1 Black-and-white Warbler - 1 American Redstart - 1 Ovenbird - 6 Common Yellowthroat - 7 Yellow-breasted Chat - 1 (seen by 2nd group) Eastern Towhee - 3 Chipping Sparrow - 2 Song Sparrow - 1 White-throated Sparrow - 2 (seen by one observer) Northern Cardinal - 17 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 Blue Grosbeak - 6 Indigo Bunting - 3 Red-winged Blackbird - 7 Common Grackle - 8 Brown-headed Cowbird - 9 Orchard Oriole - 17 Baltimore Oriole - 15 House Finch - 3 American Goldfinch - 14 House Sparrow - 1 SPECIES: 73 (83 sp. in 2007) TOTAL BIRDS: 388 MAMMALS Gray Squirrel - 10 AMPHIBIANS American Toad tadpoles - 40 05/10/08 - 1230pm-5pm - 11th May Count since '96 Druid Hill Park & part of zoo, Hanlon Dr., Forest Dr., Mountain Pass, & Parkdale Dr., Mondawmin section of Baltimore, MD WEATHER: Overcast/Fair, 57-64 degrees, NNW 9- N 8 OBSERVERS: Joan Cwi, John Dennehy, Kevin Graff Canada Goose - 8 Mallard - 4 Green Heron - 1 Black Vulture - 2 Turkey Vulture - 1 Osprey - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 2 Spotted Sandpiper - 2 Ring-billed Gull - 15 Herring Gull - 16 Great Black-backed Gull - 6 Rock Pigeon - 8 Mourning Dove - 6 Chimney Swift - 155 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4 Northern Flicker - 1 Eastern Phoebe - 1 Great Crested Flycatcher - 2 Eastern Kingbird - 3 Yellow-throated Vireo - 1 Warbling Vireo - 2 Red-eyed Vireo - 7 Blue Jay - 1 American Crow - 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 16 Barn Swallow - 6 Carolina Chickadee - 3 Tufted Titmouse - 3 Carolina Wren - 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 6 Veery - 1 Swainson's Thrush - 6 Wood Thrush - 3 American Robin - 56 Gray Catbird - 45 Northern Mockingbird - 3 European Starling - 8 Northern Parula - 3 Yellow Warbler - 1 Magnolia Warbler - 1 Cape May Warbler - 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler - 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 11 (feeding frenzy) Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 American Redstart - 3 Ovenbird - 3 Common Yellowthroat - 4 Hooded Warbler - 1 Wilson's Warbler - 1 (on way out at waterfowl lake) Eastern Towhee - 1 Chipping Sparrow - 2 Song Sparrow - 1 Northern Cardinal - 22 Bobolink - 17 (5 males, 12 females, headed N) Red-winged Blackbird - 9 Common Grackle - 11 Brown-headed Cowbird - 4 Orchard Oriole - 2 Baltimore Oriole - 5 House Finch - 2 American Goldfinch - 6 House Sparrow - 8 SPECIES: 63 (61 sp. in 2007) TOTAL BIRDS: 537 MAMMALS Gray Squirrel - 31 Red Fox - 2 BUTTERFLIES Cabbage White - 11 DRAGONFLIES Common Green Darner - 1 MOTHS - 1 looks like Jair Underwing but not a underwing as the same color underwing wing also on upperwing. Odd. BEETLES Six-spotted Tiger Beetle - 7 TOTAL OVERALL: 730am-5pm - 9.5 hrs. CVP: 4.5 hrs., 4 miles walked, 1/2 mile by car DHP: 4.5 hrs., 4 miles walked, 2 by car Canada Goose - 8 Wood Duck - 3 Mallard - 6 Great Blue Heron - 3 Cattle Egret - 4 (headed E) Green Heron - 1 Black Vulture - 3 Turkey Vulture - 3 Osprey - 2 Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 4 Killdeer - 1 Spotted Sandpiper - 4 Ring-billed Gull - 15 Herring Gull - 16 Great Black-backed Gull - 6 Rock Pigeon - 13 Mourning Dove - 12 Chimney Swift - 160 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2 Belted Kingfisher - 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 7 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Hairy Woodpecker - 1 Northern Flicker - 1 Pileated Woodpecker - 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2 Acadian Flycatcher - 1 Eastern Phoebe - 6 Great Crested Flycatcher - 3 Eastern Kingbird - 7 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Yellow-throated Vireo - 1 Warbling Vireo - 9 Red-eyed Vireo - 21 Blue Jay - 3 American Crow - 10 Tree Swallow - 12 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 18 Cliff Swallow - 1 Barn Swallow - 24 Carolina Chickadee - 6 Tufted Titmouse - 10 White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Carolina Wren - 8 House Wren - 16 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 21 Eastern Bluebird - 8 Veery - 1 Swainson's Thrush - 6 Wood Thrush - 7 American Robin - 85 Gray Catbird - 52 Northern Mockingbird - 7 Brown Thrasher - 2 European Starling - 16 Cedar Waxwing - 21 Northern Parula - 4 Yellow Warbler - 5 Magnolia Warbler - 1 Cape May Warbler - 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler - 7 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 12 Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 Black-and-white Warbler - 1 American Redstart - 4 Ovenbird - 9 Common Yellowthroat - 11 Hooded Warbler - 1 Wilson's Warbler - 1 Yellow-breasted Chat - 1 (seen by 2nd group) Eastern Towhee - 4 Chipping Sparrow - 4 Song Sparrow - 2 White-throated Sparrow - 2 (seen by one observer) Northern Cardinal - 39 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 Blue Grosbeak - 6 Indigo Bunting - 3 Bobolink - 17 Red-winged Blackbird - 16 Common Grackle - 19 Brown-headed Cowbird - 13 Orchard Oriole - 19 Baltimore Oriole - 20 House Finch - 5 American Goldfinch - 20 House Sparrow - 9 SPECIES: 89 TOTAL BIRDS: 925 Kevin Graff Jarrettsville, MD & West O.C., MD WhiteMarlin2001 AT yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Sandy Point State Park - Saturday From: Eric Skrzypczak <ericskrz AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 20:26:06 -0400 Hello, Sandy Point State Park Dunlin http://www.wildlifehobbies.com/SearchResults.php?WildID=368 Plover - Black-bellied http://www.wildlifehobbies.com/SearchResults.php?WildID=369 Sandpiper - Semipalmated http://www.wildlifehobbies.com/SearchResults.php?WildID=367 Sandpiper - Least http://www.wildlifehobbies.com/SearchResults.php?WildID=366 Someone reported the plover earlier in the week. It was still on the rocks near the boat launch area. It hung around for about 30 minutes and flew to some other rocks. It returned later. There were also fish crows, mockingbirds and bluebirds. Cheers, Eric Skrzypczak www.wildlifehobbies.com Subject: Spring Count in Calvert Co, 5/10/08 From: Kurt Gaskill <KurtCapt87 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 20:26:04 -0500 OSPREYers, I linked up with Sherman Suter for the Calvert Co Spring Count, arriving a bit late this morning due to the rain - about 0615. Activity was subdued in most places (and sometimes difficult due to the weather conditions what with on and off drizzle or showers and some wind) but bird activity increased late morning when the moisture let up and it sort of got bright - at least relatively speaking! I left Sherman at 1630 with 120 or so species under his belt. He had another spot or two to visit, and so I think his species total will increase. The highlights were muted. Flag Ponds SP was difficult early due to drizzle and rain off the bay and so the best we could manage after 45 minutes at the big pond were 2 Seaside Sparrows and 2 sharp-tailed sp. plus a couple of Marsh Wrens. The weather turned for the better as we took the trail to the upland portion (North Ridge Tr) and migrant activity greatly increased - a good day for Black-throated Blues, American Redstarts and Northern Waterthrush, all in double figures, plus a nice Tennessee. In addition, we picked up a few Veerys, and single Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrush. Also notable was a single Least Flycatcher and a couple of Wilson's Warblers. We left the park with 19 warblers if you count the Prairie in the power line cut you pass as you enter the park. Visits to the Bay edge produced 2 different Common Terns and many Forster's Terns and 2 flyover Common Loons. North Beach shorebirds were OK with Wilson's Snipe being the standout and a few Dunlin plus the regulars for this location. We came across a good sized flock of Bobolinks near someone's doorsteps off Mackall Rd. And a male Lesser Scaup visible at the end of Lloyd Bowen Rd. Kurt Gaskill Subject: May Count Turkey Point From: Patricia Valdata <pvaldata AT ZOOMINTERNET.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 19:25:56 -0400 Anne DeMott and I had the pleasure of counting at Turkey Point today. Although we had about an hour rain delay, we still were able to count for about 4 hours this morning. We had lots of misses--usually there is a lot more variety among warblers, and there were NO thrushes at all in the park, at least, not that we saw. The overcast sky made it hard to ID some of the birds, but here's our list of 47 species, 277 individuals: Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 15 Osprey 2 Bald Eagle 4 Cooper's Hawk 1 Buteo 1 (Red-Tail or Red-Shoulder being mobbed by crows, only seen briefly through the trees) Ring-billed Gull 1 Mourning Dove 2 Chimney Swift 5 Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Great-crested Flycatcher 4 Eastern Kingbird 1 (a very beautiful one with a deep blue highlights on its back, tail and wings) Red-eyed Vireo 5 American Crow 8 Crow sp. 1 Tree Swallow 40 Barn Swallow 6 Swallow spp. 10 (browner than Tree Swallows but not seen well enough to ID) Carolina Chickadee 4 Tufted Titmouse 12 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 8 House Wren 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Eastern Bluebird 3 American Robin 6 Gray Catbird 4 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 2 Northern Parula 5 Black-throated Blue Warbler 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 American Redstart 10 Worm-eating Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Scarlet Tanager 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 1? (heard only; we recorded a partial call and need confirmation) Northern Cardinal 26 Indigo Bunting 5 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Common Grackle 27 Brown-headed Cowbird 16 Orchard Oriole 4 Baltimore Oriole 5 American Goldfinch 2 Thank you, Anne! --Pat Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | pvaldata AT zoominternet.net "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams Subject: May Count at North Point State Park and Fort Howard From: Taylor McLean <taylormcl AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 17:25:32 -0400 I had a nice day on the May count, despite some wet weather. The wet and freshly tilled farm fields were full of shorebirds. A sub adult Bonaparte's Gull and a White-crowned Sparrow capped the day. Good Birding! Taylor McLean taylormcl AT comcast.net Location: North Point SP and Fort Howard (Baltimore Co.) Observation date: 5/10/08 Time: 04:55 am to 2:00 pm Number of species: 84 Canada Goose 24 Mallard 6 Double-crested Cormorant 71 Great Blue Heron 6 Cattle Egret 24 Green Heron 1 Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 14 Bald Eagle 2 Semipalmated Plover 15 Killdeer 2 Spotted Sandpiper 11 Solitary Sandpiper 5 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 77 Bonaparte's Gull 1 Ring-billed Gull 17 Herring Gull (American) 1 Great Black-backed Gull 9 Caspian Tern 3 Rock Pigeon 7 Mourning Dove 4 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 4 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 11 Eastern Kingbird 12 White-eyed Vireo 3 Warbling Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 16 Blue Jay 3 American Crow 3 Purple Martin 7 Tree Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 17 Carolina Chickadee 8 Tufted Titmouse 7 Carolina Wren 30 House Wren 2 Marsh Wren 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Veery 1 Swainson's Thrush 1 Wood Thrush 4 American Robin 27 Gray Catbird 36 Northern Mockingbird 2 Brown Thrasher 1 European Starling 12 Cedar Waxwing 7 Northern Parula 2 Yellow Warbler 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 Magnolia Warbler 3 Black-throated Blue Warbler 12 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Black-and-white Warbler 3 American Redstart 7 Ovenbird 2 Common Yellowthroat 22 Wilson's Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 1 Swamp Sparrow 6 White-throated Sparrow 16 White-crowned Sparrow (Eastern) 1 Northern Cardinal 34 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Blue Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 14 Bobolink 7 Red-winged Blackbird 125 Common Grackle 140 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Orchard Oriole 8 Baltimore Oriole 2 House Finch 4 American Goldfinch 20 House Sparrow 6 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Subject: Rose Breasted Grosbeak From: George Lane <glane AT EROLS.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 15:01:43 -0400 I am very excited by my first visit from a male Rose Breasted Grosbeak at my feeder at 2:50 PM May 10th. He did not eat and was nervous. But I had a very good view of him from about 10 feet away from the feeder. George Lane Silver Spring Ave. Zip 20910 (Montgomery Co. )just 6.5 miles from the White House. > > Subject: Wood Sandpiper-Yes-Extralim From: Winger and June West <westw AT EROLS.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 13:56:56 -0400 While this Wood Sandpiper is extralim, it's so close and a great find. It was still there this morning on Rte 16 just 2.2 miles past the entrance to Prime Hook NWR, DE, near the road and very viewable. We saw it on both sides of the road; mainly on the north (left) side as it was feeding in pool just past a white pole with several yellowlegs, dowitchers, Least Sandpipers and SP Plovers. One birder almost didn't survive the viewing. He drove up, asked where the bird was and someone pointed it out. He said he wanted a picture and proceeded to walk out in front of everyone and the bird flew away and did not return for quite some time. A guy who had driven all the way from northern NJ gave him an earful and several others did likewise. Also, be careful where you park and walk on the road as cars come by there at a very high rate of speed. Winger West Millersville, MD westw AT erols.com Subject: Blackpoll Warbler in my Oak Tree??? From: Cathryn Reid <catmit60 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 09:42:59 -0700 I was just outside checking out the birdaction in my yard and heard a new bird so I tracked him down... he was in my oak tree. At first I thought it was a Black and White but he didn't look, act or sound right. I was able to spy on him pretty well and for quite a while. Description: solid black crown/cap, obvious white cheeks, black malar stripe, white/light underneath, darkly striped above, white bars on wings, white undertail coverts, tail shortish, under tail all white except for little black 'corners'. Wings maybe a little longer than the tail? Vocalisation: high, rather loud, one noted "tseeptseeptseeptseep", pause then "tseeptseeptseeptseep" again. given several times a then silent for a while then repeated Behaviour: Gleaning in mid level of large pin oak - closer to ends of branchs than trunk. did not creep, did not tip head up like B&W or Nutchatch. Talked a lot and seemed pretty active for a bird that is described as 'sluggish', gleaning rather like a chicakdee kind of only not as hyper.. Uh, dare I say it, just like the picture. Blackpoll Warbler (m)? Suggestions for alternatives? Thanks much Cathryn Reid Rosehaven (North Beach) So AA Co ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Update from Hains Pt. + From: Paul Pisano <cheep AT STARPOWER.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:33:34 -0500 As Rob H. already posted, this (5/10) morning at about 7:00am I refound the first summer FRANKLIN'S GULL in the same area where Gail & Barry last saw it yesterday. I watched it in the rain from Buckeye Dr. It was not visible from the channel side of Ohio Dr. The gate to the point was closed, so I drove over the Anacostia River Park. Not a whole lot there, but noteworthy was another flock of BOBOLINKS at the north end, and 14 LAUGHING GULLS in one of the flooded fields. Then I drove back to Hains Pt, getting there at about 8:00am. Again, I could not see the Franklin's Gull from Ohio Dr and didn't try from Buckeye. However, I did find 2 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, making it a 3 "hooded" gull day in DC (woo hoo!), and 3 CASPIAN TERNS. I drove around the point and saw/heard: 1 more BONAPARTE'S GULL 1 or 2 MARSH WRENS - a lucky find to say the least. I heard a bird singing from one of the tall grass patches in the middle of the golf course. I couldn't see it. This was c.2/3 of the way down Ohio Dr on the channel side. Then I heard another wren in another patch of tall grass. This one was at the end of Ohio Dr on the river side (between the last bathroom and the exit gate). I actually saw this one as it sparred with a Song Sparrow. The two patches are quite a good distance from each other, and I'd be surprised if it was the same bird, but that's certainly possible. 3 AMERICAN (or is it BUFF-BELLIED?) PIPITS - in the short grass, seen from the same spot as the 2nd Marsh Wren. 1 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH - along the maintenance road on the south side of the golf course 1 female HOODED WARBLER - in the brush pile at the south end of the golf course (seen from the maintenance road) c.10 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS - they were all over the place And while watching the 2nd Marsh Wren (just before the exit gate), I caught sight of the Franklin's Gull again. This was about 9:00am. It flew from the spot where I saw it at 7:00 towards the river, landing in the same field. All the Ring-billed Gulls got pushed over to this spot and the Franklin's was staying with it. There were golfers pushing the birds around, and it's hard to say if the gulls will continue moving around the course or take off. Not as many shorebirds as Gail & Barry had yesterday, and only 3 species - LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SOLITARY & SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. There were swallows over the river, but not in very big numbers and I was unable to find anything except BARN, NO. ROUGH-WINGED & TREE. Good birding, Paul Pisano Arlington, VA Subject: Upper Watts Branch Park for 5/10 From: Paul O'Brien <PObrien776 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:46:02 EDT Four optimistic birders gathered at 7:30 in a light sprinkle and spent a bit less than an hour sorting out a variety of songs and occasionally even seeing a bird or two. Then the rain became just too much and the four dispersed to find shelter. Even so, the list was not too shabby: Red-eyed Vireo 2 Swainson's Thrush Wood Thrush Nashville Warbler Northern Parula 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler 2 Magnolia Warbler 3 Black-throated Blue Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Blackburnian Warbler American Redstart 2 Ovenbird 2 Common Yellowthroat 2 Scarlet Tanager Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 Indogo Bunting Baltimore Oriole Paul O'Brien Rockville, Mont. Co., MD ************** Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) Subject: Pine Siskin and Grosbeak's From: Sean McCandless <seanmccandless1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:29:26 -0400 I have been Feeder counting today, due to an excessive honey do list and family stuff to do, but I have had a good feeder day. I have had a Pine Siskin in the feeder all morning long with a periodic visit from a Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. There was a Female Blue Grosbeak in the feeder for about 5 seconds that I noticed, but she may have been there longer and I just didn't see her. The last couple years I have had a Male Blue Grosbeak come visit my feeder periodically thru the summer. Sean McCandless Cecil Bird Club President Elkton, MD Subject: Re: Greenbury Point strange sparrow From: Scott Michaud <mazhude AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:03:57 -0400 Sorry, here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazhude/2479943635/ > Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:03:18 -0400> From: mazhude AT HOTMAIL.COM> Subject: [MDOSPREY] Greenbury Point strange sparrow> To: MDOSPREY AT HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM> > Here's an odd bird I saw at Greenbury yesterday in the rain. Maybe a Field Sparrow with tar on his face?> > Scott Michaud> Riviera Beach, MD> _________________________________________________________________> With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you.> http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008 _________________________________________________________________ With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you. http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008 Subject: Greenbury Point strange sparrow From: Scott Michaud <mazhude AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 11:03:18 -0400 Here's an odd bird I saw at Greenbury yesterday in the rain. Maybe a Field Sparrow with tar on his face? http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazhude/2479943635/Scott Michaud Riviera Beach, MD _________________________________________________________________ With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you. http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008 Subject: Re: Franklin's Gull continues in DC From: "Gail B. Mackiernan <katahdinss AT comcast.net>" Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 12:37:48 +0000 Actually we wouldn't have been able to see the gull from Buckeye Drive, our view was from the road running along the Washington Channel. Also, you can go into the golf course clubhouse area and walk around to the end of the driving range building, where you can stand out of the rain and scope the pool. Tip: The Clubhouse Grill has great hot food including breakfast for a reasonable price! Gail Mackiernan Colesville, MD -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Rob Hilton > Paul Pisano tells me that he saw the Franklin's Gull > at around 7 am this morning, in the same place where > Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper found it yesterday. > > "They relocated the bird later this afternoon in the > large rain pool at the north end of the golf course. > This pool is probably best viewed from Buckeye Dr. > Park in the tennis court lot on the north side of this > road, and cross the street for best viewing. A scope > is probably required." > > Rob Hilton > Sleepingin Spring, Md. > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________ > ____ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > Subject: Franklin's Gull continues in DC From: Rob Hilton <aimophila10 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 05:32:13 -0700 Paul Pisano tells me that he saw the Franklin's Gull at around 7 am this morning, in the same place where Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper found it yesterday. "They relocated the bird later this afternoon in the large rain pool at the north end of the golf course. This pool is probably best viewed from Buckeye Dr. Park in the tennis court lot on the north side of this road, and cross the street for best viewing. A scope is probably required." Rob Hilton Sleepingin Spring, Md. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Re: Narthern Parula Prettyboy From: Eileen Wise <eileen3600 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 06:44:29 -0400 Sorry I must have been in a hurry I left off my name. Eileen Prettyboy Subject: Narthern Parula Prettyboy From: Eileen Wise <eileen3600 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 06:32:55 -0400 I have been hearing the Northern Parula in the trees around my yard and in the reservoir. I saw one for the first time this year on my driveway going after a bug. Subject: Harford County, Little Big Day, 5/8 From: Joel Martin <JCDLMARTIN AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 20:39:16 EDT Lately I've been taking occasional vacation days, enjoying the month of May while working on some of my more anemic county lists. On Thursday I did Harford from dawn to about 1:30, when the storms began to roll in. The dawn chorus didn't sound all that promising, and because I wasn't in Big Day mode I didn't spend time chasing down species I didn't need, like woodpeckers. But when I totalled things up I was surprised to have 101 species, including 19 warblers. Almost all of this was between 2 locations, Susquehanna SP and Swan Harbor Farms. With more time and energy, and more knowledge of the county I might have gone for better numbers. It was my first visit to Swan Harbor but won't be the last. Here are some highlights; many are birds that others have reported from these locales. Susquehanna SP, 0600-1030: Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3 Acadian Flycatcher - 7 Eastern Phoebe - 1 Great Crested Flycatcher - 4 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Yellow-throated Vireo - 2 Blue-headed Vireo - 1 Warbling Vireo - 2 Red-eyed Vireo - 9 Veery - 1 Wood Thrush - 11 Northern Parula - 8 Yellow Warbler - 1 Magnolia Warbler - 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler - 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8 Blackburnian Warbler - 1 Yellow-throated Warbler - 2 (mouth of Deer Creek - thanks Rick!) Blackpoll Warbler - 2 Cerulean Warbler - 8 Black-and-white Warbler - 2 American Redstart - 13 Prothonotary Warbler - 2 Worm-eating Warbler - 4 Ovenbird - 15 Louisiana Waterthrush - 3 Kentucky Warbler - 1 Common Yellowthroat - 10 Yellow-breasted Chat - 3 (forest buffer area behind picnic area) Scarlet Tanager - 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 Indigo Bunting- 8 Orchard Oriole - 3 Baltimore Oriole - 4 Swan Harbor Farms, 1100-1330: Bufflehead - 1 male, strangest bird of the day, on the impoundment Little Blue Heron - 2 Glossy Ibis - 1, flew into the impoundment Virginia Rail - 1, grunting Sora - 3 separate whinny calls American Coot - 1 Semipalmated Plover - 5 Killdeer - 2 Greater Yellowlegs - 6 Lesser Yellowlegs - 4 Solitary Sandpiper - 5 Semipalmated Sandpiper - 4 Least Sandpiper - 11 Wilson's Snipe - 1 Horned Lark - 2 Purple Martin - 1 high flyover Tree Swallow - 12 N. Rough-winged Swallow - 3 Bank Swallow - 3 Barn Swallow - 15 Prairie Warbler - 1 Savannah Sparrow - 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 Blue Grosbeak - 1 Joel Martin Catonsville, MD _jcdlmartin AT aol.com_ (mailto:jcdlmartin AT aol.com) **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) Subject: Susquehanna SP From: Lin Just <crazy4wildbirds AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 20:07:47 -0400 Tried to bird Susquehanna SP today, but unfortunately the rain cut us short. We did have a CANADA WARBLER and singing NASHVILLE WARBLER at the picnic area which made the trip well worth it! I can't help but think how great it would've been if not for the downpour! Lin Just crazy4wildbirds AT yahoo.com Colora,Md Subject: Sorry -- it is a FIRST summer Franklin's Gull! From: "Gail B. Mackiernan <katahdinss AT comcast.net>" Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 23:17:23 +0000 Duh! -- that was a dumb typo -- it is a FIRST summer Franklin's Gull...my brain must have been waterlogged when I posted that email! Sorrry, Gail Mackiernan -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Bob Ringler > Gail, > Could you clarify for us the plumage of the Franklin's Gull you and Barry > saw? Your description sounds like a first-summer bird but you call it > second-summer. None of the books I have checked shows a second-summer plumage > which is supposed to be virtually identical to adult. I appreciate any help you > can give us on this. > > -- > Bob Ringler > Eldersburg MD > ringler1 AT comcast.net > > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: "Gail B. Mackiernan " > > > Hi all -- > > > > As Paul posted, we first found the second summer Franklin's Gull on the Hain's > > Point golf course in late morning, but it flew off. We then did a careful > circle > > around the point, in the pouring rain, looking at all the pools on the very > > flooded course, and finally relocated the bird resting with other gulls north > of > > the clubhouse, where there is a large (temporary?) lake. Had good scope views > > from the road along Washington Channel, also went into the golf course > clubhouse > > area and walked around to the end of the driving range building where it was > > sheltered from the rain. However the bird could not be seen from that vantage > > point. It was somewhat mobile, flying about a bit, but if the rain continues > and > > the golf course remains closed, it might stick around. > > > > As best we could determine (allowing for distance and rain) a second summer > bird > > with a completely gray mantle, a dark half-hood and reduced white on primaries > > compared to a full adult. It was the only "hooded" gull present among the > > Ring-bills, plus a scattering of Herring and immature Greater Black-backs, and > > three Caspian terns. > > > > Lots of shorebirds on the many pools, we counted about 20 Lesser and three > > Greater yellowlegs, about 25 Solitary, 15 Spotted and 8 Least Sandpipers. One > > Common Loon on the river. Also three Bobolinks on the grass, one a brilliant > > male, and another flock of about 25 flying and calling. Only a few other > > passerine migrants: several Yellowthroats, heard Yellow Warbler and Redstart, > > Warbling Vireo and Baltimore Oriole. Purple Martins are back at their nest > > boxes. > > > > Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper > > Colesville, MD > > > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > > From: Paul Pisano > > > I just got a call from Gail Mackiernan, she & Barry Cooper found a 1st > > > summer FRANKLIN'S GULL at the Hains Pt. Golf Course today (Friday, 5/9). > > > They first saw the bird around noon as they were driving down the beginning > > > of the loop road, but then lost it. They relocated the bird later this > > > afternoon in the large rain pool at the north end of the golf course. This > > > pool is probably best viewed from Buckeye Dr. Park in the tennis court lot > > > on the north side of this road, and cross the street for best viewing. A > > > scope is probably required. > > > > > > Subject: Re: rare visitor to Bethesda Yard, May 9 From: Leo Weigant <hawkowl AT CABLESPEED.COM> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 18:55:42 -0400 Hmm, and I, also, had one for my brand new, well, one week old, yard list. An auspicious beginning. "Auspicious" derives from the Roman Auspex, or Auspices [pl.] who foretold good or bad tidings mostly from watching the flight of birds. They were the priests who tried to warn Caesar one Ides of March (if I remember my Shakespeare aright). Does anyone know the Virginia birder whose license tags read "AUSPEX"? i always thought that a wonderful pun. Leo Weigant On May 9, 2008, at 6:43 PM, Bob Ringler wrote: > Mike, > I had the same rare visitor to my yard this morning. A singing > White-crowned Sparrow was a new addition for my yard list. > > -- > Bob Ringler > Eldersburg MD > ringler1 AT comcast.net > > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: Michael Bowen > >> No it's not a Franklin's Gull or a Wood Sandpiper, but something >> almost as rare in our West Bethesda small back yard: an adult >> WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, scrabbling for seed under our (only) >> squirrel-proof feeder. >> >> If past episodes are anything to go by, this bird will be a one-day >> wonder. Our last back yard sighting was in October 1998. >> >> Mike and Joy Bowen >> Bethesda, Montgomery County > Subject: Re: More on Franklin's Gull in DC From: Bob Ringler <ringler1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 22:53:16 +0000 Gail, Could you clarify for us the plumage of the Franklin's Gull you and Barry saw? Your description sounds like a first-summer bird but you call it second-summer. None of the books I have checked shows a second-summer plumage which is supposed to be virtually identical to adult. I appreciate any help you can give us on this. -- Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.net -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Gail B. Mackiernan " > Hi all -- > > As Paul posted, we first found the second summer Franklin's Gull on the Hain's > Point golf course in late morning, but it flew off. We then did a careful circle > around the point, in the pouring rain, looking at all the pools on the very > flooded course, and finally relocated the bird resting with other gulls north of > the clubhouse, where there is a large (temporary?) lake. Had good scope views > from the road along Washington Channel, also went into the golf course clubhouse > area and walked around to the end of the driving range building where it was > sheltered from the rain. However the bird could not be seen from that vantage > point. It was somewhat mobile, flying about a bit, but if the rain continues and > the golf course remains closed, it might stick around. > > As best we could determine (allowing for distance and rain) a second summer bird > with a completely gray mantle, a dark half-hood and reduced white on primaries > compared to a full adult. It was the only "hooded" gull present among the > Ring-bills, plus a scattering of Herring and immature Greater Black-backs, and > three Caspian terns. > > Lots of shorebirds on the many pools, we counted about 20 Lesser and three > Greater yellowlegs, about 25 Solitary, 15 Spotted and 8 Least Sandpipers. One > Common Loon on the river. Also three Bobolinks on the grass, one a brilliant > male, and another flock of about 25 flying and calling. Only a few other > passerine migrants: several Yellowthroats, heard Yellow Warbler and Redstart, > Warbling Vireo and Baltimore Oriole. Purple Martins are back at their nest > boxes. > > Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper > Colesville, MD > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: Paul Pisano > > I just got a call from Gail Mackiernan, she & Barry Cooper found a 1st > > summer FRANKLIN'S GULL at the Hains Pt. Golf Course today (Friday, 5/9). > > They first saw the bird around noon as they were driving down the beginning > > of the loop road, but then lost it. They relocated the bird later this > > afternoon in the large rain pool at the north end of the golf course. This > > pool is probably best viewed from Buckeye Dr. Park in the tennis court lot > > on the north side of this road, and cross the street for best viewing. A > > scope is probably required. > > > Subject: Re: rare visitor to Bethesda Yard, May 9 From: Bob Ringler <ringler1 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 22:43:34 +0000 Mike, I had the same rare visitor to my yard this morning. A singing White-crowned Sparrow was a new addition for my yard list. -- Bob Ringler Eldersburg MD ringler1 AT comcast.net -------------- Original message -------------- From: Michael Bowen > No it's not a Franklin's Gull or a Wood Sandpiper, but something > almost as rare in our West Bethesda small back yard: an adult > WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, scrabbling for seed under our (only) > squirrel-proof feeder. > > If past episodes are anything to go by, this bird will be a one-day > wonder. Our last back yard sighting was in October 1998. > > Mike and Joy Bowen > Bethesda, Montgomery County Subject: rare visitor to Bethesda Yard, May 9 From: Michael Bowen <dhmbowen AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 17:05:53 -0400 No it's not a Franklin's Gull or a Wood Sandpiper, but something almost as rare in our West Bethesda small back yard: an adult WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, scrabbling for seed under our (only) squirrel-proof feeder. If past episodes are anything to go by, this bird will be a one-day wonder. Our last back yard sighting was in October 1998. Mike and Joy Bowen Bethesda, Montgomery County D.H. Michael Bowen 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda, MD 20817 Telephone: (301) 530-5764 e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom Subject: Black-bellied, Semipalmated Plover, Other Shorebirds - North Branch C&O From: David Yeany II <dyeany2 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 16:56:39 -0400 This morning my wife Colleen and I were at the North Branch C&O Canal in the dreary rain. A good number of shorebirds were feeding on the tarps, with the following species being seen: Black-bellied Plover -1 Semipalmated Plover - 3 Killdeer - many adults plus at least 3 young that I saw Lesser Yellowlegs - ~12 Solitary Sandpiper - 4 Spotted Sandpiper - 1 Least Sandpiper - ~10+ Other notable species: Orchard Oriole Indigo Bunting Green Heron Yellow Warbler Happy International Migratory Bird Day (tomorrow)! David -- David Yeany II 109.5 Pennsylvania Ave Cumberland, MD 21502 Cell: (814) 221-4361