Brrrrrrr it was cold and the wind would cut you in half! I made my rounds today starting in the Hanover watershed, MD and PA. Not much to see with the exception of the usual suspects, Chickadees, Juncos and White-throated Sparrows. I found a Red-shouldered Hawk's nest along Kridlers Schoolhouse road after crossing the PA line. From there it was Bankard/Bandhall Hill/Rinehart Roads to the Kowomu Trail.
The Kowomu Trail gave up two Red-tailed Hawks, a Red Shouldered and a surprise Merlin at the bridge across the creek. I had stopped to try and photograph a Pileated Woodpecker on a snag and he/or she (Merlin) must have been sitting directly above me. The bird swooped down not 20 feet away and grabbed a mouse/rodent of some type then flew to a perch in a nearby tree to enjoy its catch. I got great looks at it but no photographs darn-it!
It was back on MD 97N into Union Mills and Brown Road for the Union Mills Wetland. I found a pair of Red-tails but not the Coopers I had seen there the last four trips. There were about 20 Mallards on the water that was not frozen.
Exiting the wetland on Halter Road N, I found another Red Shoulder just north of the intersection perched just above the roadway. The dark Rough-legged was still at his usual spot near the intersection of Halter and East Mayberry. What a gorgeous bird he is! Very Skittish though. If you even slow down too much for him, he makes a hasty retreat! Traveling west on East Mayberry Road I found two more Red-tails and a Coopers perched near a stand of pines.
Babylon Road gave two more Red-tail pairs, both sitting together and a very "camera ham" Red-tail solo who went vogue for me allowing me to exit my car and photograph him not 25 feet away. He paid me no mind and I guess he figured if that I would brave the chill that I deserved the pictures.
I found my way to MD 194 and continued west to Keysville Road to look for the Say's Phoebe... "No Cigar on that one" after searching for 45 minutes. So I made the trip back to Baumgardner and Bullfrog to find one Northern Harrier and a pair of Red-tails. That was it for me! Back home to Hanover/Gettysburg PA. I counted about 15 more Red-tails along the way
Jim
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