Date:         Wed, 10 May 2000 22:03:59 -0400
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Steve Sanford <tanager@BCPL.NET>
Subject:      Garrett Co Warblers and Bald Eagle
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I just spent 2 =BD days birding Garrett and (to a lesser extent) Allegany
counties (5/8-5/10), partly for the annual May feast of warblers there, a=
nd
partly (Believe it or not!) in search of a county-listing =93close-out=94=
 : Bald
Eagle, spurred by Bob Ringler=92s advice that he had seen one at Jennings
Randolph Lake once in May.

The warblers, as usual, were great, and the sparseness of the leaves,
especially in Garrett, made viewing a lot easier than back home in centra=
l
MD. I had a certain prejudice for the northeastern part of Garrett Co, an=
d
Jennings Randolph in particular, which I visited 3 days in a row.

Jennings Randolph was dripping with Golden-winged Warblers and Ceruleans,
plus Yellow Warblers and a few Chats. I also enjoyed lots of Magnolias,
Blackburnians (my favorite!), Chestnut-sideds, Black-throated Blues, and
Black-throated Greens, Canadas, plus Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Baltimo=
re
Orioles, etc. in various locations in the northeastern part of the county.
On 5/9 I had 22 species of warblers in Garrett, all of which are county
residents. It=92s warbler heaven! I must say, though, I=92m rather jealou=
s of
those closer to home who were seeing two gorgeous migrating northern warb=
ler
species that are not Garrett Co residents: Cape May and Bay-breasted.

The icing on this birding cake came this morning at the boat-launch area =
of
Jennings Randolph Lake. I noticed two eagle-sized bird lumps in a bare tr=
ee
on the West Virginia side of the lake 2 or 3 miles away. Even with my sco=
pe
I could not be sure if they were eagles, so I went to the tip of the boat
launch to see if that would clarify it. As I walked down there, a very la=
rge
dark bird with a white tail took off from about 100 yards away and quickl=
y
disappeared behind the trees. Just in case there was any doubt, it
reappeared a minute later flying over the lake to the WV side. It was ind=
eed
an adult Bald Eagle.

I've been trying to see a Bald Eagle in Garrett for about 10 years, and i=
t
is definitely my best "close-out."  It=92s hard to believe this until-rec=
ently
=93endangered=94 species, our national symbol, can now be seen in all 23
counties of Maryland, and breeds in most of them.

Steve Sanford
tanager@bcpl.net
Randallstown MD (Baltimore Co)

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