Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 21:20:38 -0400 Reply-To: blkrail Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: blkrail Subject: Re: Bank Swallow, Least Bittern, Hog-nosed Snake at PRR North Tract MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Folks, Bank Swallow has now arrived at the Patuxent Research Refuge, North Tract= , seen this evening over Blue Heron Pond. Unfortunately, I was not able to locate the bird of the day--a Least Bittern seen this morning at New Mars= h. In the world of herps, I encountered a beautifully marked adult Hog-nosed Snake near Lake Allen. When I confronted it, it flattened its raised nec= k as if to "spread its hood" in a very cobra like fashion. When I blocked = its retreat, it attempted several times to get around me, and finally went through its death throes, writhing "in agony" and turning itself upside down. But this critter had little patience, and after little more than f= ive seconds of "being dead" decided it was time to get on with it, and I obli= ged by allowing it to slither into the weeds. It was a first rate show, thou= gh. Stan Arnold Glen Burnie blkrail@gateway.net ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================= ===========================================================================