Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 23:28:10 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: leslie fisher Organization: cecil bird club Subject: Cecil Big Day Highlights ( 5/13 ) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi All: Marcia Whitmyre and myself fell short of last years tally by 10 species, but finished with a respectable 121 species for the day, which began at 4:15 AM and ended about 5:30 PM when severe thunderstorms began to roll through the county, as we headed to Conowingo to begin our final area along the Susquehanna. The latter, and very poor shorebird habitat in the county this year hurt our final tally. The water at Court House Point and Bethel is too deep for the smaller waders, Gunthers Pond is dry as a bone and the mud flat at Mill Rd is getting covered with vegetation at a quick rate. The few shorebirds we did get were at scattered puddles/pond edge. Highlights as follows: In general, 17 species of warbler at various county locations, OVENBIRD being the most common. BLACKPOLL, CAPE MAY and BAY-BREASTED were heard often along the way. Beginning our day, CHUCKWILLS WIDOW tallied at 4:20 AM at Rt. 40/ Rt. 7, a few miles West of North East. On to the the Elk Neck State Forest where we got WHIPS, a singing SWAINSONS THRUSH, and a BARRED OWL that evidently liked our imitations. Turkey Point- 6 AM- ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK on prominent display in the parking lot. A HORNED OWL responds, we beef up the warbler list and get both ORIOLES and YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO.A great flyover of COMMON MERG thrills us at the point. Back down the peninsula by 7:15 to Elkton, where we score BOB-WHITE and WILLOW FLYCATCHER at the Elkton Rt. 40 industrial park. Getting late now for an 8:30 meeting with other counters, we head south on 213, getting LEAST SANDPIPER in a puddle along the way. With the other counters, we cover Bethel and Courthouse Point. At Bethel, it is over run with fishermen, but we are able to scope distant MOORHEN ( 5 ) seen skulking along in the reeds. Aside from MALLARD and COOT, no other waterfowl present. At Court House Point, we are able to get both VIRGINIA and KING RAIL, LITTLE BLUE HERON and SWAMP SPARROW. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT are everywhere. Noon, on to Glebe Rd and Mill Rd flats to be disappointed with a poor showing, getting only both YELLOW LEGS. Through Cecilton and over to Joe Meltz Rd, GRASS HOPPER sparrow is tallied. Given the species we`re missing, we decide Fair Hill is a must, and head back to Elkton at 2:30 PM. In Elkton, we find CATTLE EGRET and singing NORTHERN WATER THRUSH at the fish hatchery ponds. Other Elkton stops yielded nothing new and we arrived at Fair Hill N. Appleton parking lot to get BOBOLINK in short order. No new species on a walk along the creek from the Covered Bridge. 5:15 , headed to Conowingo, sky more ominous by the minute and rain starts as we drive along the Susquehanna towards Port. Downright pouring as we stop to listen and get an undaunted VEERY singing close to the road, but nothing else. Conditions only deteriorate as we drive along, so decision is made to call it a day and we get back to the starting point in North East just after 6PM, a little disappointed with the days tally, but satisfied with the hard work we`ve done and new birds scored for the county list . Bad Misses: HAIRY WOODPECKER- go figure. PILEATED/REDHEADED- not to be found when you really need them. BLUE GROSBEAK- see above!! Usually easy at CHP. LOUISIANA WATER THRUSH- usually trip over them at Fair Hill!! YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER- not to be heard in the down pour on pretty much guaranteed territory. PROTHONOTARY- as above. TERN/GULLS- hampered by storm and driving rain, very little visibility on river at end of day. SHOREBIRDS- as explained at beginning. Leslie Fisher Cecil Co. ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =========================================================================