Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 15:19:23 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Glen Lovelace III Subject: night birding 5/26 Hello All, I went down Elliot's Island road to do some night birding. Started where the road meets Fishing Bay and worked my way north. Starting there, I had 3 VA Rails and numerous Seaside Sparrows calling at dusk. Could not tell if there were any Saltmarsh Sharp-tails b/c it was too dark to see and I am not familiar with the call. Also had a GH Owl here. Several stops later, I had one calling Black Rail and a Clapper at the boat ramp in the middle of the marsh (shown in DeLorme). It called 4 times on its own and did not seem to make any response to the tape. Continued north into the woods where I heard a Chat, 4 Chucks and a Whip near Henry's Crossroads. On the old Rt 50 east of Vienna, the Osprey was quite vocal about 10:30 PM. Got one King Rail to respond once to the tape. Further north, I had 2 Whips calling on Wesley Rd where it comes to the Marshyhope east of Hurlock. In between, I had tried to find a Barred Owl. 3 different spots (Old rt 50, north of the Nanticoke bridge at Sharptown, and Wesley Rd) came up empty. By then it was after midnight so I decided to put off searching for Nighthawk for another time. My only idea for Nighthawk in this area was the Solo Cup plant in Federalsburg. Any others ideas, anybody? It was also a good evening for mammals with rabbits, squirrel, 5 deer, a raccoon, a fox, a possum and a bat in the headlights at 12:15 AM. Good Birding, Glen Lovelace III Seaford, DE glovelace@mail.dot.state.de.us ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================