Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 15:40:45 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Charlie Subject: Western Maryland Breeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi folks, Well, I am still envious of all the juicy birds around the bay and shore! It's hard for my non-birding friends and family that I am seeing a lot fewer species this year, when I'm working on a bird project! Oh, well, it's fun and I'm learning lots. Here are some observations. While things seem to be slowing somewhat in Green Ridge State Forest, Savage River State Forest is really hopping, with fledglings popping out everywhere. We've documented Cowbirds in more nests, and being fed as fledglings a lot more already this year than the project found last year. I've personally seen them hosted by Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo and Red-eyed Vireo. I wonder what makes this year seem "worse" than last? It seems unlikely that we're just finding them more than last year. At Green Ridge I found a Scarlett Tanager incubationg on 6/19. She was still on the nest a week later, so it seems likely I found it very early on. That would make a laying date of somewhere between 6/12 and 6/19, based on a 13-14 day incubation listed in The Birder's Handbook. Still seeing Whiporwills daily, though hearing them less frequently, and they don't seem to be in regular places so often - In May and early June every one I saw or heard was at one of 4 regular spots. Now they seem random - done nesting? The western side of Town Hill within the Forest is getting stripped clean by the Gypsy Moths, and the bird life is reflecting that. 2 of our sites have very little other than REVIs, and those don't seem to all be nesting. One site is where I found a Cuckoo nest, which we believe succesfully fledged 2 chicks, and we've not seen any sign of them. Interesting, as YBCU is the one bird that eats the larger instars of the gypsy moth - I'd think those guys would hang around. But based on last year's data, it seems that YBCU families move off site as soon as they fledge. The other site is where we had our only known Cerulean Warbler territory. He stopped singing about 10 days ago, and we have no idea if they were sucessful. This site is notable for being high altitude (relatively, for Maryland, that is) and far from water. Something like 2 miles and 700 vertical feet from "the Bends" of the Potomac. Yesterday I found 3 dead Acadian Flycatcher chicks under a nest with a big hole in the bottom. Poor construction? They didn't seem to be munched on at all. The adults were still actively defending the territory, so perhaps they'll try again. "Fred" the Ovenbird with a peculiar song has not been heard in 2 weeks. We think he successfully fledged his young, though the nest was never found. His song started with 5 single notes before lapsing into normal Ovenbird song. Family groups lately have been mostly Ovenbird, White-breasted Nuthatch and Red-eyed Vireo. Where did the Worm-eating Warblers go? Savage River SF is a lot more fun these days. Family groups of Black-throated Blues, Pileated and Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuts, Black-and-white Warblers, Juncos, and others. Although we have 2 known Magnolia Warbler territories, we haven't seen specific breeding evidence (a nest, an adult carrying food or nesting material, etc) A Wood Thrush nest just 10 feet from the road and very visible has done quite well, surprisingly. 3 big chicks are sitting atop the nest, and I bet they'll be gone by Friday. We cannot avoid walking within 5 feet of the nest several times a week, and the female has stopped flushing when we do. A Blue-headed Vireo nest is believed to have fledged between 6/19 and 6/22. Same with a Wood-Thrush nest. No more herp species, but Black bear sitings are up to either 5 or 6 for the season, including one that chased a doe in search of her fawns, then proceded to, um, convince one tech to temporarily leave the transect line for a few minutes. One sighting was a cub in a tree - certainly the only potentially dangerous sighting we've had. I am still in search of my first wild Rattlesnake... I went to Old Legislative road in search of my life Henslow's Sparrow this week. Because I got there at noon, I knew my chances were low. I didn't get the HESP, but I did get a lot of birds, considering the 90+ degree weather at mid day. Grasshopper, Chipping, Vesper and Field Sparrows, Bunting, Waxwing, 3 Swallows, Swift, etc etc. At least 12 Meadowlarks, including one with a very strange song, which I attempted to turn into a western, with no luck. Much hoarser than the others. Started with a sound similar to Gray Treefrog, or Red-bellied Woodpecker, but faster and lower. Turned into a single note repeated 4-6 times. Very bizarre. I got good looks at the critter, and it seemed normal in every way that I could tell. Not that I'd EVER try to ID western from Eastern by looks. Saw a bobcat in Savage River today. *** WARNING - non-Marlyand info below*** I missed a week, as I was thoroughly enjoying myself in the Shawangunks of NY. No birds I haven't already seen this year, but great herps, flowers, etc. The gypsy moth caterpillers are hitting there as hard as they are in Green Ridge State Forest - and I notice that Witch Hazel seems to be taking a huge hit in both locations - I'd always thought of the critters as victimizing the canopy... Did well on herps with 12 species on one hike. I hope everyone's enjoying summer. Charlie ===== **************************************** Charlie Muise, Naturalist Frostburg, Maryland, USA And it came to pass that in the hands of the ignorant, the words of the Bible were used to beat plowshares into swords - Alan Wilson Watts __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================