Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 14:55:37 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Bob Hartman Subject: Black-billed Cuckoo MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi - At Little Bennett this morning, Toni and I saw a Black-billed Cuckoo on Kingsley Schoolhouse Trail. It was about 1/3 mile east of MD 121, on top of a tall slender Cedar next to the trail. We had seen a Yellow-billed near there a couple of years ago, but this one was clearly not the same. Although it was somewhat backlit, it had no discernable tail pattern, and no yellow on the bill. Apparently it was a young bird, because of the minimal tail pattern and because the breast was rather gray. This was only our second sighting of the Black-billed, and our first in MD. The first was a flyover in Minnesota by a vocalizing bird, which was much less satisfying. Otherwise, the only interesting birds were a big flock of waxwings (which looked rather scruffy), a big flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and all six of the common woodpekers. Another birder there mentioned seeing a Blue-headed Vireo and a Swainson's Thrush near the schoolhouse. Bob Hartman Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================