Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 19:47:56 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Leslie Roslund Subject: Eastern Shore Birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This morning was so beautiful that I could not resist taking a walk around one of the dense wooded areas near Tunis Mills, Talbot County. Included amongst the forty species found in a couple of hours were: BESIDE THE WOODS - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker All the other normal woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Red-bellied and Flicker) Golden Crowned Kinglets, numerous, including some males competing in the display of their beautiful red and gold crowns Ruby Crowned Kinglets, numerous ON LEEDS CREEK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE - One Tundra Swan (has been here for a week) Four Hooded Mergansers (there were seven yesterday) FLY-OVERS - Two Black Ducks, with about 30 Mallards AND, A LATE AFTERNOON YARD BONUS - Gray Catbird (a Brown Thrasher has continued to frequent the same area, perhaps they will both stay for the Christmas Count) Back on Sunday, for anyone interested in big flocks of birds, I would acknowledge having defected to Delaware and Bombay Hook with my wife and two out-of-town relatives, where we were treated to wonderful views of flocks of Blackbirds and of Snow Geese. On the refuge grounds, at high tide on the saltmarsh across from Shearness Pool, in their normal spot there were tens of thousands of Snow Geese (50,000 at least and perhaps far more). But just as thrilling were the antics of the huge flock of Blackbirds swirling back and forth across Whitehall Neck Road, just after we left Route 9 heading towards the Refuge. Surely 200,000 or more! And willing to ignore our car in the roadway as they passed back and forth across the road and from field to field while we watched. Sometimes the flock bunched so solidly as to be totally opaque to our view. Other times the birds were strung out for miles, some to the left of us, some to the right of us, some overhead, and some out in front! The lines of birds turned and twisted to give the appearance of clouds of smoke being driven by the wind. First portions of the flock, as we watched, were mostly Common Grackles, with a light sprinkling of Starlings and a fair number of Red-winged Blackbirds. Then, when the bulk of the flock swirled past, it was mostly mature male Red-wings, with bright shoulder patches well lighted by the sun. After our Bombay Hook visit, the Blackbirds were still there, and the final group, very closely packed, and trying to drink and gather grit right beside the road, was dominated by Cowbirds, both male and female. What a sight! Les Roslund Talbot County Easton, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =======================================================================