Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 08:21:47 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Shaffer Subject: Early Morning Patuxent Ponds Birds I had another great early morning at Patuxent Ponds, seeing two of my favorite birds (owls & loons). I got there just before 6 am, hoping to see and hear nighttime birds. I wasn't disappointed as just inside the wet, tall woodlands (past the rear of the area of small, second-growth trees and fields) I heard two Barred Owls calling very close by and saw one of them flying through the trees. There was a third owl calling much further off. And, still before the sun came up, but as the sky was brightening to a clear blue, I saw a small, loose group of 5 or 6 loons flyover. I got great looks at the underside of the birds, and even saw their feet dangling behind them. About a minute later I saw another group of about the same size, and than another, probably totaling about 15 to 20 loons. Other birds present were a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Ruby Crown Kinglet (all of which were singing), a Sharp Shinned Hawk, several Blue Jays, and Crows. Fred Shaffer Crofton, Anne Arundel pamthept@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================