Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 12:39:06 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Kurt R. Schwarz" Subject: Least Bittern at Lilypons, Fred. County This a.m. (6/3) paid a visit to Lilypons in search of the Yellow- crowned Night Herons. I found one, but as I was headed back to the car, noted a low chuckle coming from out of a catttail filled pond. The bittern continued to laugh at my efforts to see him as I circled the pond two times. The time was about 09:45. I did NOT SEE the bird. Low chuckle, 4-5 repeats. Nothing else like it, unless Black-billed Cuckoos have taken to roosting in cattails... As mentioned, at least one of the YC Nights was still present today. I found both bittern and night heron at the ponds behind the tree line to the right and behind the house where they sell fish and the like. For the Bittern pond, follow the gravel road back and to the right of the house, once you clear the tree line, turn right, and I think it's the 2nd pond. In any case it's a cattail filled pond right next to one containing (it's labeled) Masaniello Hardy Lilies. Dickcissels reported by Stan Arnold earlier in the week are still present on Manor Woods Rd (see Stan's excellent directions from previous post). Once again, I didn't see them, but there were several, possibly as many as six, songs coming out of the thistles. And bunches of Meadowlarks. Willow Flycatchers were singing just about everywhere this morning. Balto Orioles put on a nice show at Lilypons (anyone ever seen a Balto join grackles in mobbing a crow before?). 2 Great Egrets, one green, three Great Blue at Lilypons. And 15 Horned Larks on the bare field north of Oland Rd (Remember, DON'T park on the south side). Thanks to Stan for his earlier post and explicit directions!!! -Kurt Schwarz (outta) Howard County white-crown@home.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================