Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 16:00:47 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Scott Crabtree Subject: Re: Gwynn's Falls Park - Baltimore MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" Steve et al; Gwynn's Falls/Leakin Park has been birded fairly well in at least the last four years, and intermittently before that. We're in the fourth year of a five-year project to survey the bird population of the Park system, one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the US. To date, there are over 130 species of birds encountered during the official surveys (8/yr), and a handful more seen outside of the survey dates. Sunday's CT warbler was just the most recent highlight which have included MS Kite, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Golden-winged and Wilson Warblers, Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows in the city, and the occasional nesting Blue Grosbeak. Habitats include something very close to old-growth forest, much other regrown forests, many open fields (now largely mowed, though), and lots of edge and riparian habitat. There is one small swamp, and the large open field that is not mowed is going through such succession that the field habitat will soon be gone. The most interesting activity is in migration, with some days of over 20 warbler species. In the proper weedy areas (such as the City's mulch dumping area behind the miniature train station {that's miniature trains, not miniature station!}), there are good sparrow days as well. Last Friday yielded all three Melospiza sparrows in a single binocular view. Birds of prey? We certainly have the usual migrants, and there are at least three nesting species of owls. The greenway system has opened the park up a lot more - that means more joggers and bicycles, but also more police presence. Leakin Park was known as the place in Baltimore where bodies were dumped. Not so any longer. Is it birded enough? Possibly not. I'm sure there are places in Leakin Park that are like Picnic Area 18 and the Maintenance Yard in Rock Creek Park - I just haven't found any that reliably and consistently attract the migrants. I'm still working on it, though. The Bawlmer bird club's next survey is this coming Saturday, starting at 8:00, at the parking lot for the tennis courts at the park's north entrance off of Windsor Mill Rd. Could be a good sparrow day!! Scott Crabtree Baltimore, MD (410) 945-1042 -----Original Message----- From: Steve Sanford [mailto:tanager@BCPL.NET] Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 4:08 PM To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Gwynn's Falls Park - Baltimore I went to check out the Winan's Meadow area of Gwynn's Falls/ Leakin Park in Baltimore in case Scott Crabtree's Connecticut Warbler was still around. I haven't been to that area for a while. It was about 1955 in fact! (Cub Scout picnic.) I did not see the Conn. Warbler, but I was impressed by the area, with OLD woods, streams, a little marsh, weedy fields and lots of trails. Kind of like Rock Creek Park, I believe. There were a lot of White-throated and Song Sparrows and a few Swamp Sparrows at the marsh, which is near the pavilion visible from the Winan's Meadow parking area, and a few warblers. It certainly looks like this area should be birded some more, at least for those who live nearby. One route there is simply to follow Dogwood Road (a little north of Security Blvd.) from Woodlawn until it turns into Franklintown Road. The Winan's Meadow area is about 1/2 mile beyond the intersection with Winan's Way. There has been some major trail building and refurbishing. The sign says that eventually the trail will go all the way down to the southern end of Baltimore harbor. If you wonder about security, the most numerous people there this morning were the police - in cars and one on a bike. I also noted that the upper end of the park, off Windsor Mill Road where the miniature railroad is, might have a lot of potential for hawks since it seems to be at one of the highest points for miles around. Any comments, Scott, or others? I know during my long captivity at the Social Security headquarters nearby, I would often see a pretty fair number of Broadwings in September. Steve Sanford tanager@bcpl.net Randallstown MD Baltimore County ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================