Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 19:27:01 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Fallon Subject: Re: Schoolhouse Pond, part II MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I was at Schoolhouse Pond later today than Fred Shaffer, at 10:30. I saw no gulls then, but did see, accompanying a female Red-wing a little off from the main group of 20-30, a very rusty Rusty Blackbird. A Sharp-shinned also flew over the pond. Fred Fallon Bowie Fred Shaffer wrote: > > There were many, many birds at the Schoolhouse Pond this morning, including > a few splendid rarities. In fact, there were so many to sort through that > I was quite late getting into the office (across the street). > > When I arrived there was a lone gull on the pond, along with about 20 > mallards. The gull, which I judged to be a Franklin's Gull, had an > extensive black hood extending clear across the back of the head and up to > the top of the head. This made the gull distinctive, but what really stood > out to me with the very small, slender, all black bill. The bill was > noticeably smaller and thinner than the group of laughing gulls here > yesterday. > > I then spent a lot of time sorting through the many Mrytle Warblers along > both sides of the Pond. I counted over forty, with an especially large > group along the boardwalk on the far side of the Pond near the marshy > vegetation. The Mrytles were actually in the large trees behind the > townhouses, but several were actually hopping on the boardwalk. Also on or > near the boardwalk was the Swamp Sparrow (I assume the same one I've been > spotting over the last week), a few White Throated Sparrows, and one first > winter White Crowned Sparrow. At first I thought this bird was a tan White > Throated, but the head stripes were lighter, there was no distinct lower > border to the throat, and the chest was a lighter, more uniform gray. Also > in the vicinity were two tail bobbing Western Palm Warblers, at times in > the low trees, at other times on the boardwalk. > > In addition, I saw 3 Ruby Crowned Kinglets, 3 Wood Ducks, 1 Great Egret, 2 > Great Blue Herons, and the usual Cardinals. Many gulls, geese, and ducks > were flying into the pond as I left. Yesterday's highlights were the Swamp > Sparrow and a Yellow Breasted Chat. > > Fred Shaffer > Crofton, Anne Arundel. > > ======================================================================= > 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================