Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 08:03:10 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Shaffer Subject: Schoolhouse Pond Bald Eagle This morning I had a flyover immature Bald Eagle at Schoolhouse Pond in Upper Marlboro. Other birds included the usual 20+ Shovelers, 2 Gadwall, many Canada Geese, and a Hermit Thrush. The White Throated Sparrows were also numerous. Also of note recently have been the pair of Swamp Sparrows which I have been seeing in the mornings, a female Ring Necked Duck, several Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, two Pileated Woodpeckers (last week), and a Golden Crowned Kinglet (yesterday). 3 Great Egrets have also consistently been at the Pond. The gull numbers have also been very high at lunchtime lately, with over 3,000 being present yesterday. They were almost all Laughing Gulls, with a few Ring Billed and Herring Gulls mixed in, but I plan to keep my eyes open for rarities over the coming weeks. Finally, about a week ago I enjoyed close looks at a Rusty Blackbird when the bird suddenly darted out of my field of view. I looked up to see a Cooper's Hawk hot on his tail. The blackbird escaped safely into some brush. Fred Shaffer Crofton, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================