Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 15:52:00 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Kurt R. Schwarz" Subject: Possible Breeding Bird Atlas Record Forgive me it this is off-base, I'm new to atlasing, but... Today, 17 January 2002 at 11:35 a.m. I noted a pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks at the Baltimore-Washington Parkway's interchange with Greenbelt Rd., which I believe is in P.G. County. Both were adult birds, with red breasts. The size difference between them tells me that they were male and female. The female flew into a sapling of about 10 feet height on the right side of the Parkway as you head north. The male was in a similarly sized sapling within ten yards of the female. I observed no apparent courtship behavior, we were going probably 60 mph (I was not driving). I realize that this is well outside the "safe dates" for this species (the safe date for Red- shoulders is 5/10), but this would seem indicative of potential breeding. Red-shoulders have begun nest-building in my yard in Ellicott City, Howard County, in late February for the past two years. Kurt Schwarz 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================