Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 12:34:43 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Sherry Peruzzi Subject: Wilde Lake - Howard County MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Late yesterday Ken and I walked around Wilde Lake and along the woods and paths along the stream that feeds the lake. Highlights were a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER hopping around in the trees beside the bridge in the late afternoon, and a BARRED OWL in the woods at the foot of the hill (in the same general area) as dusk was falling. The owl eluded the two crows who were half-heartedly harrassing it, then, after waiting to be sure the coast was clear it called several times, and then flew over to a tree right next to the path and perched above us, giving us great views even in the fading light. We watched it for about 15 minutes until it finally flew deeper into the woods in the dusk. Also present were a Great Blue Heron fishing well upstream, right beside the path; four Ruddy Ducks in breeding plumage on the lake, their feathers bright reddish and their bills bright blue; American Robins flocking on the lawn; Downy Woodpecker; Northern Flicker; White-breasted Nuthatch; Song Sparrow; and of course all the usual suspects. Sherry Peruzzi Columbia, Howard County ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================