Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 12:34:05 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Steve Noyes Subject: Wild Turkey Hunts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii CAUTION ATLASers of Wildlife Management Areas !! Upon arrival at Spice Creek WMA in my block at 6:30 a.m. today, I found 2 pickup trucks in the parking lot. According to the "hunters sign in", they were there to hunt turkeys. For those uninformed like myself, the MD Spring Turkey Hunt is in effect in all counties (Apr. 18-May 16 from 1/2 hour before sunrise to noon...I checked with the DNR website www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/forest.html when I returned home). I then headed for the Nottingham NRWA to see if anyone was there.....no one. While there, I saw the first BLUE GROSBEAK and heard the first WOOD THRUSH for my block. Other good finds there were a flock of ~30 cedar waxwings (feeding in a juniper), white-eyed vireos (singing in thickets) and a few savannah sparrows and eastern meadowlarks in a field. I was anxious to get back to Spice Creek WMA, arriving there at 8:00 a.m. to find the hunters GONE. A half hour later, I heard the first WILD TURKEY in my block. Other "firsts for my block" were YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, a PRAIRIE WARBLER, and a RED-EYED VIREO. Other interesting birds were a sub-adult bald eagle, a northern bobwhite (flushed), 5 male wood ducks (flying over Spice Creek), a couple of palm warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, more wood thrushes (singing), lots of common yellowthroats, and a brown thrasher. FLORA: found a nice cluster of pink lady-slippers on a side path. I just wish I could have gotten an earlier start HERE! Another couple of weeks and the place will be ALL MINE again. Am I sounding a little possessive? Bon Birding....... Steve Noyes, Beltsville, PG County noyessh@yahoo.com --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness =========================================================================