Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 07:46:58 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "rick@blazie.net" Subject: Re: Visit to Baltimore... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Melissa Helpern wrote: "We didn't see anything earth-shattering from an eastern perspective (SNIP)...I also had two lifers; Fish Crow and Boat-tailed Grackle." I'm glad it was a successful trip and that we were able to help. I wasn't there and you cannot identify birds you didn't see, but Boat-tailed Grackle would be earth-shattering, at least from a Baltimore perspective. There are, I think, only two reports from Baltimore County ever and under any circumstances it would be an exceptional bird. In response to certain hormones the tails of male Common Grackles will keel slightly in the spring and it has long been a source of confusion for birders not familair with both species. On the other hand, I wouldn't know a Flame-colored Tanager if it bit me. Rick Eirik A.T. Blom 4318 Cowan Place Belcamp, Md 21017 410-575-6086 rick@blazie.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mel Halpern" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 1:00 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Visit to Baltimore... > Thanks to everyone who emailed me ideas about birding spots while at a > conference in downtown Baltimore last weekend. Monday morning I and a fellow > Tucsonan went to Ft McHenry and had a very pleasant time. We were fortunate > to meet up with Jim and Matt, a park employee and his intern,(pardon > me if I > have the names wrong, my mind was muddled by the pediatric > conference!) doing > a bird survey at the fort. They graciously let us tag along with > them, and > they provided us with abundant information on flora and fauna alike. > > We didn't see anything earth-shattering from an eastern perspective, however > highlights for me were a male American Redstart, juvenile male Orchard > Orioles (I was hoping for a Baltimore in Baltimore, but it didn't > happen), Wood Thrush, Ovenbird and female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I > also had two lifers; Fish Crow and Boat-tailed Grackle. > > I wish that I had longer to explore the area. I lived in North > Carolina and > Tennessee from 1990-2000 and it was wonderful to hear Carolina Wren > and Wood > Thrush again. > > If any of you are coming to the Tucson/SE AZ area to bird, please > email me if > you need any information. Just to whet your appetites, interesting > birds of > note in the area currently: Flame-colored Tanager, Buff-collared > Nightjar and Rufous-capped Warblers. > > Thanks again, > Melissa Halpern > Tucson, AZ > > ====================================================================== > = > 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================