Date: Sun, 26 May 2002 14:04:12 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Sherry Peruzzi Subject: Ft. McHenry Western Kingbird MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT My husband Ken and I drove over to Fort McHenry a little after noon today to find the Western Kingbird. As we approached the area where it's been hanging out, we saw a Mockingbird and an Eastern Kingbird sitting near each other on the split rail fence. Just as we expressed surprise that they were so tolerant of each other, the Mockingbird went after the EAKI. As they flew around squawking and squabbling, the Western Kingbird suddenly flew out of the sycamore and joined the fray. We never did figure out whose side the WEKI was on, or if it just wanted to be in on the dogfight! A few minutes later, the WEKI came out and sat on the split rail fence, giving us a great view as it waited for lunch to come along. We soon ran into Stan Arnold and Joan Decarli, who had also come out to see the WEKI. Other birds of interest that we saw (besides what Stan termed "killer Barn Swallows" zooming past at close range) were a female Red-breasted Merganser near the seawall between the WEKI's sycamore and the wetland area; a Spotted Sandpiper checking out the rocks at the edge of the wetland; and a flyover Greater Yellowlegs, which cooperatively called as it flew past so we could identify it. As we walked back to the parking lot, the four of us stopped to enjoy one more look at the beautiful WEKI, still hunting from the split rail fence. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================