Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 11:14:51 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Jane Kostenko Subject: Western Kingbird at Ft. McHenry 5/27/02 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Tyler Bell and I got to Fort McHenry early this morning (around 7:30 = a.m.), but the gates were still closed. We met up with Bill Dobbins from = DC, who told us of a view in to the fort from Nimitz Road (left of the = gate). We had time to kill, so we drove down there (we could have = walked), parked, and almost immediately I saw a yellow-bellied bird land = in a tree overhanging the brick wall marking the boundary. We got our = bins on it and were delighted to see the Western Kingbird--chattering as = it landed! WhileTyler ran to get Bill, I watched the WEKI drop down and = disappear; we didn't refind it there. The rangers opened the gate just before 8, so we went in with Wendy, = a birding volunteer at the fort, who took us right toward The sycamore = tree where it usually is found. On the way there, it flew overhead, = chasing an Eastern Kingbird and chattering away. It soon returned to its = usual tree, where we had great looks at it preening and calling. Tyler = took some video, so we'll see if we can make out the primary = emargination to age it. We left minutes before heavy rain started, so we hope anyone else = going for it had good luck! BTW, be sure to stop in at the Visitor = Center and let them know you are there for the bird--it's great for them = to know how much traffic this bird is bringing in. Jane Kostenko jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us California, MD =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================