Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2002 20:22:14 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Peter Webb Subject: Dickcissels and Red-headed Woodpeckers, Carroll County MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Today (Sat. June 8, 2002) Steve Sanford and I went across central-north Carroll County scouting for target field birds and Red-headed Woodpeckers for next week's Baltimore Bird Club field trip. We encountered six Red-headed Woodpeckers at five different locations today, more than either of us have ever previously seen in one day in Maryland, plus two singing male Dickcissels a couple of miles from the traditional spot near Keysville. We also found at least two singing male Bobolinks on territory along Keysville Road. Other target birds heard and/or seen included Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark, and Willow Flycatcher. The only "target" bird missed: Savannah Sparrow. (We've given up on an older traditional target bird, Loggerhead Shrike, as no longer available.) The sparrows and Horned Larks were heard-only singers in the distance, but I have hopes of finding some of them next Saturday on other roads not visited today. Locations for atlas purposes: Dickcissel: northwest Carroll County north of Keysville, west of Taneytown, old "no-till" field partially grown over, southeast side of Bullfrog Road about 3/4 mile north of Baumgardner Road or 3/4 mile south of Roop Road, and just after a left bend (northbound). 2 singing males sounding closer than they really were, but both seen (one 'scoped). Delorme map page 73, grid B5, northwest corner. ADC county map 8, grid K5 southeast corner. Bobolink: south side of Keysville Rd. inside the sharp right-angle bend (viewed there) and 1/4 mile east of there, same south side of the road. On straight east-west stretch of the road west of intersection with Reifsnider Road. Delorme map page 73, grid B5, near center of west edge. ADC map 8 grid K5 and map 9 grid A5. Red-headed Woodpecker sites: (1) Albert Rill Rd west of Hampstead, at west edge of the smaller woods patch encountered driving northwest from Snyderburg Rd. Delorme map 74, slightly above center of west edge of grid B2. ADC map 13 grid J7. (2) Eckard Road just off Fridinger Mill Rd, west of Manchester. Delorme map 74, grid B1, northeast corner. ADC map 13, grid G13, southeast corner. (3) Otterdale Mill Road south of Taneytown, both at Nusbaum Rd and and just above the bridge over Big Pipe Creek. 2 birds. Delorme map 73 grid B5 right edge below center. ADC map 10 grid A9. (4) Reifsnider Road southwest of Taneytown, just off Rt 194 Key Highway. Delorme map 73 grid B5, left of center. ADC map 9 grid C7. (5) Roop Road west of Taneytown, just off Rt 194 Key Highway. Delorme map 73 grid B5, above center. ADC map 9 grid E3. Also of atlas signficance: a pair of American Kestrels, the male vocalizing loud and almost continuously, obviously displaying territorial claim. The female also called once, briefly. Site: Bixler Church Road off Bachmans Valley Road state route 496, and just east of the sharp bend in the road, north of Westminster. Delorme map 74 grid B1 north edge ADC map 13 grid C1 The Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrows were heard singing at a number of locations where large grassy fields were found; we didn't record all the site locations. The weather was delightful, sunny and 70's. Hope it's similar next Saturday for the scheduled field trip (meets Park-n-Ride east end of I-70, 7:30 am, bring or buy lunch. Hope we see some of today's birds!) Pete Webb Baltimore, Md (USA) pwebb@bcpl.net (home, after 6) pew@niroinc.com (work, 830-5 M-F) ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================