Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2002 13:28:26 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Paul Woodward Subject: McKee-Beshers WMA(Mont Co) 9-01-02 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 1 September 2002 Took time from nighthawk and swift watching to come out for a few hours this morning. Checked the wires along River Rd and then walked one of my short loops- from the impoundments, east on Hunting Quarter Rd to the central parking lots, through the fields to the towpath and hiker-biker, and then back to the impoundments. Also looked out over the river at Sycamore Landing. Not much around. Conditions for nocturnal migration haven't been good lately and I think the overcast sky and rain kept the other birds quiet. Highlights were 2 Great Egrets, an immature Little Blue Heron, a perching Black Vulture( I usually only see them soaring over), 3 Eastern Phoebes, a Crested Flycatcher, and 2 White-eyed Vireos. There weren't any swallows on the wires, but there were 5 trees and 17 rough-wings feeding over the Potomac. Although far from my highest count here I think the 79 Mourning Doves I found perching on the wires along River Rd is by far the most I've seen there. WARNING: The fall hunting season begins in earnest tomorrow, Monday 9-02 when the season on mourning doves and resident Canada Geese opens. You can hunt doves only from noon to sunset. There are two special dove hunting areas here- one east of Sycamore Landing Rd and one near the upper eastern parking lot. They are open to hunting only on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from noon to five. I have birded here for many years and have found if you know a little about hunting regulations you can bird here with less concern for your safety and besides you can always come on Sunday. Paul Woodward Fairfax City, VA 22032 grackling@worldnet.att.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================