Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 22:59:49 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Glen Lovelace III Subject: Yellow-Headed Blackbird in Caroline Co. Hello All, Covered my usual Oak Grove areas this morning trying to salvage 120 species on my homelist (an off year after two years of 130 or better) before the rest of the year as the remainder of the year will be taken up with traveling for Christmas and then CBCs. My first stop was Kinder Rd. From the sharp bend there were numerous Snow Geese, flocks of grackles and miscellaneous gulls going in all directions. As I was about to pull away, I noticed a flock of field type birds land in the small field on the north side of the road. Stopped again and found that they were 25 pipits. While counting them, I heard something woosh over my head that was faster wingbeats than geese. Looked up at a string of 14 Mallards. I know, big deal, just Mallards, but that is unusual here in winter. Scanned behind them and came up with 3 Black Ducks! I know, big deal again, but these were new to the homelist. They were followed by a Greater Black-Backed Gull, a year bird for the homelist. Leaving Kinder Rd, I encountered a flock of blackbirds on the ground just west of the DE line (North Oak Grove Rd). I stopped to tick off Redwing and Cowbird. Instead, I found a female Yellow-Headed Blackbird right in the road within a small group that was less than a hundred birds. The second new addition to the homelist in a half hour and an MD state bird to boot. Eventually this group got swept up in larger flocks and vanished to the SW. Even though it was within sight, the bird never went into DE. Darn. Sometimes birding on the state line has its advantages (1 bird in both states), but sometimes results in the near miss. Beyond that there were no more rarities, but the excellent morning continued and I tallied 50 species. I believe this is a high count for December. A good raptor day with 3 Bald Eagles, 2 Red-tails, 2 Sharpies, a Coop and 3 Black Vulture (unusual here in winter). Also 97 Swans on Horseshoe Rd in DE, 6 Hermit Thrush (continue in good numbers), 3 Brown Creeper, a Phoebe, 3 Pine and 5 Palm (both flavors) Warblers. Good Birding, Glen Lovelace III Seaford, DE ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================