Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 08:15:52 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Paul Woodward Subject: McKee-Beshers WMA(Mont Co)1-28-03 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Seemed like a heat wave for my Hunting Quarter Rd. count this morning-16 degrees vs. 5 the last time I did it. Afterwards I came back through the fields. At first, it didn't look very promising, but it ended being very productive-28 species on the count and another 7 on the return trip. Species highlights were 2 Great Blue Herons still trying to survive along the edges of the impoundments, a Cooper's Hawk, a calling Barred Owl, an Eastern Phoebe over the little remaining open water in the impoundments, 2 GRAY CATBIRDS, and a singing Am. Tree Sparrow. Numerical highlights were-8 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 18 Downy Woodpeckers, 11 Winter Wens, 12 Hermit Thrushes, and 302 White-throated Sparrows. So far I haven't detected any populations declines due to the brutal winter weather, but with diminishing food supplies, increased energy demands to cope with the bitter cold, and the potential for more snow in February(one of our snowiest months) significant killoffs are still possible. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================