Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 21:12:24 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Stan Arnold Subject: Ho Co Waterfowl Walk MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit FINALLY! Howard County, now with most of its lakes and ponds free of ice, got to join in on the Red-necked Grebe bonanza today, perhaps in part due to the inhospitable condition of the state's rivers, with widespread flooding, forcing many birds to seek more tranquil waters elsewhere. Fifteen Howard Co. birders assembled this morning to participate in what turned out to be a surprisingly productive outing, despite the closure of Triadelphia Reservoir. Highlights of the event were RED-NECKED GREBE, HORNED GREBE (and Pied-billed Grebe) and a flyover PURPLE MARTIN at Lake Elkhorn, and five RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, a flyover COMMON LOON, and a flyover AM. PIPIT at Centennial Park. Other interesting birds included a PINE WARBLER at Wilde Lake, eight WILSON'S SNIPE in the swamp under the power lines behind Lake Elkhorn, and TREE SWALLOWs in several locations. In addition to seeing three grebe species, we also were treated to all three species of merganser. The tally (CP = Centennial Park, LE = Lake Elkhorn, LK = Lake Kittamaquandi, WL = Wilde Lake): Common Loon--1 (flyover CP) Pied-billed Grebe--3 (CP, LE, LK) Horned Grebe--1 (LE) colorful; coming into breeding plumage Red-necked Grebe--1 (LE); very drab; a gray and off-white colored bird Great Blue Heron--widespread; one on nest at LK Black Vulture--3 (WL) Turkey Vulture--widespread Canada Goose Mute Swan--2 (one at CP, one at Forebay at LE) Mallard Canvasback--3 (WL) Ring-necked Duck--(CP, LE, WL) Lesser Scaup--1 female (LE) Bufflehead--1 male (CP) Hooded Merganser--pair in marsh behind LE Common Merganser--1 flyover at CP Red-breasted Merganser--5 (3m 2f at CP) Ruddy Duck--7 (CP) and 3 (WL) Sharp-shinned Hawk--1 over LE Cooper's Hawk--3 (WL, LE, and enroute) Red-shouldered Hawk--6 (pair at WL, 3 at LK, 1 LE) Am. Coot--3 (2 at CP; 1 at LE) Wilson's Snipe--8 (marsh behind LE) Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull--2 (WL) Rock Dove Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher--2 (CP & LE) Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--2 (LK & LE) Downy Woodpecker--3 (LK) N. Flicker E. Phoebe (LK & LE) Blue Jay Am. Crow Purple Martin--1 (LE flyover) Tree Swallow--widespread Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren E. Bluebird--1 (LK) Am. Robin N. Mockingbird Eur. Starling Am. Pipit--1 (CP) Yellow-rumped Warbler--3 (LK) Pine Warbler--1 (WL) Song Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco N. Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird--1 flyover (CP) House Finch Am. Goldfinch House Sparrow My count is 58 species for the day. Additionally, while scouting this morning before the walk I had: Chipping Sparrow--one singing (and sounding like a worm-eater) at LE Fish Crow--flyover at CP Stan Arnold Glen Burnie dy.dx@verizon.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================