Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2003 13:29:19 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rick Sussman Subject: Meadowside Nature Center Comments: To: voice@audubonnaturalist.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all, I birded mostly alone, but met up with a recent pair of friends later, at Meadowside this morning. Some nice finds, both winter birds and migrants just arriving. I had 2 target species, BG Gnatcatcher and Blue-headed Vireo. Almost the first bird I saw was a gnatcatcher near the top of the ridge. Didn't find BH Vireo however. Had some nice raptors, with a single BROAD-WINGED HAWK, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks (imm. and adult), Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks over the lake, and Osprey at the lake. 4 species of warblers were nice, including my first NORTHERN PARULA of the season singing, Louisiana Waterthrush (2), Yellow-rumped (3) and yellow Palm (2). Had all the woodpeckers except Red-headed (though I have had them here before), with a Pileated excavating a hole in a sycamore tree by the creek. Brown Creeper at extreme close range, a few Phoebes, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a pair of Common Loons on Lake Frank (one floundering around with a too-large fish), while groups of 3, 20 and 17 flew overhead, lots of DC Cormorants both adult and juvenile, a good variety of swallows over the water, including N. Rough-winged, Barn, Tree, and a few PURPLE MARTINS as well. Sparrows were scarce, but did have Swamp, White-throated and Chipping, as well as junco and towhee. Chickadees were also excavating a hole in a very dead tree by the creek. Ducks remaining on the water were a small handful of Ring-necked and 4 female Hooded Mergansers, 1 female Woodie and Mallards. 5 Great Blue Herons and 1 Green Heron were at the lake and/or pond, and I had my first ever Caspian Tern for the park flying overhead. A nice mixed bag of birds, which is what early spring birding is all about! Rick Sussman Ashton,MD warblerick@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================