Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 03:24:05 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Frank Boyle Subject: MD Breeding Bird Census Outing - Beltsville Quad 120, NW & CE On our first outing of the 2003 season, had some "probables" for Beltsville Quad (120), blocks NW & CE(Paint Branch Park, Fairland Recreational Park): (All in "safe" dates for PG County) Pine Warbler Chipping Sparrow Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher Downy Woodpecker Red-Bellied Woodpecker Carolina Wren Carolina Chickadee Killdeer Mallard Field Sparrow "Possibles": (not in "safe dates") American Goldfinch Mourning Dove Turkey Vulture Brown Thrasher Eastern Towhee I was accompanied on this survey by my block co-leader, Kathleen Lathrop. As I expected, we had no "confirmed" breeders, but we did find a pair of gnatcatchers who will probably have a nest soon close to Little Paint Branch. It was a lovely spring day, with the ephemerals just now blooming!!! Bloodroot in evidence, very late!!! Also observed: (ok, for all you "please keep the list to birds only" people, tough noogies!!!!!) 60 painted turtles in the NW block, a huge rat snake, and a battered Question Mark in the CE block, this individual had over 80 % of it's wing surface gone, having over-wintered!!!! It still managed to fly along Little Paint Branch, I believe it was a female. It was amazing to see this beautiful butterfly, having survived one of the toughest winters on record, tattered but alive, passing on it's life force to a new brood. Life is resilient. *************************** Frank Boyle Laurel, MD ravenfrank@earthlink.net *************************** ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================