Date: Sun, 11 May 2003 09:02:18 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rick Sussman Subject: Black-billed Cuckoo in Ashton, Montgomery County Comments: To: voice@audubonnaturalist.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all, I just came in from walking the dog at the pond, where I heard a distant BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO calling from the woods (perhaps 200 yards distant) across the nursery bordering the pond. I did my rendition of its call, knowing from many past experiences that they (and Yellow-billed) will frequently come in for a closer look. Eventually the bird stopped calling, and a short time later I heard it again, but now it was in the hedgerow very near. I left the dog tied to a bench, and walked over for a closer look, following its call with my own. Finally it flew from deep cover to a spot where I could just barely see it in a mulberry tree. I could just discern its red orbit and black bill. After a bit more calling it flew across the pond to a small tree on the other side of the hedgerow, closer to the dog. I approached again, while it sat in the open preening for perhaps 5 more minutes, then it began calling again. Did you know that when they call, their throats expand sort of frog-like? Something the field guides don't show. It responded to my call by flying into a pond-side willow tree, where it was when I left. If anyone wants to try and find it, and wants directions, please call me at home or cell, as I will likely not have time to check my e-mail again until tomorrow AM. Home-301-774-1185, try this # 1st Cell- 301-502-0018 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================