Date: Sat, 17 May 2003 14:03:54 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: David Mozurkewich Subject: PG DICKCISSEL, Leat Terns In-Reply-To: <38BA34ACF3E0D311B4230000F803503603D07552@VHAPEREXC1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII The best bird on the Patuxent chapter MOS field trip this morning was undoubtedly the adult male Dickcissel. It was near Lake Artemesia (Berwyn Heights) in the ball field just west of Indian Creek and south of Berwyn Road. If looking for it, you can park either at Lake Artemesia or in a small lot at the ball field, but don't expect to see it. After giving good, but brief, views to everyone there, it flew to the edge of the field and was not seen again (including a quick check a few hours later). I'm embarrassed to say a young gentlemen walking by pointed it out while I was looking the other direction at a singing but otherwise invisible Magnolia Warbler. I would give him credit for the sighting but unfortunately, I didn't get his name. If a Dickcissel can show up in this small a patch of such shortly mowed grass, we should be out looking for them in more suitable habitat. The walk along the creek had lots of birds, but nothing particularly surprising. We did manage twelve species of warbler, including quite a few Myrtles which I for one am happy are still around; it's not very long between the last Myrtle and the end of spring migration. Afterwords, we took a quick trip south to the Bladensberg Waterfront where we watched 4 -- that's right FOUR -- LEAST TERNS. Two of the terns were perched near opposite ends of the park the entire time we were there, but the other two flew in from the south and were obviously involved in courtship behavior (synchronized head bobbing, passing of fish...). I started the day with a quick stop in Greenbelt Park where I found a Gray-cheeked Thrush. The main road through the park from somewhat south of the nature trail into the campgrounds seems to be one of the more reliable spots in the county for early morning thrush music. Dave David Mozurkewich Seabrook, PG MD USA mozurk @ bellAtlantic.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================