Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 01:20:32 +0000 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Hans Holbrook Subject: highlights 5/15-18 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed On Thursday the 15th I drove up through Allegany and Garrett Counties. It rained most of the time but I still had a few good birds. At Lake Habeeb there were 3 Common Loons, 1 female Red-breasted merganser, 3 Purple Martins, and a Wilson's Warbler. In Garrett, on Garrett Road I had another Wilson's Warbler. Friday the 16th I headed for the Eastern Shore hoping to get out of the rain. At Pickering Creek there were still 4 White-rumped Sandpipers and 2 Least Tern. At Tanyard, Caroline Co., I saw another Least Tern anda Least Bittern. I then headed into Dorchester Co., along Indiantown Road there was a Cliff Swallow. Elliott's Island was my next stop with 4 Black-necked Stilt. There were 5 Black-necked Stilt in the impoundments along Beaver Dam Road, also of interst was a STILT SANDPIPER and several more White-rumped Sandpiper. Jim Brighton joined me after work, we went back to look for the Stilts but there were gone, the rest of the birds were still there. Ended the weekend with 22 species of shorebird. Saturday the 17th, Jim and I went back to Pickering Creek, several White-rumped Sandpiper, 1 Western Sandpiper, 1 Hooded Warbler, plus great looks at both Veery and Swainson's thrush. Stopped into Idlewild in Caroline County and picked up a few county birds. Back down along Beaver Dam Road not much change in the birds, we did however hear a Black-billed Cuckoo. Oh yeah, also heard a King Rail at Tanyard, Caroline County. Sunday, 18th, Jim and I headed for Worchester, West OC Ponds held a female Hooded Merganser with young. Shanty Town, there was a ROSEATE TERN flying out in the dirrection of the inlet. Life bird for me, it has been a long time since I got a lifer in Maryland. Skimmer Island had alot of Skimmers and terns, plus one Common Moorhen out feeding on a sand spit, weird... it just seemed out of place. We headed on down to Assateague and drove the ORV Zone. The last several times we have been lucky to see a few gulls and maybe a half dozen Sanderling. Lots of Sanderling, more than 300 Willet, Jim counted 110 WIMBREL. 3 Surf Scoter, one RAZORBILL, one PARASITIC JEAGER, one ARCTIC TERN, one RED KNOT, one Brown Pelican, lots of Gannet, Common Tern, and 20+ Least Tern. Overall for the four days, it seemed warblers had slowed up a bit, swallows were everywhere, lots of shorebirds in flooded fields, and terns were plentiful. It rained every day but that never seems to make the birding poor on the shore, although I had hoped to see more warblers. Good Birding, Hans Holbrook Columbia, MD _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================