Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 11:42:48 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Rock Creek DC 5/20 -- still a good day! Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi all -- When we arrive at the Rock Creek ridge at 6:30, we immediately realized that most of the migrants there yesterday had moved out -- almost no sound of Blackpolls, etc. However, as they say, "when the going gets tough..." so a number of us plugged on and about and still managed to tally a nice lot of birds! Highlight were THREE Black-billed Cuckoos (one heard only), and one sitting up in brilliant light for all his field marks to be carefully noted, especially his brilliant red eye-ring! Nevertheless the numbers and diversity of warblers is steadily dropping. You know when Blackpolls are the most abundant species that migration is waning... Birds seen and heard: Warblers: Blackpoll (~20), Black-and-White (1), Canada (2), Chestnut-sided (1), Magnolia (1), MOURNING WARBLER (1, heard only alas), Myrtle (10), Ovenbird (5), Parula (2), Redstart (2), Wilson's (1, singing male in dog run which has been present since the 8th in exact same spot!) Yellowthroat (4). Others of note: BLUE GROSBEAK (1 immature male, brown body but a blue face!), Black-billed Cuckoo (3), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1), Red-eyed Vireo (~25), Gray-cheeked Thrush (3), Swainson's Thrush (2), Wood-pewee (6), Acadian Flycatcher (4), Great Crested FC (2), Scarlet Tanager (4), Baltimore Oriole (1). Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================