Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 13:13:54 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Denise Ryan Subject: Rock Creek Park ROOSTER I had quite a surprise while Atlasing today. In addition to some fine finds for the Atlas today including a Northern Parula and a Yellow Billed Cuckoo, I ran across a Red Rooster on a trail across from Soapstone Valley in Rock Creek Park. I was staking out a Northern Flicker hole waiting for some action and I saw something large and red move across the trail. My first thought was, Cool! A lost Pheasant or Turkey. But, on further examination, it was a Rooster. I've come to expect them on the Eastern Shore on occassion, but this fella will probably end up in the jaws of a fox very soon. Other birds of note at the bottom from Saturday and Sunday Atlas efforts. I also saw winged migration last night and really enjoyed it. Their emphasis on waterfowl was a must for practical reasons to be sure, but I would have enjoyed more diversity. Easy to say and not to do. Following a flock of Snow Geese is one thing, following a flock of warblers is a different story. The behaviors shown were marvelous, entertaining and educational. Is it just me or did anyone else go to instinctively grab their binoculars when the film would pan out? Especially when they were showing shore birds. Mallard, mom and chicks Wood Duck pair 2 Turkey Vulture 1 Red-Shouldered Hawk possibly a juv. Veery Wood Thrush Blue Birds w/ at least one juv! Yea! Yippee! Robins Scarlet Tanagers heard only at many locations Great Crested Flycatchers Acadian Flycatchers Eastern Wood Pewee Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Yellow-Throated Vireo Red-Eyed Vireo Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Ovenbird Blue Jay Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers Hairy, Downy,Red-Bellied and Pileated Woodpeckers Northern Flicker Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Mocking Bird Brown Thrasher Catbird Crow Grackle Starling House Sparrow House Finch Gold Finch Balitmore Oriole on nest Tufted Titmouse Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Cardinal White Breasted Nuthatch Cowbird Towhee Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Indigo Bunting Eastern Kingbird on nest I missed Barn Swallows, Rough-Winged Swallows, and White-Eyed Vireos this weekeing but they are out there too. Denise Ryan Washington, DC ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================