Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 16:02:30 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Sue Hamilton Subject: Atlasing in Wash Co MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Spent a happy weekendatmyblock in Clear Spring where my daughter and son-in-law live on 'Mountain Shadow Farm'. The children were anxious to show me the nests they had found, then we all ate hotdogs by the millpondwatching the swiftsgather for the night. I asked the neighbors if they knew that the swifts nested in their old chimney, and they said, yes, they heard them rustling and conversing. The next morning my daughter & I hiked up the mountain on Polecat Hollow Road (on the map, but really an old logging trail). Confirmed a few common species -- and saw a family of black-capped chickadees. This spot is just south of Blair Valley. (Back at the farm the chickadees are Carolinas-- less than two miles away.) We decided to take this hike again.\ In the afternoon I headed for another farm, an old tree farm where I had spotted or rather heard willow flycatchers last year. The owners had reported fledging martins, but by the time I arrived at their pond, the box was empty. However, there was a lot of habitat to cover. I walked a path left by the haymaking, behind the bushy field where I hoped to find the willow flycatcher, but did not hear it. Suddenly, ahead of me there was a big fuss. A pair of orchard orioles which I had confirmed earlier had traveled to a small tree by a stream & thicket. They were joined by a pair of catbirds, two song sparrows, a yellowthroat, and-- a silent willow flycatcher. A redwing called from a nearby bush. What a commotion. I wallked up, unregarded, looking for the snake I was sure must be attacking a nest, but only found two motionless catbird fledglings in the blackberry thicket. I left, hoping for the best. Sue Hamilton (usually Calvert) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================