Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 16:13:43 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Robert Ringler Subject: Carroll Co. Birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I took Jim's and Marshall's advice to check Liberty Lake and Piney = Run today. After a candlelight breakfast I ventured out to Liberty Lake = first. The power seemed to be out in central and western Eldersburg, = but functioning to the east and north. Lots of debris in the roads. I = was at Liberty 0815 to 0845 in light rain that was being driven so hard = by the wind it was difficult to see. The only birds on the lake were = two Pied-billed Grebes and a female Ring-necked Duck. The only birds in = the air were a kingfisher I flushed from the trees and three Forster's = Terns struggling to fly down the lake. They turned back in the face of = the wind and rain. On to Piney Run Park but both entrances to the park were blocked by = trees across the roads. I was only able to check the upper, shallow end = of the lake near White Rock Road. It was still raining but I could see = a Double-crested Cormorant, a Canada Goose, a Mallard, a female = Baldpate, a molting drake Gadwall, a Spotted Sandpiper looking = unsuccessfully for a place to land, a kingfisher, and about 30 Tree = Swallows. Back home to clean up tree litter and have lunch. Electricity back = on at 1205. I ventured out to Piney Run again in the early afternoon. = The tree had been cleared from the road to the main park entrance. = Though the park was closed I walked in. Birds seen on the central part = of the lake included a Double-crested Cormorant (probably the same as = before), 7 Canada Geese, 83 Mallards, 1 female Pintail, 3 Ospreys, 3 = Coots, a Spotted Sandpiper on the boat dock, and an adult Ring-billed = Gull. There was nothing on the lower part of the lake. I doubt that the presence any of these birds was storm-related with = the possible exception of the Forster's Terns which are not regular = here. Bob Ringler Eldersburg, Md ringler@qis.net =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================