Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 21:15:48 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "George M. Jett" Subject: Charles County Birds - September 21, 2003 mostly Comments: To: SMAS Comments: cc: Miliff@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Folks It started out as a fairly slow day today as I worked around the house, = but a few surprises were enjoyed. I had a few expected Swainson's = Thrushes calling predawn. No big surprise, but later about 8:00 I heard = a Wood Thrush and Veery called from overhead. Shortly after that a = Rose-breasted Grosbeak was up in the trees in the back calling. A = Cuckoo sp. flew over shortly after 9:00 AM. Chimney Swifts were high = over head, the hummers may have moved along - last seen yesterday, and = the garage needed attending. =20 About 11:00 I stepped into Gwen's study and notice a young warbler = pooped into the tall yew bush next to the window. It was either a = Blackpoll or Bay-breasted. I did not see it well before it moved out of = sight. I rushed for binoculars and the front yard. I never relocated = the young bird, but I did bring in an adult male and female Blackburian, = and an adult Parula into view. Gwen came out for the warblers by then. = The Blackburian had moved into the woods but a yellow Palm was calling = from the back of the house. It came down to the back drive briefly, = flew back up being chased by a Goldfinch, hung around a few moments, and = headed south. It continued to call most of the time it visited. I nice = little flurry of songbirds. =20 As we were chasing the warbler flock that dropped in momentarily, a = Cooper's Hawk was observed hunting south on Mill Hill Road. The bird = tucked its wings in and went into a sharp dive. Cool! Later, about mid day, I heard and saw an adult Red-shouldered Hawk = soaring over the house. A short time later, an adult Red-tail was = working a thermal with two Turkey Vultures. =20 Having set down for lunch about 1:30, a young migrant hummingbird (I = think), visited the Cana plant next to the dinning room window. The = bird checked about three plants and was never seen again. =20 Having cleaned a large part of the garage, I sat down about 5:30 PM for = a beer. I had not gotten through half a beer and an adult accipiter, I = took to be a female Sharp-shinned Hawk, shot across the backyard hunting = the House Finches and a single Mourning Dove. The large adult bird had = a notch in the center of the tail and was not huge. It came from my = blind side chasing its pray, and I only briefly saw the bird from the = left side and rear. Everyone left in a hurry. The accipiter settled on = a House Finch since the Dove was moving more quickly than it may have = preferred. I don't know if the Hawk was successful, but shortly after = the action started a House Finch returned and perched high in a White = Oak over the shed. Maybe my presence upset the flow of the hunt. No owls yet but Barred were calling (duetting) September 17 before = Isabel arrived. Yesterday (September 20) the roads were open to Cobb Island, and we = decided to see if anything had lingered at the Breeze Point Sewage = Treatment Plant/Recycle Center. The bird of note was an immature = Eastern Kingbird. I stunning bird in verrry fresh plumage. The other = bird of note was a young female Yellow Warbler that briefly stopped in = the same tree as the Eastern Kingbird. Morgantown Road was still closed = and nothing was remaining at Aqualand (Harry Nice Bridge). I think we = were lucky on September 19 with the Black Skimmers and Sanderling. =20 Good birding. George =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 =========================================================================