Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 11:04:20 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "George M. Jett" Subject: Rusty Blackbirds, etc. in Charles 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 Gwen and I explored parts of Chapel Point State Park yesterday looking = for warblers. We did not find too many warblers but did have a small = flock of maybe 15 Rusty Blackbirds fly over near the Port Tobacco River = edge at the fishing area. =20 Other birds of note were are first White-throated Sparrow on the hill = trail on the opposite side of Chapel Point Road. We parked in the = hunters lot (it was Sunday), and marched slowly up the hill as the sun = was heating the hill side. We had a few catbirds, several Brown = Thrashers, the White-throat, Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, = Magnolia, Common Yellowthroat, Pileated, and Harry Woodpecker. We also = had a female Blue Grosbeak and lots of Indigo Buntings. We also had a = pair of Eastern Wood Peewee. One may have been a young bird. It was = food begging from the adult and giving an interesting call - a raspy two = phrased note. Several Bald Eagles were present along the river. The = other raptors were Redtail and Cooper's Hawk. After Chapel Point, we went to Bumpy Oak and had a nice collection. = There were two young Red-headed Woodpecker (just arrived for the winter = I hope), Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, lots of Eastern Bluebird, = two Scarlet Tanagers in basic plumage, one Eastern Phoebe, one = Kingfisher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Common Yellowthroat, White-throated = Sparrow, and Gwen probably saw one Lincoln's Sparrow. We did not see = this bird well enough, but all we did see says not a Swamp Sparrow. The = bird had streaked flanks and over buff, and a streaked back. A few = chimney swifts were present over head. Later in the day at the house in Waldorf I had two Bald Eagle, several = Redtail Hawks, Black and Turkey Vultures cursing the thermals. I also = had a large collection of mixed gulls high over the house. They seemed = to be kettleing - maybe eating insects, catching a thermal. The = collection was a mixed flock of Ring-billed (mostly) and Laughing Gulls. = The only interesting warbler around the house was too quick for me. = From the best I could see, before it bolted, was probably an immature = Cape May or immature Blackpoll. There may be something to say for = stabilizer binoculars when only a brief view is provided. 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 =========================================================================