Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 17:30:56 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Bob Mumford Subject: Re: Ash-throated Flycatcher at Ft. McHenry MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I arrived at Ft. McHenry at about 2:15 and THE bird had been last seen in the sycamore "grove" along the walkway where the kingbird was often seen. It was no longer there. Jim Peters took me, Bob Holbrook and another birder whose name I did not catch into the marsh wildlife area and it was not there either. We then started walking towards the deciduous trees around the parking lot when two of us saw a bird fly into a sycamore very near the Orpheus statue. It was the flycatcher. I took a look and went back to the car for Big Bertha (my 600mm lens). It was then a bit after 3. By the time I got back, the bird had returned to the wildlife area where it was not "in hand." Soon it was found, however, low in a tree bordering the marsh. Then it flew up to a snag at eye level so close that I had to back off to focus BB. Made six shots, pretty much full frame, in low light before it flew across the path to a higher tree. Available tomorrow. The bird forages in all of these areas: the wildlife area, usually low in deciduous trees, the sycamore trees, often high, and other trees near the parking lot. We saw it briefly in one of the pine trees, the first time Jim has seen it in a conifer. It has found enough to eat so far, but I fear for its survival with the oncoming weather. Jim was his usual gracious, charming, accommodating self. A real gentleman to whom something like 500 Maryland birders owe a debt of gratitude for finding and then patiently showing rare birds to visiting birders. For those who have not visited there, take the last stop on 95 before the Ft. McHenry tunnel. From the exit road turn left on Key, then left on Lawrence and another left on Fort Road to the end. It is about 31 miles north of the Washington Beltway. There are pretty good signs, but I missed the final one on my first time there 18 months ago. A bonus: there is a gas station on the corner of Key and Lawrence selling petrol for 1.43 per gallon. Fill er up there! Bob Mumford Darnestown ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================