Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 10:40:23 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: Re: Ash-throated Flycatcher at Ft. McHenry Comments: cc: Gyrfal@AOL.COM In-Reply-To: <193.2343bb8f.2d010fa0@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed All: I'm glad someone who knows photography , namely Bob Mumford, was able to get out to Fort McHenry yesterday and get some close shots of the Ash-throated Flycatcher. As I said in my post to MDOsprey, Jim Peters borrowed a digital camera from one of the Park Service people, and I took quite a few shots with that. However, I didn't really know how to operate the camera and consequently I have no idea whether any usable shots resulted. I look forward to seeing Bob's pictures when he makes them available. Mike Bowen Bethesda MD At 05:30 PM 12/4/2003 -0500, Bob Mumford wrote: >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 >======================================================================= D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike) 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda MD 20817-3845 Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764 e-mail: dhmbowen@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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================