Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 18:13:01 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Shaffer Subject: 3 Merlin day on the Eastern Shore It was myself and Jim Harmon (I apologize for probably getting the last name wrong) for the Patuxent Bird Club field trip on the blustery eastern shore today. Considering the heavy winds, we saw a fair number of birds, perhaps the highlight of which were three Merlins at three locations (Horsehead, Kent Narrows bridge, & Ruthsburg Road). Jim got many wonderful pictures. The highlights at our three stops were: Terrapin Park: Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Laughing Gull (one) Mrytle Warblers (many) White Throated Sparrows (many) Juncos (many) Belted Kingfisher Canada Geese Brown Thrasher Song Sparrows Field Sparrows Eastern Towhees Northern Mockingbird Blue Jay Horsehead: Red Shouldered Hawk Red Tailed Hawk Merlin Canada Geese Carolina Chicadees Northern Flicker Juncos White Throated Sparrows Fox Sparrow Cardinal Spark Lane: Sharp Shinned Hawk American Kestrel Horned Larks (30+) Juncos (many) American Pipit (3) We could find no Longspurs here, but their favored field had not been plowed. Other flybys on the road: Bald Eagle (near Tuckahoe State Park) Eastern Meadowlarks (Ruthsburg Road) Killdeer Black Vulture Turkey Vulture A late Osprey (Kent Narrows) Fred Shaffer Patuxent MOS glaucousgull1611@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================