Date:         Fri, 26 Mar 2004 19:39:22 -0500
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Robert Ringler <ringler@QIS.NET>
Subject:      Signs of Spring 3/26/04
Comments: cc: Bill Ellis <billellis@ellislist.com>,
          Dave Harvey <dahtangara@erols.com>,
          Dave Hudgins <mhudgins@lucent.com>,
          Don Jewell <dgjewell@earthlink.net>,
          Gail Frantz <guineabird@aol.com>, Greg Klein <thundersnow@avon.net>,
          Sharon Schwemmer <sharons@carr.org>, Alex Bitzel <bitzcrew@qis.net>,
          Tom Miller <tmiller778@aol.com>
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    Today I visited the McKeldin Area of Patapsco Valley State Park,  = Hashawha Environmental Center, and Piney Run Park plus some back roads, = all in Carroll County.
    Signs of spring included:

Bonaparte's Gull - 1 on a farm pond near Union Mills
Tree Swallow - 4 at Hashawha and at least 1 at Frizzellburg Horned Lark - 1 singing near Tyrone Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1 singing at McKeldin Vesper Sparrow - 2 near Union Mills, calling but not singing Fox Sparrow - 1 at Hashawha Juncos singing everywhere

    Other signs of spring - heard first American Toad of the season = calling, saw first turtles (6 Painted Turtles at Hashawha), saw first = dragonfly of the year (Green Darner at Hashawha), first Tiger Beetle of = the year at McKeldin, saw first sulfur butterfly of the season (probably = an Orange Sulfur while I was driving through Eldersburg).

    I was not able to do a good count of waterfowl at Piney Run because = the park boat was doing a high speed run around the lake to make sure = there were no fisherman about.  The fishing season starts tomorrow and = the early birds were already camped out at the gate to be first in = tomorrow morning.  It looked like a tailgate party.  The only notable = birds I saw were 2 Common Loons, 2 Horned Grebes, 4 Double-crested = Cormorants, and about 9 Green-winged Teal plus remaining good numbers of = Black Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, and Common Mergansers.

Bob Ringler
Eldersburg, Md
ringler@qis.net

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