Conowingo and other birds

Rick Blom (rblom@blazie.com)
Wed, 5 Nov 1997 17:45:19 -0500


        Inspired by Bob Schutsky's extraordinary run last week (while I was
out of town of course), I made several stops in Harford and Cecil Counties
today, November 5. I did not, of course, match his accomplishments, but
there were small pleasures and a county bird in two counties for me.

On the Price Road Pond near Conowingo:

600 Canada Geese and 1 Tundra Swan
18 EVENING GROSBEAKS (in trees around house across from pond)


At Conowingo Dam:
Bonaparte's Gull                2
Ring-billed Gull                300
Herring Gull                    50
Great Black-backed Gull         24
Bald Eagle                      4 (imms)
Tree Swallow                    1

Above the dam, on Conowingo Lake. All observations were made on a 1.5 mile
walk north from the boat launch on the Cecil County side of the river.

Common Loon             1 (I looked VERY closely)
Pied-billed Grebe       2
Horned Grebe            14
EARED GREBE             1
GREAT CORMORANT         1
Bonaparte's Gull        600+
Ring-billed Gull        1000+
Brown Creeper           3
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet    3
EVENING GROSBEAK        25+ (3 flocks)

        The EARED GREBE, a county bird for me in both Harford and Cecil
Counties (I do not know if there are any records) was about 1 mile north of
the boat launch). Access is by walking up the tracks and stopping to scan
occasionally. I first saw it near the shore but it swam away from me,
ending up closer to the Harford side, where it joined a single Horned
Grebe. Both were in winter plumage. At that distance it was hard to pick
out, in part because the light is never good in the afternoon from the
Cecil side of the river.
        The GREAT CORMORANT was an adult, feeding just north of the boat
launch. I watched it for about 20 minutes and last saw it flying south
towward the da,. No Double-crested Cormorants were seen.
        The EVENING GROSBEAKS were flyovers.
        I do not have my Cecil map at hand, so if Dave Webb or Les Eastman
or Gary Griffiths get this, could one of them post the name of the road the
boat launch is on? It is off Rt. 222 just beyond Rte. 1, but I left in such
a hurry I forgot to check the signs. Thanks.

Rick

Rick Blom
rblom@blazie.com
Bel Air, Maryland

"Did St. Francis preach to the birds? Whatever for? If he really liked
birds he would have done better to preach to the cats."
Rebecca West