Eastern meadowlark on Hawkins Road
william b schreitz (cabmkrwbs@juno.com)
Tue, 03 Mar 1998 08:50:54 EST
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I have been birding Bacon Ridge Branch north of Chesterfield Road in Anne
Arundel County near Crownsville State Hospital since the Birdcount 4 Jan.
I have really seen nothing new or unexpected until today. Neither one of
us had ever seen a meadowlark, so it really took us by ssurprise(my
daughter was with me).
On our way to Bacon Ridge Branch, we had stopped at the field on Hawkins
Road where the two radio towers are. After walking around checking out
the blue birds and cowbirds, we saw a bird flapping and soaring at about
75-100 feet. It seemed to be occasionally buzzing another bird perched
on a diagonal support wire about 75 feet up as it circled a distance of
about 150 yards between the far tower and the woods. At this point the
closest we got to the bird was maybe 100 yards as it drew close to the
bird on the wire. All this took place about 8:00 this morning under
overcast conditions, so the light was not that great. My fist thought
was that it was a kestrel, but it didn't ever hover or row backwards, so
to speak. Not even as it approached the bird on the wire, although it
seemed to pause slightly. I could see a flash of white or pale yellow and
a black bib, and immediately thought flicker. After its last pass it flew
straight to a bare tree 150 yards from the tower and settled at the very
top, with its back to us. When it turned its head, it clearly had a long
beak. More flicker thoughts. While alternately keeping an eye on the
two birds (the other of which was only a dark shape on the diagonal wire)
we went back to our car for a field guide. It was the yellow that
bothered us. Meadowlark had not occurred to us yet. Armed with Peterson's
and meadowlark thoughts we went back towards the birds (still at their
separate perches , 150 yards apart). First the bird on the wire left to
land in the top of a twenty foot bare tree less than fifty yards away,
soon to be joined by the other. They perched less than two feet from
each other. We could clearly see what was now bright yellow breasts from
the neck down, a distinct black bib, and a stripe above the eye. After a
while, five or ten minutes, they both flew down towards us and landed in
the field between us and the road, less than thirty yards away. We could
clearly see white in the side of their tail feathers as they flew past
and disappeared in the tall grass, except for their heads.
When I got home, I read the section in Stokes, BIRD BEHAVIOR VOL II,
about different types of display. High level aerial maneuvers were not
among them. In fact, we had seen no jump-flight behavior, nor did we hear
any sounds we thought came from either one of them. Clearly, we have to
go back.
How unusual is the sighting and how unusual
is the behavior? Any one have any thoughts?
Bill
WILLIAM B SCHREITZ CABINETMAKER INC
ANNAPOLIS MARYLAND 21401-4034
cabmkrwbs@juno.com
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