Germantown and Harney Pipers

Roger Stone (rogs@erols.com)
Fri, 4 Sep 1998 22:49:18 -0400 

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Here's a report from that veritable Mecca of birding, Father Hurley =
Blvd. in scenic G'town, MD.

That pitifully piperless puppy, Andy Rabin, and I went looking for =
nearby shorebirds today.  This may be old news to some of you, but =
before heading up to the Harney Road Ponds in Emmitsburg, we stopped to =
check out the runoff pool at the interchange of Father Hurley and I-270. =
 Heading North on 270, I parked under the overpass and we walked back to =
the pond.  I had seen a few birds there before, but nothing like we saw =
today!  A pair each of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, over a half-dozen =
Pectoral Sandpipers, at least one each Semipalmated and Western =
Sandpipers and a large number of Least Sandpipers.  At one point all =
three peeps and a pectoral were in the same scoped field-of-vision.  We =
also saw a bunch of Killdeer and both Green and Great Blue Herons.  All =
but the last three were "lifers" for Andy.  (I was introduced to =
shorebirds on two trips to Bombay Hook earlier this year.)  But this was =
the first time I positively identified a Western SP, so I got a new bird =
too.

Then up to the Harney Road ponds, where we visited the "turn left at the =
brow of the hill" pond first.  The pond is even drier than last week, =
but it also had more birds this time around.  We found one (limping and =
apparently injured) Semipalmated Plover, one or two Semipalmated SPs, a =
few Pectoral SPs, and numerous Killdeer and Least SPs.  Barn and Cliff =
Swallows swarmed all over the pond as well.  (The Semipalmated Plover =
was Andy's life-bird at this pond.)

After that we went over to the elevated "Mason-Dixon" pond where they =
were spraying some foul-smelling brown stuff, which made for rough =
birding.  We persevered, but the birds must not have.  There was very =
little to be found, but eventually we scoped-out several Least SPs and =
one Semipalmated SP (but no Yellowlegs, Rails or Soras. (Sorae?)  Of =
more interest were about nine ducks that at first blush appeared to be =
Mallards with dark bills (duh), but upon lengthy inspection, turned out =
to be Blue-winged Teals. (A short flyover sure helped!)  There were also =
quite a few Bobolinks popping up and down, and some Sparrows that were =
always flying directly away from us so we couldn't get an ID on 'em.  =
But that's about it.  The stinky gunk...er...liquid fertilizer must have =
scared 'em all off - some of it was falling in the road right beside the =
pond. =20

For anyone who knows the Harney Road area, is there another good pond =
that I didn't mention?

Then we ran out of time, but the Bobolinks were Andy's 8th new species, =
so the day was a resounding success!  (And six of those were within 1/2 =
mile of my house.)

Between Lake Churchill and the I-270 drainage pond, this neighborhood =
has been pretty productive this week.  So if you'd given up on birding =
Germantown after all the development -- give it another shot!  And you =
can top it off with a visit to the Red-headed Woodpeckers on the =
Germantown side of Black Hill.

The Chamber of Commerce can send my check to:

Roger Stone
Germantown, MD
rogs@erols.com


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Here's a report from that veritable Mecca of birding, Father Hurley = Blvd.=20 in scenic G'town, MD.
 
That pitifully piperless puppy, Andy Rabin, and I went looking for = nearby=20 shorebirds today.  This may be old news to some of you, but before = heading=20 up to the Harney Road Ponds in Emmitsburg, we stopped to check out the = runoff=20 pool at the interchange of Father Hurley and I-270.  Heading North = on 270,=20 I parked under the overpass and we walked back to the pond.  I had = seen a=20 few birds there before, but nothing like we saw today!  A pair each = of=20 Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, over a half-dozen Pectoral Sandpipers, at = least=20 one each Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers and a large number of Least = Sandpipers.  At one point all three peeps and a pectoral were in = the same=20 scoped field-of-vision.  We also saw a bunch of Killdeer and both = Green and=20 Great Blue Herons.  All but the last three were "lifers" = for=20 Andy.  (I was introduced to shorebirds on two trips to Bombay Hook = earlier=20 this year.)  But this was the first time I positively identified a = Western=20 SP, so I got a new bird too.
 
Then up to the Harney Road ponds, where we = visited the=20 "turn left at the brow of the hill" pond first.  The pond = is even=20 drier than last week, but it also had more birds this time around.  = We=20 found one (limping and apparently injured) Semipalmated Plover, one or = two=20 Semipalmated SPs, a few Pectoral SPs, and numerous Killdeer and Least = SPs. =20 Barn and Cliff Swallows swarmed all over the pond as well.  (The=20 Semipalmated Plover was Andy's life-bird at this pond.)
 
After that we went over to the elevated=20 "Mason-Dixon" pond where they were spraying some foul-smelling = brown=20 stuff, which made for rough birding.  We persevered, but the birds = must not=20 have.  There was very little to be found, but eventually we = scoped-out=20 several Least SPs and one Semipalmated SP (but no Yellowlegs, Rails or = Soras.=20 (Sorae?)  Of more interest were about nine ducks that at first = blush=20 appeared to be Mallards with dark bills (duh), but upon lengthy = inspection,=20 turned out to be Blue-winged Teals. (A short flyover sure helped!)  = There=20 were also quite a few Bobolinks popping up and down, and some Sparrows = that were=20 always flying directly away from us so we couldn't get an ID on = 'em.  But=20 that's about it.  The stinky gunk...er...liquid fertilizer must = have scared=20 'em all off - some of it was falling in the road right beside the = pond. =20
 
For anyone who knows the Harney Road area, is there another good = pond that=20 I didn't mention?
 
Then we ran out of time, but the Bobolinks were Andy's 8th new = species, so=20 the day was a resounding success!  (And six of those were within = 1/2 mile=20 of my house.)
 
Between Lake Churchill and the I-270 drainage = pond,=20 this neighborhood has been pretty productive this week.  So if = you'd given=20 up on birding Germantown after all the development -- give it = another shot!  And you can top it off with a visit = to the=20 Red-headed Woodpeckers on the Germantown side of Black = Hill.
 
The Chamber of Commerce can send my check to:
 
Roger Stone
Germantown, MD
rogs@erols.com
 
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