FRANKLIN'S GULL, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD IN HARFORD COUNTY

rick (rblom@blazie.com)
Fri, 9 Oct 1998 22:16:34 -0400 

        I spent from 8:00 - 10:30 a.m. at Harve de Grace marina today. The
tide is low in the morning now and there were a large number of birds.

Pied-billed Grebe               25
Double-crested Cormorant        40
Great Blue Heron                22
Canada Goose                    250
Green-winged Teal               4
American Black Duck             2
Mallard                         50+
Northern Shoveler               8
Gadwall                         2
American Wigeon                 6
Turkey Vulture                  1
Bald Eagle                      2 (imm)
American Coot                   50+
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER          2
Killder                         18
Greater Yellowlegs              2
Lesser Yellowlegs               2
Dunlin                          1
DOWITCHER                       7 (2 probable Long-billeds but positive ID not
                                        possible: would be county 1st)
Laughing Gull                   12
FRANKLIN'S GULL                 1 (winter adult)
Ring-billed Gull                300+
Herring Gull                    30
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL        1 (adult winter, 1st of year)
Great Black-backed Gull         110
Caspian Tern                    30
Common Tern                     1 - 3 (only 1 at a time, may have been more)
Forster's Tern                  175
Rock Dove                       3
Mourning Dove                   15
Belted Kingfisher               3
Downy Woodpecker                1
Northern Flicker                6
Tree Swallow                    400
Crow sp.                        15 (only Fish heard)
Carolina Wren                   1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet            1
American Robin                  5
Northern Mockingbird            1
European Starling               200+
Yellow-rumped Warbler           6
Sosng Sparrow                   3
Red-winged Blackbird            50
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD              1 (adult male)
Commomn Grackle                 200
House Finch                     15
House Sparrow                   50

        The FRANKLIN'S GULL was first seen sitting on the flat and then
feeding on the thick grass mat to the right of the marina at distances of
less than 100 yards. It was watched off and on for nearly an hour. It was
very easy to pick out because it is a small bird, halfway in size between a
Forster's Tern and a Ring-billed Gull, has an nearly complete hood, very
black except for the front of the face, big white spots on the primaries,
and a substantial white bar separating the black tips of the primaries from
the rest of the wing. It was in the same scope field as the Lesser
Black-backed Gull or about ten minutes.
        The BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, a county first I think, was calling from
the tops of the trees around the parking lot. it was in the company of
seveal Starlings some of the time, alone the rest. It was very active,
moving rom on end of the marina to the other, occasionally on the ground
near the entrance to the Promenade, and last seen on the ground near the
playground.
        The tide will be low at dawn tomorrow and I will be at the marina
sometime fairly early in the morning. Details on rarities to follow.

Rick

"Everywhere I go I'm asked if the university stifles writers. My opinion is
that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could
have been prevented by a good teacher."  Flannery O'Connor

Rick Blom
rblom@blazie.com
4318 Cowan Place
Belcamp, Maryland 21017
(410)575-6086