This is the report from Conowingo Dam for October 29, 1998. Observer was Rick Blom from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Winds were light, sky cloudy to clear, temperature in the 60s. There was light generation throughout. For a lengthy discussion of birding at the dam, visit the Harfod County MOS Web site. Red-throated Loon 1 (above dam) Pied-billed Grebe 3 (above dam) Double-crested Cormorant 40 Great Blue Heron 200 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 (SEE BELOW) American Black Duck 6 Mallard 20 Ruddy Duck 2 Black Vulture 30 Turkey Vulture 50 Osprey 2 Bald Eagle 16 (3 ad, 13 subadult) PEREGRINE FALCON (SEE BELOW) American Coot 2 Bonaparte's Gull 100 (above dam) Ring-billed Gull 750 Herring Gull 100 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (adult) Great Black-backed Gull 75 Forster's Tern 50 Rock Dove 50 Mourning Dove 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 2 Fish Crow 1 American Crow 3 crow sp. 50 COMMON RAVEN 1 (see below) American Robin 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 100 Red-winged Blackbird 16 Common Grackle 200 House Finch 3 American Goldfinch 1 The COMMON RAVEN was first seen soaring above the dam in a flock of Black and Turkey Vultures, evident by its size, the size of the head and bill, and the shape of the tail. Several crows were flying in the general area of the flock, although they were not soaring. The raven flew to the small group of birds roosting in the trees near the visitor center and remained in view there for about five minutes before flying across the river, circling several times, and then flying slowly down river and out of sight. Four birders from Pennsylvania were with me at the time and it was one of them who first noticed the bird. This is the first record of Common Raven for the dam that I am aware of. It is my 279th bird in Harford County. There was a small flock of gulls, mostly Bonaparte's and Ring-billed, above the dam, and no Bonaparte's were seen below the dam. Three of the long-time eagle watchers were present and reported that a PEREGRINE FALCON was at the dam for three days two weeks ago. They believe it is the same bird as last year, noting the presence of bands on one leg. One of them photographed the bird. They also report that five BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS fledged from the nest of the island below the dam but that four of them were found dead, one hit by a car in the parking lot (salvaged by a rehabilitator), and three died after being trapped in fishing line near the dam (those bodies reportedly salvaged by personnel from the dam). "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