Cromwell Valley Park report

Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:43:07 -0500


Hi all,



   Went to Cromwell Valley Park today for Wild Bird Center Birdwalk.

Birds seen:


  1  Great Blue Heron (late afternoon)
  3  Canada Geese
 10  Turkey Vulture (3 in a.m.)
  5  Black Vulture (late afternoon)
  3  Red-tailed Hawk * see note below*
  1  Cooper's Hawk
  2  Ring-billed Gull
  2  Killdeer
  1  Great Horned Owl *see note below*
 12  Mourning Dove
  3  Rock Dove
  2  Belted Kingfisher
  1  Red-bellied Woodpecker
  1  Downy Woodpecker
  1  C. Flicker
 17  Am. Crow (53 in late afternoon)
  2  Blue Jay 
  7  Carolina Chickadee
 58  Am. Robin
 10  N. Mockingbird 
  2  E. Bluebird
  1  E. Meadowlark
  1  E. Phoebe
 49  Eurpoean Starling
  1  E. Towhee
 18  N. Cardinal
 13  Song Sparrow
 12  White-throated Sparrow
 15  "Slate-colored" Junco
  8  RW Blackbird 
  4  C. Grackle
  9  House Sparrow
  4  House Finch
  4  Am. Goldfinch


*Note: A pair of Red-tailed Hawk has a nest at far west end of the park
 near the housing development on one of the old Great Horned Owl's nest
 from 1997. Also a pair of Great Horned Owl had a nest too, the female 
 was seen in the nest. She been in the nest for two weeks, she probably 
 has eggs in there.
 Jim Myers and I will set up camp behind the camouflage net at one of 
 the old deer blind a week after Easter to photograph and observe the 
 owls at the nest. We both will wear camouflage clothes so the owls 
 won't see us. The deer blind was about 300 feet or less from the nest 
 at the top of the hill.



         Kevin Graff
         Baltimore, MD
         gtgraff@erols.com