Allegany Co. Birds 4/11
Ray Kiddy (rrkiddy@hereintown.net)
Sun, 11 Apr 1999 21:58:47 -0400
Hi Everyone,
Managed to get out this afternoon for a couple hours of birding.
Highlights as follows:
Lots of activity at a feeder on Mason Road including 3 White-crowned
Sparrows plus several singing, 2 Chipping Sparrows, and a couple
lingering Juncos and White-throats. Suddenly, several Blue Jays
sounded the alarm as a Cooper's dropped in. Having lost the element of
surprise, it moved on after surveying the scene for a moment. In the
nearby field, I failed to pick up the 4 Vesper Sparrows seen there the
previous Saturday (4/3). McCagh's Pond had only 1 female Lesser Scaup
and 1 Horned Grebe.
At Rocky Gap, it was obvious that the rain had caused a fallout of
Common Loons as 44 were scattered about the lake, with all but one in
breeding plumage. Also present were 41 Bonaparte's Gulls, my first of
the year in AL, plus 6 Ring-billeds and 1 Greater Yellowlegs (another
first for '99). 3 female Red-breasted Mergansers, a pair of Ring-necked
Ducks, 1 Pied-billed and 2 Horned Grebes and 2 Coots rounded out the
waterfowl. Dozens of swallows were zipping around with most being
Trees. Mixed in though were 1 Barn and 2 Cliffs (both firsts) plus at
least a half dozen Rough-wings. Also picked up a Swamp Sparrow and 1
Black Vulture and heard 1 Raven.
I didn't get around to posting last weekend, but arrivals on Sunday,
4/4, at Spring Gap on the C&O Canal were 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, 1
Yellow-throated Warbler and 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
Happy trails ....
Ray Kiddy
Cumberland, MD
rrkiddy@hereintown.net