[MDOsprey] Brant flight at Conowingo!
rick (rblom@blazie.com)
Sun, 24 Oct 1999 20:05:08 -0500
In the company of three eagle watchers and a half-dozen
Pennsylvania birders, I watched an amazing BRANT flight at Conowingo today.
The total was 117 birds in four flocks, the largest being fifty birds that
flew right over the dam and down the river, first spotted (and ID'ed!), by
George, a fixture at the eagle platform. I saw two smaller flocks above the
dam later. Except for a single MERLIN, also first spotted and ID'ed by one
of the eagle watchers, 5 Common Loons, 20 Forster's Terns, and 6 Common
Mergansers (first of fall?) nothing else notable was around.
Is this the largest inland count of Brant ever in Maryland? I do
not count the Bay as inland.
Brant is number 237 for the year for me, and not one I had counted on.
George also told me that the two Great Egrets I saw on three dates
this summer at Conowingo were seen sitting on a nest in the Great Blue
Heron colony on at least a dozen dates, although he was never able to see
young. I assume this is the first nest effort for Great Egret at Conowingo
(technically the effort was in Cecil, NOT Harford County).
Earlier I stopped at Havre de Grace. Except for 600 Canada Geese,
40 Forster's Terns, 12 Caspian Terns, and 20 Tree Swallows there was
nothing notable.
I also spent two hours in a sparrow rummage at the old Mullins
landfill south of Havre de Grace. Highlights included 75 SONG SPARROWS, 30
SAVANNAH SPARROWS, 1 LINCOLN'S SPARROW (my 4th of the year!),15
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, 40 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 11 FIELD SPARROWS, 20
SWAMP SPARROWS, 75 AMERICAN GOLDFICHES (minus 1 picked off by a male
Sharp-shinned), and FOUR COMMON SNIPE.
Rick
"Worship of nature may be ancient, but seeing nature as a cuddlesome,
hug-a-bear and too cute for words is strictly a modern fashion."
-- P.J. O'Rourke
Rick Blom
rblom@blazie.com
4318 Cowan Place
Belcamp, Maryland 21017
(410)575-6086