Re: [MDOsprey] Brant flight at Conowingo!

Scott Crabtree (ccrabtre@radium.ncsc.mil)
Mon, 25 Oct 1999 12:23:35 -0400 

So...a flock of 50 BRANT flying down the river.  At approximately 10:30,
we had 50 BRANT at Turkey Pt.  Coincidence?  Probably around one hour's
flying time between Conowingo and Elk Neck, maybe more.  Same flock?

Scott Crabtree
Baltimore, MD

rick wrote:

>         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