Hi Folks,

I met Charlie Kucera at UMBC this evening to take in some of the woodcock
activity that Charlie has been telling me about over the past week or two.
I was not disappointed.  We flushed a woodcock while walking the woodland
trail during daylight, and then at 6:27 we heard the first peent, and the
activity was continuous from that point forward.  We watched several flight
displays, heard continuous peents from multiple locations, heard chattering,
and watched birds flying around us.  The undisputed highlight, however, was
seeing three timberdoodles in a path, one of them being a male with wings
outspread, swaggering around a female for a good 30 to 40 seconds; she
seemed unimpressed, and we watched the male take off into the air into a
full display, certainly with hopes of swaying her opinion of him.

Other birds seen at UMBC were a COOPER'S HAWK, a pair of WOOD DUCKs, and two
FOX SPARROWs.  The woodcocks were active in the open mounded field across
from the research building, accessed by taking the last (west-most) exit off
of I-195, and taking the very first right onto Research Drive.  One can park
briefly along this loop road during evening hours.

Earlier in the day, a stop at Centennial Park in Howard County netted an
apparent juvenile TUNDRA SWAN on the lake, near the concession stand.  The
only other waterfowl noted were two pairs of Hooded Mergansers.

I also spent nearly an hour at the Harbor Hospital in Baltimore (Hanover
St.), scoping the Patapsco River for whatever I might find.  Birds seen
were:

Horned Grebe--1
DC Cormorant--1
Mute Swan--4
Gadwall--2
Am. Wigeon--4
Am. black Duck--2
Mallard--present
Lesser Scaup--about 25
Bufflehead--100+
Common Goldeneye--1 drake
Ruddy Duck--3

In Anne Arundel Co., a look at the three ponds on Belle Grove Rd., just east
of B&A Blvd produced eight Ring-necked Ducks (3m 5f) and a pair of Hooded
Mergansers, all in the western-most pond.

By the way, Southwest Area Park in southwest Baltimore Co. has also had
woodcock activity on par with that at UMBC.  The best viewing location is in
the open area up the hill from the bridge near the boat ramp.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie