I went to Garrett and Allegany Counties with Kevin Graff and Paul 
Noell for the weekend June 4-5. Kevin will work up a big list and post 
it, I assume, so I won't do a general list, but two sightings may be 
of particular interest to county listers and/or Atlasers.

At Swallow Falls State Park we saw a Black Vulture circling high up 
with several Turkey Vultures. Though high, it was clearly identifiable 
by shape and white wingtips. Thank you, Kevin and Paul, for sighting 
it first. That was county listing "close-out" # 90 for me.

(In county listing lingo a "close-out" is a species you have seen in 
all 23 Maryland counties. My county listing disease has been in 
remission in recent years, but I have occasional relapses.)

At 4H Club Rd (off Rt 495 near Bittinger) we heard a sweet trill that 
might have been dismissed as a Chipping Sparrow, but, encouraged by 
Paul to brave the afternoon heat and sun, we decided to make sure. It 
took 5 minutes or more but we finally got good looks at the singer, 
and it was indeed a Pine Warbler. It was in the pines just beyond the 
fields on the right (north) side of the road before you get to the 
picnic area on the left near the lake. Thank you Paul, and thanks to 
Jim Stasz for suggesting this location for Pine Warbler a few years 
ago. That was close-out # 91. Unfortunately, we did not see or hear 
anything like the Red Crossbill that was sighted there a few weeks 
ago.

Other sightings in both counties were about as one would expect - an 
abundant variety of warblers and other birds, mainly passerines, many 
of which breed only in Western MD. We almost had to beat off the 
warblers with sticks, especially Blackburnians!

Steve Sanford
Randallstown MD (Balto Co)
scartanATverizonDOTnet