What exactly is a "safe date"?
 
 Richard
 
Richard L. Wood, Ph. D.
Computational Chemist
Cockeysville, MD 21030


----- Original Message ----
From: George M. Jett <>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 6:15:37 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Atlas Block 178-5

Folks

I started my atlas season today by going to Blossom Point, (Mathias Point SW), a military facility that needs lots of work.  It is early in the breeding season but I picked up a few safe date birds.  I also had on confirmed breeder.  A pair of Osprey building a nest. Safe date is June 1 for this species, but these guys are not going anywhere once the nest is refurbished Walter.

I also had a few migrants and resident birds:

A large raft of 300+ Double-crested Cormorants
Black & Turkey Vulture
35 Tundra Swan
2 Mute Swan
120 Lesser Scaup
10 Bufflehead
6+ Osprey
Bald Eagle - 3; two immature, one adult
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tail Hawk
American Kestrel
Wild Turkey - one calling
Killdeer
Great Black-backed Gull
4 Herring Gull
3 Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher - 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 8
Downy Woodpecker - 4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - male
Yellow-shafted Flicker - 2
Carolina Chickadee - 10
Tufted Titmouse - 12
White-breasted Nuthatch 
Carolina Wren - 6
Eastern Bluebird - two males singing
Hermit Thrush - at least 12
Brown Thrasher - one singing
Starling ?
Pine Warblers - at least six males singing but no females found today
Song Sparrow - seven
Swamp Sparrow - three
Eastern Towhee - three
Dark-eyed Junco - six
Northern Cardinal - three
Red-winged Blackbird - 22
Eastern Meadowlark - app. 6 but all singing up a storm.  Good to see this species looks healthy in this protected block.
American Goldfinch - one

On a February 14 scouting trip we had a Barred Owl respond - safe date for that species.

Thanks for Bob Wardwell for access.  Bob - if I missed anything, please let me know.

I just got some great news.  My friend Eric Gofreed just finished a Barn Owl box for the Barn Owl restoration project.  I plan to put this up on the western side of Allen's Fresh soon.  Thank you Eric.  I love you.  Now on to the American Kestrel box.

Go atlasing 

George