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Subject:

Broad -winged Hawk & Palm Warblers

From:

Fred Shaffer

Reply-To:

Fred Shaffer

Date:

Sun, 9 Apr 2006 20:29:32 -0400

I had a nice hike at Overbrook Park and the old landfill in Bowie this 
afternoon.  The highlights included several early warblers and an adult 
Broad-winged Hawk.  The warblers were all in an area of pine trees near the 
old landfill.  Present were a male and female Pine Warbler.  The Pine 
Warbler approached within several feet of me.  Also present were two Palm 
Warblers (one "Yellow" Palm Warbler and one "Western" Palm Warbler), 
bobbing their tails constantly.

Another highlight was along the service road to the recycling center.  I 
came upon a noisy group of songbirds.  When I stopped to investigate, an 
adult Broad-winged Hawk flushed out of the woods, flew across the road, and 
landed on an exposed perch within the woods, where I got good looks at the 
bird.  A Mockingbird then harrassed it, and it flew to a more distant perch 
within the woods, but was still visible.  It then remained motionless on 
the perch, watching the woods below.  These were some of the better looks 
I've had of a Broad-winged Hawk.  I can see how they are easily missed when 
the leaves are on the trees and they sit motionless on a perch.

Other birds included several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Brown Creeper, and a 
flyover Osprey.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS