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Subject:

Glossy Ibis at Halethorpe Pond; Bicknell's Thrush in yard

From:

Stan Arnold

Reply-To:

Stan Arnold

Date:

Wed, 24 May 2006 22:52:37 -0400

Hi Folks,

Brian Sykes called yesterday afternoon to let me know there was an ibis at
the Halethorpe Pond (Balt. Co.), and he wasn't convinced it was a Glossy
because it seemed to have a fair amount of white in the face.  Elaine and I
went over later in the afternoon, and got good looks at it, and concluded
that it was a Glossy.  It didn't have the encircling white area of a WF
Ibis, and the legs looked too gray, as opposed to red for a breeding
plumaged WF.  Other birds at the pond were abundant singing Yellow Warblers
and Warbling Vireos, 5 Least Sandpipers, 4 Spotted Sandpipers, and about a
dozen Rough-winged Swallows.

Our yard tends to be a magnet for migrant thrushes, and I've been waiting
for them to show up this Spring.  Today was the day, highlighted by what I
am certain was a BICKNELL'S THRUSH.  When Elaine noticed a thrush on our
back lawn in the early evening, I glanced at it through binoculars, and then
ran for the scope.  When I got the scope on it, and looked at the face, with
no noticeable eye-ring, I thought Gray-cheeked Thrush, and half a second
later I said to myself that the face is more brown than gray.  I had a great
look at the bird, and studied the color, and this bird had not only a
browner face, but redder tones to the primaries. When I've seen Gray-cheeked
Thrushes (including one in the yard last fall), I've noted "that's a gray
bird."  This bird did not strike me that way; it stuck me as being browner
overall.  I have no reason to call it anything other than a Bicknell's.

Other birds in the yard today include:

GREAT EGRET--3 flying west in a.m.; 2 flying east at dusk near a GB Heron
COMMON NIGHTHAWK--2 circling over yard at 6:40 p.m. (a good 90 minutes
before sunset); 2 flying north at dusk; seen most evenings this past week
E. WOOD-PEWEE--2 in our dead snags; one very plain-breasted; the other with
a very distinct vest
YELLOW WARBLER--also seen 5/22; year bird #89
SWAINSON'S THRUSH--year bird #90, two in yard all afternoon; one singing
most of p.m.; it's been years since we've missed this bird during migration.
When I first saw this bird after getting home from work, it had what looked
like a big red berry in its mouth.  We didn't have any big red berries in
our yard, so I had no idea what it was eating.  Later, Elaine pointed out
that a lot of the cherries in our cherry tree were ripening, and I realized
that that was what the thrush was eating.  I could tell by all the pits and
partially eaten cherries on the ground that the birds have been filling
themselves with this fruit all day.
N. PARULA--heard early a.m.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER--one in our apple tree in early evening
AM. REDSTART--male flitting about our pine trees, fairly close to ground;
great looks
BLACKPOLL WARBLER--still singing morning and evening
SCARLET TANAGER--female in our dead snags; new yard bird #102; year bird #91
BICKNELL'S THRUSH--new yard bird #103; year bird #92; we've now had every
regular Maryland thrush in our yard, except--get this--E. Bluebird!  Just no
habitat for them.

NESTING ACTIVITY:  Over the past few days we've had Downy Woodpeckers bring
two fledglings to our feeders, Carolina Wrens keeping tabs on at least four
fledglings, and a dead Blue Jay fledgling on the ground yesterday.  Two of
our nest boxes have 6 and 7 House Wren eggs, respectively.  Our chickadees
fledged from their nest box on 13 May, and as far as I know all seven
youngsters made it out, as there were no dead ones in the nest.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie