Jim Brighton, Matt Hafner, John Hubbell, Bill Hubick, Dave Powell, Jim Stasz, and myself met for a day of Harford birding.

The birding started around 1 am.  Mariner Point Park was checked to see if a previously active Great Horned Owl nest was still active.  It was not.  However, a MARSH WREN was able to be heard out in the marsrh.  Several spots in the county were checked for Whip-poor-wills but none were to be found.  Dipping on the whips, we tried an area  along Rt 40 for rails.  None of those were found either.  Several night flyovers made up for the lack of target species.  Two BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOs, one YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, two SWAINSON'S THRUSHes, and one BLUE GROSBEAK were heard over the course of the night.  Definitely not a major flight, but these were nice birds to pick up.

As dawn was on its way, we headed to the Perryman area.  An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was actively displaying over the end of Spesutie Rd.  Two NORTHERN BOBWHITEs were heard calling along the road and a COMMON NIGHTHAWK was noted calling overhead.  From the fields YELLOW-BREASTED CHATs, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs, and FIELD SPARROWs were singing as the sun was rising.  Two LEAST SANDPIPERs were noted along with flyovers of three WOOD DUCKs and two HOODED MERGANSERs.

Next it was time to head to Susquehanna State Park.  Kim Caughey met us at this point.  We also ran into the Harford Bird Club led by Russ Kovak and Dave Ziolkowski.  They had two CAPE MAY WARBLERS singing by the Mill which we missed.  Notable birds are listed below:
3           Wood Duck
1           COMMON MERGANSER - an additional pair (male and female) were noted earlier in the week but are now absent; nesting?
1           Osprey
5           Bald Eagle
2           Spotted Sandpiper
2           Ruby-throated Hummingbird
6           Eastern Wood-Pewee
14         Acadian Flycatcher
1           Eastern Phoebe
8           Great Crested Flycatcher
3           White-eyed Vireo
3           Warbling Vireo
7           Red-eyed Vireo
1           GRAY-CHEECKED THRUSH
2           SWAINSON'S THRUSH
20         Wood Thrush
10         Northern Parula
1           Chestnut-sided Warbler
1           BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
30         Blackpoll Warbler
6           Cerulean Warbler
4           American Redstart
1           Prothonotary Warbler
2           Worm-eating Warbler
3           Ovenbird
3           Northern Waterthrush
2           Kentucky Warbler
1           WILSON'S WARBLER
2           CANADA WARBLER
3           Orchard Oriole

We then headed over to Conowingo Dam.  Highlights below:
45         Great Blue Heron
1           Black-crowned Night-Heron - flew down the river, then up the river
18         Black Vulture
1           Osprey
3           Bald Eagle
2           Eastern Wood-Pewee
1           Warbling Vireo
1           TENNESSEE WARBLER - found singing, then decent looks
2           Northern Parula
1           Chestnut-sided Warbler
3           Blackpoll Warbler
5           Cerulean Warbler
1           American Redstart
1           Kentucky Warbler
2           Orchard Oriole
6           Baltimore Oriole

Next was the Broad Creek area for some breeders:
2           Acadian Flycatcher
1           Yellow-throated Vireo
6           Cliff Swallow
3           Barn Swallow
3           Northern Parula
6           Kentucky Warbler
2           Hooded Warbler
2           Scarlet Tanager

We then got a call from Dave Ziolkowski saying the bird club field trip just found a MOURNING WARBLER along the canal back at Susquehanna State Park.  We chased it but couldn't manage to locate it.  Kim departed when we left the park for the second time.

Next was a stop by Pat's Pizzaria and then to Tydings to check out the flats.  The rest of this stop was a chain of serendipitous events.  Two possible Bonaparte's Gulls with the CASPIAN TERNs became two first-summer LITTLE GULLs!!  What a neat plummage.  Also on the flats were three DUNLIN, thirteen BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and TWENTY WHIBREL!!!  About this time the tide had risen enough to barely cover the flats.  The Dunlin, Plovers, and Little Gulls took off together, flew around for a few minutes then disappeared to the east in Cecil.  Somewhere during this timeframe, the Whimbrel decided that the tide had gotten too high for them also.  They then took flight and John Hubbell immediately yelled that one of the Whimbrel had a white rump!!  Soon all of us were on the bird, a EUROPEAN WHIMBREL, getting both binocular and scope views as the flock flew around.  The Whimbrel flew around for quite a while, flying back and forth across the Susquehanna, trying to find a place to go.  They too were eventually lost in the clouds somewhere over Cecil.  Who would have thought the first European Whimbrel would be found in Harford!?

Even more miraculous than being able to observe this bird, was the fact that Bill Hubick managed photos of the bird from this long distance.  He had stacked teleconverters on his 600mm lens while trying to photograph the Little Gulls.  He was shooting with a focal length of 1680mm!  When John yelled about the white-rumped Whimbrel, Bill was able to get some photos, with several of them showing the diagnostic feature as the birds were flying away.  Way to go, Bill!

Next stop was the Swan Harbor Farms impoundment.  No Whimbrels were found.  Highlights are below:
2           Bald Eagle
1           Red-tailed Hawk
25         Semipalmated Plover
1           Greater Yellowlegs
4           Lesser Yellowlegs
40         Semipalmated Sandpiper
20         Least Sandpiper
6           WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER - county high count?
3           Dunlin

To finish up, several of us tried and missed for the Pine Warblers on the golf course there at Oakington.  Overall, a great day and everyone got a few county birds (Stasz only got two county subspecies ticks).  Cheers,

Mike Burchett
Churchville, MD