Just spent the last two nights at this underused and much-overlooked
property owned by MOS. Checking the logbook, I saw that it was used last
year by a group of Towson biology students who thought the house was too old
and musty, but that the surrounding land was wonderful. I guess that
explains why whenever I go there I tend to spend most of the time just
wandering aimlessly around the place.
    And just for the record, the first bear I ever saw in Maryland was in
the parking lot at Carey Run about 15 years ago. Jim Stasz should recall it.
Laura and I had just finished talking to him and were starting toward the
house for breakfast when he yelled out to us that there was a bear present.
With all of the chatter to me recently about how you should make noise in
bear country, someone explain to me why that one came in practically while
we were talking and I don't think we whispered.

    But on to the highlights of this trip -
    First evening, after 6 PM. Walking one of the trails that go into the
woods behind the house, I distinctly heard what to my ear sounded like a
SWAINSON'S THRUSH. Probably migrating. Never saw the bird, but the song
reminds me of a Veery in reverse - where the Veery song winds down, the
Swainson's goes up.
    Later on the Hodgdon Trail, a BARRED OWL came in to check me out and
seemed slightly agitated. Last year on the same trail, I had a fledgling on
the ground. I think they tend to nest back there every year. However this
year he did not sing me to sleep like he normally does.
    SCARLET TANAGER sang from the trees near the old outhouse and I later
saw his wife in there. INDIGO BUNTINGS seem to be everywhere this year. A
REDEYE expressed his welcome from a tree in front of the house when I
arrived. Last year a Blue-head lived in that tree. Plenty of CHESTNUT-SIDED
WARBLERS, too.
    Second evening, hiking up the hill opposite the house, I heard a
repeated "pe-wee". I know there was a discussion about that recently on this
list. There was no three-syllable "pee-a-wee" and no delayed "whew". I have
only had one YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER and that was last year in Algonquin,
where they belong. To my ear the YBFL has a shorter song than the Pewee.
After reviewing Thayer's I'd say this one was inconclusive.
    There is, however, definitely a LEAST FLYCATCHER  chebeking over near
the old fallen barn on the adjacent property. That one I saw.
    Also saw a bird hopping around behind the house and got my bins on a
definite WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Even for Garrett County this would seem
like a late date for them to be still around. It appeared to be a
well-colored male. Nice yellow on the nose.
    And finally, the howl I heard. Not from a bird, but what to my ear was a
coyote. I don't know if I've ever heard one other than on TV, but this
didn't sound like your average dog to me. Everybody tells me they have
inundated the eastern U.S. Any reason they wouldn't howl here like they do
at the cowboys on westerns?
    Obviously an eventful trip. Fishing wasn't so hot. Not sure why.
However, you know you've jumped back a couple of weeks when you see
Mayapples that are still in the budding stage and no blooms yet. Ours have
been bloomed for a couple of weeks or more. We found them in bloom at Jug
Bay the last weekend in April.
    And as a pleasant side note, I bumped into probably the greatest bird
carver there is when I saw Gary Yoder at Penn Alps Restaurant. Always nice
to chat with. And he is as busy as ever on his latest works. Mention his
name to any carver worth their salt and they seem almost in awe of him. He
has earned a good reputation. But when you begin your craft at the age of
eleven ...
    Yes, I brought home some Penn Alps salad dressing. Why wouldn't I?
    Jerry Tarbell
    Carroll County