I don't know how other atlasers are faring, but until this season my
atlas hours have been sadly lacking in Yellow-billed Cuckoos. This year
I have had 4 occasions of calling YB cuckoo which suddenly makes one
forget that one is appalling sweaty and finding it a chore to cut that
>25% "possibles".
This morning's cuckoo was a first for my Kingsville block, confirming
that the homeowner's "rain crow" was AOU's YB Cuckoo. They have been
hearing it for weeks which makes it territorial. It continued to call
periodically through the three hours I wandered the woods, hoping for a
scarlet tanager or ovenbird. I didn't get either one, but I did finally
see the afore-mentioned Great Horned Owl (Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea
maxima culpa! I hang my head in shame.)
Georgia McD Towson, Balt Co |