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Subject:

Campfire birding in Green Ridge State Forest

From:

Bill Hubick

Reply-To:

Bill Hubick

Date:

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 15:05:22 -0700

Hi Everyone, 

I spent the weekend camping with friends in Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County. It's amazing how much birding and bugging you can do while fishing and drinking beer around a campfire - especially in western Maryland!  The avian highlight of the trip was listening to at least 10 WHIP-POOR-WILLs singing around our campsite at dusk and dawn, as well as frequently during the night. Calling in a late-night pair of BARRED OWLs was also a great bonus. Other nice western MD birds were BROAD-WINGED HAWK, COMMON RAVEN, and HERMIT THRUSH. Insects actually stole much of the show, with highlights being about 10 Pipevine Swallowtails, a single Northern Metalmark, as well as some interesting odes. This morning I decided to walk around the woods to look for (and just maybe photo) roosting Whip-poor-wills. I was partially successful, and flushed one bird. Although I didn't get any whip photos, I did come across a chastizing family of WORM-EATING WARBLERs with three fledged young.
 This was a fine reward, as I ended up getting my first decent photo of the species. Below is a full list of all species seen during the trip. All sightings were along Wallizer Road between White Sulphur Pond and Black Sulphur Road, except where noted. I've posted some recent photos to my web site - mostly herps and insects - at http://www.billhubick.com/net_set.html. 

BIRDS
Turkey Vulture 
Red-shouldered Hawk 
Broad-winged Hawk 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Mourning Dove 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 
Barred Owl--pair 
Whip-poor-will—at least 10 just around our campsite! 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Hairy Woodpecker 
Pileated Woodpecker 
Eastern Wood-Pewee—inc. night vocalizations 
Acadian Flycatcher 
Eastern Phoebe 
Great Crested Flycatcher 
Yellow-throated Vireo 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Common Raven 
Black-capped Chickadee 
Tufted Titmouse 
White-breasted Nuthatch 
Carolina Wren 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 
Hermit Thrush—Gordon Rd. 
Wood Thrush 
American Robin 
Gray Catbird 
Brown Thrasher 
Pine Warbler 
American Redstart 
Worm-eating Warbler—with fledged young 
Ovenbird 
Louisiana Waterthrush—Gordon Rd. 
Scarlet Tanager 
Eastern Towhee 
Northern Cardinal 
Indigo Bunting 
Baltimore Oriole 
American Goldfinch 

MAMMALS 
White-tailed Deer—1 fawn 
Cottontail sp.  
E. Gray Squirrel 
E. Chipmunk 
Woodchuck

BUTTERFLIES 
Pipevine Swallowtail ~10 
E. Tiger Swallowtail—inc. 1 dark morph 
Spicebush Swallowtail 
Cabbage White 
Orange Sulphur 
Eastern Tailed Blue 
Azure sp. (photo) 
Northern Metalmark—1 
Great Spangled Fritillary 
Pearl Crescent 
Red-spotted Admiral 
Hackberry Emperor 
Common Wood-nymph 
Silver-spotted Skipper 
Juvenal’s Duskywing 
Least Skipper 

DRAGONFLIES 
Common Green Darner 
Calico Pennant 
Common Pondhawk 
Spangled Skimmer 
Widow Skimmer 
Blue Dasher 
E. Amberwing 
Meadowhawk sp. 

DAMSELFLIES 
Ebony Jewelwing 
* Swamp Spreadwing (photos) 
Violet Dancer 
* Skimming Bluet (photo) 
Fragile Forktail 
Eastern Forktail 
 
* According to Bob Solem and Richard Orr's "County Distribution of Odonates in Maryland" - and if my identifications are correct - these two species might be new county records. 
 
Photos: http://billhubick.com/new_set.html
 
Have a great week!
 
Bill
 
Bill Hubick
Elkridge, MD
bill_hubick AT yahoo.com
http://www.billhubick.com/