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/ |