On Sunday, November 5, I spent the day with Hans Holbrook and Bill Hubick 
birding Allegany and Garrett counties, concentrating mostly on lakes, 
ponds, and other wet areas.  It was a great day with a few nice 
surprises.  Birds we saw included:

Rocky Gap (Allegany County):
Coots, PB Grebes, Mallards, Ruddy Ducks on the water.
Somehow missed the Red-Necked Grebe.  Must have been tucked in somewhere 
close to shore.  It has been seen since.  Oh well...
Fox Sparrows – saw about 6 here with many other birds seen at most other 
stops.  They are on the move!
Winter Wren - 1, Brown Creeper - 1, GC Kinglets - the winter birds have 
arrived.

Piney Road (Garrett County):
Ruffed Grouse – one on side of the road that flushed to join a small group 
in the woods.

Piney Reservoir (Garrett County):
Kingfisher - 1, Mallards
Fox, Swamp, Field, Song, WT Sparrows, DE Juncos

Gravel Hill Road (Garrett County):
Wild Turkey - 1

Rt 40 East of Little Meadows (Garrett County):
WC Sparrow - 1 , Swamp Sparrows

Meadow Lake (Garrett County):
Tundra Swans – 12
Ring-Necked Ducks - 80
Lesser Scaup – 20
Green-Winged Teal – 1
Bufflehead – 1
Mallards – 5
Ruddy Ducks – 20
Coots – 8
PB Grebes – 1

Deep Creek Lake (Garrett County):
RN Duck – 1
Coots – 76

Ponds north of Oakland (Garrett County):
Hooded Mergs – 7
Ruddy Ducks – 5
Black Ducks – 3
Mallards – 12
Bufflehead – 1
RN Ducks – 2
RT Hawk – 1
SS Hawk – 1

Bradford Lake (Garrett County):
SNOW GOOSE – 1
Canada Goose - 300
Gadwall – 5
Black Ducks – 1
Mallards
RN Ducks – 4
PB Grebe – 10
Double Crested Cormorant – 1
Coots - 120 Lots of Coots around.
White Crowned Sparrows – 6
Song, Swamp Sparrows

Trout Run (Garrett County):
Wood Ducks – 12
Lesser Scaup – 1
Ruddy Ducks, Mallards
PB Grebe – 1
Am Kestrel – 1

Jennings-Randolph Lake (Garrett County):
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK – 1
Carolina Wren
NASHVILLE WARBLER – 1 (Hans only)
Myrtle Warblers
Fox Sparrows – 6

220 and 556 (Allegheny County):
Great Blue Heron – 1
Carolina Wren – 1
Tufted Titmice - 3
Savannah Sparrows – 2
Swamp Sparrows – 3

Pinto Pond (Allegheny County):
Wood Ducks – 4

North Branch (Allegheny County):
AMERICAN BITTERN – 1 Flushed from meadow weeds near one of the sprinklers 
near where we saw the OC Warbler.
Wood Duck – 1 Fly-by.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER – 1 seen at edge of a weedy field about 100-200m 
from where you walk down to the low fields.
White-crowned Sparrows – many - dozens heard singing at dusk
Swamp Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrow
Am Kestrel - 2, or 1 bird seen twice.

Lots of other birds seen at many stops including good numbers of BC 
Chickadees, RC and GC Kinglets, Juncos and some Ravens.

Bill will post photos at <http://billhubick.com/new_set.html>  .  I 
assisted with equipment handling issues hoping that this will earn me the 
title of 'Key Grip' or 'Second Grip'.  Bill is still accepting applications 
for 'Gaffer' and 'Best Boy' (Hans - have you submitted your 
application?).  Anyone wishing to see my photos can just look at Bill's and 
imagine the same photos taken by someone with less talent and inferior 
equipment.  But I still have fun, and it is inspiring to see Bill's photos!

A great day that ended on a high note with the Bittern and the 
Orange-crowned Warbler.

Have fun,
Tom

(p.s. Weekend summary from Hans: HH - 15; MH - 0)





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             Tom Feild
             Code 568
           NASA/GSFC
      Greenbelt, MD 20771
           301-286-6686
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