Hello, birders.

I spent time in far western MD and nearby WV on Friday
and Saturday to help perform some habitat restoration
for a nature preserve.  While this was sort of a work
trip, I still got some birding in when I could.  We
managed to find some great birds despite not spending
a whole lot of time actively birding.  Best bird was a
well observed PACIFIC LOON, next best an AMERICAN
BITTERN.

After going to Monongehela NF in West Virginia, where
it was snowing and very cold, we went to Herrington
Manor SP and Swallow Falls SP.  We stayed in cabins at
HMSP but took a short hike at SFSP.  This was on
Friday.  Saturday was mostly spent at Cranesville
Swamp, which is on the WV/MD line.

The weather was cold, with snow both days.  I never
saw our car thermometer go above 44F in the county.

On Friday, some quick birding in the late afternoon
near the cabin produced birds such as a gorgeous adult
male PURPLE FINCH and CHIPPING SPARROWS.  A flock of
AM. ROBINS were around both days.

A late afternoon visit to SWALLOW FALLS SP was very
pleasant.  It's a beautiful place.  The birds were
mostly quiet but we did see a 1st spring male PURPLE
FINCH singing from the top of a tree near the parking
lot.  A RAVEN and both species of VULTURES soared
overhead.

On the way back to the cabins from Swallow Falls, one
of my co-workers, Andy, exclaimed that he thought he
saw an American Bittern or an perhaps an imm.
night-heron out the car window near the road.  So we
turned around and drove back.  Yep, an AMERICAN
BITTERN stalked the edge of a small wetland next to a
dirt parking lot.  This area in between the two state
parks is part of the Garrett State Forest.  When we
stopped the vehicle the bird pointed it's head up as
they are apt to do when they are trying to blend in to
their surroundings.  It then walked further into the
wetland, feeding.  Another co-worker, Gabe, snapped a
few photos before his camera's battery died.  The bird
later flew across the road into a bigger wetland.  I
assume this is a rare bird for the area.

A co-worker and I woke up early the next morning to
get in some birding before breakfast.  We had talked
about going to the lake so we headed straight there. 
As we approached the lake shore, we almost immediately
spotted a beautiful PACIFIC LOON toward the other side
of the lake.  My co-worker hadn't seen one before, I
have limited experience with this species.  This bird
sported a beautiful silvery crown and nape, which
seemed to blend into a black throat.  The back was
dark with white markings.  The bill was clearly not
the big dagger shaped bill of the Common, nor the
slim, upturned bill of the Red-throated.  Rather, it
was thicker than a Red-throateds and straight.  It
seemed fairly short to me, shorter than what an Artic
Loon's bill is supposed to look like.  The bird's
breast was white.  The loon called twice.  My
co-worker aptly described it as a short trumpet.  We
watched this western vagrant for about 5 minutes
before it took off.  It slowly circled the lake a few
times, going higher and higher.  I stopped watching
the bird to sketch it.  When I looked again I couldn't
find it.  I assume that it headed north?  I feel
pretty confident of the ID.  According to Sibley, if
the bird was an Artic it should have shown a larger
bill and the stripes on the side of the neck would
have been obvious.  Artics are extremely rare in the
East anyway.  I wonder where this bird spent the
winter?

Also on the lake: 5 BUFFLEHEAD (2m, 3f), 5 female
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, 8 CANADA GEESE (4 pair, 1 on
nest), 1 pair of WOOD DUCKS and a COMMON LOON in
alternate (breeding) plumage.  The area in between the
lake and the cabin held migrating NORTHERN FLICKER (4
in one tree), SONG and CHIPPING SPARROW, TOWHEE and
JUNCO, 3 PURPLE FINCH, 1 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and
other birds.  Two OSPREY flew over the lake.  One flew
over the park yesterday.  The only warbler we had all
weekend was a LA. WATERTHRUSH which we heard sing once
this morning.  A couple of RUFFED GROUSE drummed near
the lake.  Andy spotted a GREAT EGRET flying overhead,
I guess they are rare out here in April?

Cranesville Swamp was mostly dead.  We didn't spend
much time on the trails, rather we were mostly a 1
mile down the road at another part of the preserve.

FYI, in West Virginia I saw a few Red Crossbills and a
late Fox Sparrow.

I had a great couple of days.  I am anxious to get out
there again in the spring or summer.

Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va. 


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