Scott

Pacific Loon is a reviewable bird in Maryland.  You should send your 
write-up, photos, or anything else to Phil Davis, the MDDC Records Committee 
Secretary.  Phil's email is Cc'd for your convenience.

George

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Baron" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 11:41 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Garrett County, April 13 and 14 - Pacific Loon, American
Bittern


> 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.
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>