Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Crownsville Preserve April 14

From:

"CURSON, David"

Reply-To:

CURSON, David

Date:

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:44:20 -0400

Apologies for the late posting. On Saturday I visited the Crownsville Preserve on the old Crownsville State Hospital site in Anne Arundel county. This area, is not normally open to the public but it was open on Saturday for a walk organized by the Scenic Rivers Land Trust who are working to protect land in the area.  The habitat of this area, little visited by birders, is hardwood forest (actually one of the largest intact forest blocks in Anne Arundel County, outside Patuxent Research Refuge) with some bottomland forest with a dense shrub layer (admittedly mostly multiflora rose!), ponds, and fields. 
Birds seen of interest:
Wood Duck 	2
Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Turkey		1
Mourning Dove		5
Downy Woodpecker	1
N. Rough-winged Swallow	1
Winter Wren	1
Eastern Bluebird	1
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher	1
Palm Warbler		3 Yellow eastern birds
Louisiana Waterthrush	2 singing

Audubon will be organizing a Bird Blitz at this site in May/June to determine if the area qualifies as an Important Bird Area.  Several at-risk birds breed here (Kentucky, Worm-eating Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Wood Thrush) but we need to know if the numbers of these exceed IBA thresholds.  This could be timely since there are still several hundred acres of forest unprotected and a couple of parcels have just gome on the market. 

If anyone is interested in joining me to Blitz this area and doesn't mind a bit of bushwacking (few trails!) then please let me know.

Dave


David Curson, PhD
Director of Bird Conservation,
Audubon MD-DC,
2437 Eastern Avenue,
Baltimore  MD  21224
Tel: (410) 558 2473
E-mail: