Fred,
   Currently the known dividing line for the chickadees is in western Washington County. Carolinas may be pushing north from West Virginia into other parts of Western Maryland. The atlas shows the range of Carolinas increasing and Black-caps receding. Too bad the bird didn't call. What visual field marks did you use?
  In other notes from your western excursion you incorrectly named the reservoir in NE Garrett County. It is Piney Reservoir, not Piney Run Reservoir which is in Carroll County. If you enter data into eBird be careful to select the correct location. Also, Ring-billed Gulls can be quite common at Cumberland. Many fly over the mountains to the Great Lakes and large numbers can sometimes be seen in Western Maryland if the weather impedes their progress. The larger gulls are much rarer that far west.

--
Bob Ringler 
Eldersburg MD 


-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Fred Fallon <> 

> A swing through Allegany County Wed. and Thur. in search of lingering 
> waterfowl revealed a general absence of them as distinct from reports 
> last week and in synchrony with numbers here in the central part of the 
> state. This suggests that spring departure is triggered more by length 
> of day than time since thawing of the ponds. Red-breasted Mergansers 
> were the most frequently encountered, females greatly outnumbering males: 
> 
> April 2: 
> Rocky Gap 
> Horned Grebe 1 
> Pied-b Grebe 5 
> Red-br Merganser 1m, 24f 
> 
> Mason Rd Pond 
> Nil 
> 
> Cumberland 'Terminus' 
> Red-br Merg 8f 
> Ruddy Duck 5 
> Ring-billed Gull 1 (not so common this far west) 
> (Also a lost Meadowlark) 
> 
> Piney Run Reservoir (Garrett Co) 
> Pied-b Grebe 2 
> Gt Blue Heron 
> Tundra Swan 2 
> Lesser Scaup 14 
> D-c Cormorant 
> OSPREY, no nest evident 
> Red-sh Hawk 
> 
> Finzel Swamp pond 
> Ring-necked Duck 2m,5f 
> 
> April 3: 
> Pinto Pond 
> Nil 
> 
> Potomac at River Road, Cumberland 
> Wood Duck 
> 
> Potomac at Little Orleans, 1-mile stretch 
> Nil 
> 
> Some land birds of note: 
> 
> Aaron's Run Road restored strip mine, AL 
> Wood Duck 
> N. Harrier 
> SHORT-EARED OWL 
> Red-w Blackbirds 
> 
> C&O Canal, Little Orleans, AL 
> E Phoebe 
> CAROLINA CHICKADEE 
> T. Titmouse 2 
> G-cr Kinglet 2 
> R-cr Kinglet 
> Myrtle Warbler, full spring plumage 
> E. Bluebird 
> Wh-thr Sparrow 2 - not so common out here 
> 
> Perhaps the most remarkable of these was the Chickadee. Has the line 
> between the 2 species shifted since the last Yellow Book? Does the 
> Carolina C. now come this far up the river? Maybe the winter C&O Canal 
> Count would help answer this. The bird was close enough for a pretty 
> sure identification, tho' true it never vocalized. 
> 
> Fred Fallon 
> Bowie/Huntingtown 
>