Hi Everyone,

I spent the weekend in western Maryland with Jim Stasz, Hans Holbrook, and Tom Feild. Ed Boyd and Steve Collins joined us to explore eastern Allegany on Saturday, and J.B. Churchill, Ray Kiddy, and David Yeany joined us at Rocky Gap on Sunday. We were focused on insects and flora during the more pleasant weather on Saturday, then switched gears in response to the stormy weather on Sunday. The heavy rains in western Maryland caused a noteworthy fallout of loons, grebes, terns, and gulls. The following lists are abridged from the full eBird reports. I hope to post some photos tonight. 

SATURDAY, 4/19/2008
with Jim Stasz, Hans Holbrook, Tom Feild, Ed Boyd, and Steve Collins

Green Ridge SF--Mountain Road, Allegany Co.

Canada Goose--2
Belted Kingfisher--1
Red-breasted Nuthatch--1
Winter Wren--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Northern Parula--6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Pine Warbler--1
Prairie Warbler--2
Ovenbird--2
Louisiana Waterthrush--1
Chipping Sparrow--7
Brown-headed Cowbird--3

Sideling Hill WMA--Pearre Road, Allegany Co.

Eastern Phoebe--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--3
Prairie Warbler--4
Louisiana Waterthrush--2
Field Sparrow--3

Rocky Gap SP, Allegany Co.

Red-breasted Merganser--1 hen
Horned Grebe--1
Broad-winged Hawk--1
Tree Swallow--45
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--15
Barn Swallow--5
Pine Warbler--2
Chipping Sparrow--5
Pine Siskin--6; Ed only

Green Ridge SF--Old Williams Road, Allegany Co.

Canada Goose--1
Osprey--1
Bald Eagle--1 adult
Eastern Phoebe--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Brown Thrasher--1
Louisiana Waterthrush--1
Eastern Towhee--4
Chipping Sparrow--3
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW--1
White-throated Sparrow--1

Orleans Road, Allegany Co.

American Kestrel--1
VESPER SPARROW--3 singing

SELECTED NON-AVIAN OBSERVATIONS, ALLEGANY CO.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Herps: WOOD TURTLE, RED-BELLIED SNAKEs, Black Rat Snake, Spring Peepers, Wood Frogs, Pickerel Frogs, American Toads, Red-spotted Newts

Butterflies: Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Falcate Orangetip, Orange Sulfur, Eastern Pine Elfin, Henry's Elfin, Dreamy Duskywing, Juvenal's Duskywing, Spring Azure 

Odes: Newly emerged Common Baskettails, Common Green Darner

Other insects: Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle

And of course an excellent assortment of wildflowers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY, 4/20/2008
with Jim Stasz, Hans Holbrook, and Tom Feild

Flintstone, Allegany Co.

House Wren--1; first of the year singing at our coffee stop

Rocky Gap SP, Allegany Co.
joined by J.B. Churchill, Ray Kiddy, David Yeany

Wood Duck--2
Mallard--5
Blue-winged Teal--10; groups of 3, 2, and 5
Ring-necked Duck--1 hen
Lesser Scaup--4
Hooded Merganser--1 hen
Ruddy Duck--12
Common Loon--1
Loon sp.--2 distant flybys
Pied-billed Grebe--1
Horned Grebe--7
EARED GREBE--1 in breeding plumage! Spotted by Jim Stasz; documentation photos
Killdeer--2
Spotted Sandpiper--2
Lesser Yellowlegs--1
Bonaparte's Gull--6
HERRING GULL (American)--14; an excellent number for the county; first one adult, then two more, then a high-flying formation of eleven
CASPIAN TERN--1; dropped in and fished for about 15 minutes; a county bird for most of us and a county closeout for Stasz!
FORSTER'S TERN--1
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO--1
Blue-headed Vireo--1
RED-EYED VIREO--1
Common Raven--2; Stasz only
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--15
Black-throated Green Warbler--1
Pine Warbler--3
Chipping Sparrow--8

Piney Reservoir, Garrett Co.

Tundra Swan--1; continues, probably injured
Hooded Merganser--3
Common Merganser--1 drake
Wild Turkey--2 south of the reservoir, inc. a displaying tom
Common Loon--2; one is now dragging fishing line with a bobber attached (Mikey Lutmerding said he'd look into possible assistance)
Double-crested Cormorant--9
Osprey--2
Bonaparte's Gull--2; a coveted county bird for me and Hans
FORSTER'S TERN--2; I LOVE bad weather during migration!
American Crow--2
Tree Swallow--35
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--5
CLIFF SWALLOW--1
Barn Swallow--15
Louisiana Waterthrush--1

Little Meadows Lake, Garrett Co.

Ruddy Duck--1
Pied-billed Grebe--1
Horned Grebe--1
Osprey--1
Chipping Sparrow--2

Little Pool, Washington Co.

Blue-headed Vireo--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--4
White-throated Sparrow--1

Fort Frederick SP---Big Pool, Washington Co.

Swan Goose--1; exotic; continues
Canada Goose--46
Gadwall--3
Common Loon--1
Double-crested Cormorant--4
GREAT EGRET--1
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON--1 adult; found by Stasz; very rare in the county
Spotted Sandpiper--3
Eastern Phoebe--1
Tree Swallow--20
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--1
Barn Swallow--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Flora: Virginia Bluebells in peak bloom; a stunning carpet along the river

C&O Canal--McCoys Ferry, Washington Co.

Wood Duck--1 drake
Common Loon--3 more!

Blairs Valley, Washington Co.

Green Heron--1
BONAPARTE'S GULL--1; perched in a dead snag; suggestive of the species nesting in trees on the breeding grounds
YELLOW WARBLER--1

Williamsport, Washington Co.

Common Loon--1; yet another!
Purple Martin--1

Greenbrier SP, Washington Co.

Common Loon--yet another two!
Osprey--4!
Killdeer--1

The COMMON LOON count in Washington Co. (7) was more than double the total Hans had seen total in the county before Sunday (and exactly SEVEN times more than I'd seen!)

Kershner's Pond, Frederick Co.

Canada Goose--8
Ring-necked Duck--1 hen
Bufflehead--1 hen
Ruddy Duck--3
Killdeer--1
Ring-billed Gull--5 imm.
Tree Swallow--20
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--5
Barn Swallow--10
American Pipit--16; attractive breeding plumage

Weverton, Washington Co.

Mallard--2
Common Merganser--1 hen; appeared out of nowhere (perhaps from a tucked-away cove) just north of us; possible breeder; my notes show we had a female here almost a year ago to the date; Hans saw a female with young here a few years ago
Double-crested Cormorant--13
Great Blue Heron--12; rookery just up and on the other side of the river; birds flying in and out
Spotted Sandpiper--1
Chimney Swift--25
Purple Martin--1
Tree Swallow--15
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--5
Barn Swallow--8
Yellow-throated Warbler (albilora)--3
Louisiana Waterthrush--1

Weverton, Frederick Co.

Canada Goose--2
Wood Duck--3
Common Merganser--1 hen; female spotted in Washington flew down river
Double-crested Cormorant--37
Great Blue Heron--3
Spotted Sandpiper--3
Chimney Swift--12
Purple Martin--1
Tree Swallow--60
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--15
Barn Swallow--25
Northern Parula--1
Yellow-throated Warbler (albilora)--1
Louisiana Waterthrush--1

Lake Linganore, Frederick Co.

Common Loon--6; a flotilla of six in breeding plumage loons in tight formation
Chipping Sparrow--2

Working our favorite western Maryland water areas during the stormy weather was exciting and productive. Anytime Stasz is getting county birds, it's a good day to be out birding!

Have a great week!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com