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Subject:

Sunday Montgomery and Howard birding and (OFFTOPIC) a near milestone

From:

David Gersten

Reply-To:

David Gersten

Date:

Mon, 19 May 2008 10:26:09 -0400

Visited a few northeastern Montgomery County and southern Howard county 
sites yesterday.  

Along Rt. 216 in Howard I found one flock of the Bobolinks reported by Jim 
Wilkinson.  They were across from the pond which continued to have Dunlin, 
Solitary, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers and a lone Mute Swan.

At Tridelphia Lake there were several Indigo Buntings, Orchard Orioles, Scarlet 
Tanagers, Prairie Warblers, Ovenbirds and Northern Parula.  A chat skulked 
about near the playground and as I tried to pish it out in the open I attracted 
a Black-billed Cuckoo.  The cuckoo remained motionless for several minutes 
providing excellent views.  On the drive out along Tridelphia Lake Road I heard 
a bobolink from the field to the left of the new house.  It didn’t pop up in the 
short time I waited for it.

The call of a Prothonotary Warbler coming from nearby Layhill Park enticed me 
out of my yard mid-day. In the park I had a Warbling Vireo, Indigo Bunting, 
Northern Orioles, a Louisiana Waterthrush, and an Acadian Flycatcher on its 
nest.

At dusk I went to Blue Mash.  Water was too high for shorebirds but the 
songbirds were certainly singing.  Wood Thrushes, Willow Flycatchers, Indigo 
Buntings, Orchard Orioles, countless Yellow Warblers, a cooperative Yellow-
breasted Chat and a flyover Common Nighthawk were the highlights.

OFF TOPIC …

Entering my lists from the weekend and recent trips to SE Arizona and Seattle 
I realized that I came within one bird of seeing 500 in a 365 day period.  From 
May 20, 2007 to May 18, 2008 I found 499 birds.  If I had spent yesterday 
searching the area for a one of my area misses in that time period (King Rail, 
Barn Owl, or Black Tern) or ventured afar to try for a Swainson’s Warbler, 
Alder Flycatcher or the DE Wood Sandpiper, I might have reached a big 
milestone.  I could still make it to 500 from May 23, 2007 – May 21, 2008 if I 
find the WW2 Memorial Clay-colored Sparrow and a Sora to offset ones I saw 
in May 2007, and add one of the others.  Not likely.  Still the best one-year 
period I've had.