Hi Everyone,

I was considering leaving work early to bird Carroll County on Friday afternoon (5/23), and Bob Ringler and Bill Ellis's SUMMER TANAGER sighting sealed the deal. I ran into Bob and Skippy at the Summer Tanager site at around 1:15 and we hiked around for about an hour. Beginning around 1:30 the bird was heard singing, and then a bit later, calling. We had several decent looks at the bird, and I managed to get a couple documentation photos. After enjoying the tanager, I worked several locations around the Liberty Watershed and then headed to Soldier's Delight. After a few hours here I ran into Dave Curson, Kevin Graff, and a bird blitz team looking for WHIP-POOR-WILLs for the IBA program. I volunteered to take a circuit and was excited to count at least 11 different birds. This should mean that this bird blitz will easily beat its previous high count. Walking the Serpentine Trail slowly at dusk, I even got to see one fly by and another singing from a low
 perch. Both were silhouettes, but that was plenty cool and I decided to not use my flashlight at all on the walk. Noteworthy birds from the rest of the afternoon and night are below. 

Liberty Watershed--Rte 32 Bridge Access, Carroll Co.
with Bob Ringler and Skippy

Common Nighthawk--1; seemingly flushed from trees near the trail
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Acadian Flycatcher--1
Yellow-throated Vireo--1
Red-eyed Vireo--3
Tree Swallow--1
House Wren--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Cedar Waxwing--2
Northern Parula--4
Pine Warbler--1
Ovenbird--3
SUMMER TANAGER--1; second county record (first in 1994); found on 5/22/2008 by Bob Ringler and Bill Ellis. Seen several times, heard singing and calling, documentation photos.
Indigo Bunting--2

Liberty Watershed--Bollinger Mill Rd, Carroll Co.

Mute Swan--1
Eastern Wood-Pewee--3
Acadian Flycatcher--3
Great Crested Flycatcher--2
Eastern Kingbird--2
White-eyed Vireo--1
Red-eyed Vireo--13
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--3
Gray Catbird--2
Cedar Waxwing--2
Northern Parula--5
Ovenbird--6
Hooded Warbler--1
Scarlet Tanager--1
Eastern Towhee--6
Baltimore Oriole--1

Liberty Watershed--North End, Carroll Co.

Canada Goose--41
Wood Duck--1
Mallard--1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird--1
Great Crested Flycatcher--1
White-eyed Vireo--1
Warbling Vireo--5
Red-eyed Vireo--2
Tree Swallow--1
Barn Swallow--2
House Wren--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--3
Cedar Waxwing--7
Northern Parula--3
Yellow Warbler--2
Common Yellowthroat--2
Song Sparrow--2
Indigo Bunting--6

Liberty Watershed--North End, Baltimore Co.

White-eyed Vireo--1
Warbling Vireo--1
Red-eyed Vireo--3
House Wren--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Gray Catbird--2
Northern Parula--2
Yellow Warbler--1
Pine Warbler--1
Indigo Bunting--3
Baltimore Oriole--1
Non-avian: Mourning Cloak

Soldiers Delight NEA (5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

Canada Goose--6
Great Horned Owl--1
Common Nighthawk--2+
Hard to be sure how many more than this. One did several display maneuvers, which is always great to see and hear.
WHIP-POOR-WILL--11
Starting around 8:30 I hiked the full Serpentine Trail, then checked the intersection with Wards Chapel Road. I counted 11 different singing birds, which included five singing west of the powerlines along the Serpentine Trail (west of Deer Park Road), three east of the powerlines but west of Deer Park Road, and three northwest of the intersection of Deer Park and Ward Chapel Roads. 
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Eastern Wood-Pewee--4
Acadian Flycatcher--7
Empidonax sp.--1
Great Crested Flycatcher--2
Yellow-throated Vireo--1
Red-eyed Vireo--14
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--13
Eastern Bluebird--3
Veery--3; one calling on the ground, two night migrants
Swainson's Thrush--5; night migrants
Wood Thrush--4
Gray Catbird--6
Brown Thrasher--1; calling at twilight
Cedar Waxwing--24
Magnolia Warbler--5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Prairie Warbler--6
Blackpoll Warbler--5
Black-and-white Warbler--1 male; singing from exposed perches
Ovenbird--3
Common Yellowthroat--1
Yellow-breasted Chat--5
SUMMER TANAGER--1; NE corner of Red/Choate Mine Trail
Scarlet Tanager--4
Eastern Towhee--17
Chipping Sparrow--2
Field Sparrow--16
Blue Grosbeak--1
Indigo Bunting--3

Deer Park Road, Carroll Co. (10:15 to 10:35 p.m.)

I stopped to try for Whip-poor-wills, but I think I spent too much time at Soldier's Delight and got here too late. With how much singing was going on at Soldier's Delight, I expected the bird(s) here to be singing, too.

Black-billed Cuckoo--1 night migrant
Yellow-breasted Chat--1 calling from the powerlines
warbler sp.--3 unidentified flight calls

Home, Rockwood Beach, Anne Arundel Co. (11:00 to 11:30 p.m.)

Nice thrush flight here, too. 
Over 100 SWAINSON'S THRUSHes and about 5 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHes.

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com