Of reasons to go to Garrett County (Much as I can't stand David Letterman,
here goes):

10. To beat global warming. Sunday at 7 AM there was still frost on my truck
at Carey Run. I backed it up into a place where the sun could get rid of it.

    10A. To stay at Carey Run where for about the 20th straight year we were
sung to sleep by a BARRED OWL. We also had SWAINSON'S THRUSH there.

9. To bird Finzel Swamp, where if you bring Duck boots so you can slog thru
that muddy area in the back, you can keep going for quite a long ways.

    9A. Finzel's variety can be extreme - We did not quite match a list that
was posted earlier this week, but did very well- heard the SORA, saw
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, several CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS and a BROAD-WINGED HAWK
in the air. We don't mean to be critical, but whoever posted some Chipping
Sparrows there this week, probably got them confused with the many SWAMP
SPARROWS that we saw & heard. We whiffed on Northern Waterthush there, which
was surprising. They are usually around. We had several other warblers,
including a possible Tennessee that wasn't seen well enough to be sure. Also
had a VERY good look at a singing ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Laura got him to
turn around so we could see him from the front. She just asked nicely.

8. To picnic at Big Run, where you are serenaded by ORIOLES and REDSTARTS,
not to mention the KILLDEER that seemed to want to join us for lunch.

7. To hike at much-overlooked Asa Durst Area.

    7A. We heard another Barred Owl and saw multitudes of warblers- CANADA,
BLACK-THROATED BLUES and GREENS, BLACKBURNIAN, OVENBIRD, etc, etc.

6. Have dinner with the Gaffneys, Barb and George, who moved out there for
all the right reasons. George complained about a new neighbor that cut down
trees so he could have  a lawn. George and I agree- there isn't a lawn in
the world that is worth the $4/gallon it takes to mow it. Trees make a
better lawn.

    6A. Watching the HUMMINGBIRDS fight at the Gaffneys' feeder reminds us
of home.

    6B. The PURPLE FINCHES at the Gaffneys' feeders don't remind us of home.
What a nice treat. So was the eye-level look at a BLACK-THROATED GREEN
WARBLER from their high-up porch and watching a SCARLET TANAGER bathe in a
puddle. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES also flitted around at eye-level.

5. Driving over to Piney Run lake in the evening where there was still a
COMMON LOON swimming around on May 24th. Juvenile plumage. Must not be sure
how to get further north. SPOTTED SANDPIPERS were also around.

4. Getting up early and stopping at Pea Ridge to check out the field birds.
Several were there. Including ...

    4A. Getting the 32wa-power scope on a singing HENSLOW'S SPARROW. This is
only the 2nd time we've managed this stunt. They don't mind singing from the
ground, well out of sight of scopes or whatever other surveillance machines
you've got. This one was happy on top of a stout weed and sang long enough
for me to go get the scope out of the truck, set it up and let Laura find
him in it. Mark and Tammy Schwab will recall our first scoped Henslow's - a
lifer for Tammy. I can still hear her saying, "He bothers to tip his head
back just to do that?" It does seem like a wasted effort. "See-lick!"

    4B. Hearing Laura get excited as she exclaims, "MEADOWLARK!". And then a
few minutes later I get MY bird and answer with "BOBOLINK!" Every marriage
should come with his-and-hers favorite grassland birds. The GRASSHOPPER
SPARROW was nice, too.

3. Hiking the head section of one of my favorite trout stream trails.
Secrecy prevents me from saying where we were, but we came to the site of an
ancient farm. It still amazes me when I look around up there and think that
some hillbilly tried to scratch a living out of this terrain. The buildings
are mere foundations now and the forest has reclaimed the area. How somebody
could ever look at it and see farm land is beyond me. It is very steep and
they would have had to cross a small stream (probably with horse and buggy
or at best an antique car) whenever they came to and from the farm.

    3A. We went down there looking for Winter Wren but whiffed on it.
Instead we got KENTUCKY WARBLER, VEERY and MAGNOLIA WARBLER, among others.

    3B. Looking down just as I started over a log I spotted a flower -
pretty white with pink in the middle. I pointed it out to Laura and she got
giddy. Turned out to be a TRILLIUM. Nice.

2. Finally finding the head of the Savage Mountain Hiking Trail just below
the dam at Savage River. For years I've known where the other end was and
several spots in the middle of this 17-mile trail, but the southern end
turns out to be hard to find. It's in what appears to be an old parking area
you can't drive to any more. A huge boulder blocked the road so they put in
a gate to keep people from trying it. There is no sign indicating the
trail until you get back to the open area.  Once there you can hike up past
the damn and thru the trees look out over the lake.

    2A. On this trail we found only the third ORANGE VARIANT of the SCARLET
TANAGER that I've ever seen. I had one a couple years ago at Morgan Run and
the first was at Deep Creek maybe 20 years ago. We thought it was an oriole
until we realized there was no black in the head.

1. Fishing an old friend of a trout stream for a little over an hour and
having a blast. At least half a dozen were over 8 inches, which is big for
wild Brook Trout in this area. Want bigger? Fish a spring creek in PA and if
you get one, hang it on a wall. A family happened down the trail while I was
at it and I enchanted their 2 little girls with one of my prizes. I guess
the "Uncle Jerry" comes out in me once in a while. Yes, I showed them how to
release the fish so it lives a nice long life- for a Brookie, that's about 4
years.

    1A. On the way down to the stream, another Rose-breasted gave me a
naked-eye look at eye level no more than 15-20 feet away. He turned, looked
at me and sang. Almost as much fun as the biggest trout I had- close to 10
inches.

    2A. While I was fishing I finally heard a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, the
first waterthrush of the trip. Don't know where they were hiding. Never did
get a Northern.

There it is - in some sort of order I don't understand. If there isn't
something in there to entice you to Garrett County, call your local
mortician. You're dead.

And we did hear a grouse drum, but never saw one and for one of the few
times ever we never saw a turkey. That's ok, we made up for it with some of
the other thrills.

And notice I kept the list to just 10 items ;-).

Jerry Tarbell
Carroll County

PS - any body want what's left of the rope?